It takes many years to develop new varieties of apples and pears and even longer before the newly planted trees start producing marketable volumes of fruit. For this reason, fruit growers are very interested in assessing whether there are new varieties which could help them respond to market demands. The...

In 2014 five herb producers joined forces in the organic herb farm ‘Under the Sun’, making them the biggest Portuguese exporter of aromatic and medicinal plants. To save energy costs for herb drying, Gonçalo Costa Martins, one of the farmers, cooperated with a local engineer. Together they created an innovative...

The ENRD newsletter provides all the latest rural development news from Europe straight to your inbox once a month. From policy updates to ENRD meetings and from project outcomes to online videos, this new and updated tool aims to provide something for everybody interested in rural development policy in Europe....

La alimentación suscita el interés de la ciudadanía, las empresas, las comunidades, el mundo de la investigación… Así, se han adoptado muchas iniciativas que contribuyen a la aparición de Sistemas Alimentarios Territorializados. El análisis de una veintena de ellas en Francia y España destaca tres desafíos principales que resultan fundamentales...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the amount of carbon stored in the soil. SOC releases nutrients for plant growth, enhances the health of soil and acts as a barrier against harmful substances. SOC is being threatened due to the intensification of cropping systems, higher temperatures and changes in rainfall, amongst...

The CFP has Created a Distorted Sea

PRO-PRODUCTION is a Slovenian Operational Group (OG) developing and promoting an irrigation decision support system to increase water use productivity at farm level. “Key factors must be considered to achieve the best results with irrigation: soil properties, plant growing phase, soil water content, weather forecast, timing and quantity of water...

The ENRD newsletter provides all the latest rural development news from Europe straight to your inbox once a month. From policy updates to ENRD meetings and from project outcomes to online videos, this new and updated tool aims to provide something for everybody interested in rural development policy in Europe....

The European Conference on Crop Diversification will take place from the 18th to 21st of September 2019 in Budapest, Hungary. The conference will explore how we can achieve the full potential of cropping system diversification for improved productivity, delivery of ecosystem services and resource-efficient and sustainable value chains. 

A APDEA – Associação Portuguesa de Economia Agrária, o GPP – Gabinete de Planeamento e Políticas e o INIAV – Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agronómica e Veterinária vão realizar um evento internacional e multidisciplinar, subordinado ao tema “A Agricultura e os desafios societais para o período 20-30”, de 15 a 18 de outubro, em Lisboa/Oeiras. Este evento...

Reducing the risk of incursions and improving preparation for the rapid detection and control of African swine fever in the Balkan countries is the main topic of the four-day FAO workshop finishing today in Belgrade. African swine fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease that kills up to 100 percent of infected animals,...

O Colégio F3 da Universidade de Lisboa vai realizar um curso de formação teórico-prática para debater as questões do planeamento alimentar urbano com uma perspetiva de “bacia alimentar” nos dias 3 e 4 de maio no Instituto para a Investigação Interdisciplinar da Universidade de Lisboa. A frequência do curso é gratuita,...

Mihai is an organic beekeeper with about 190 bee families.

O Decreto -Lei n.º 64/2018, de 7 de agosto, consagrou o Estatuto da Agricultura Familiar, distinguindo as especificidades desta nas suas diversas dimensões, reconhecendo e valorizando a adoção de medidas de apoio específicas, a aplicar preferencialmente ao nível local para atender à diversidade de estruturas e de realidades agrárias, bem...

The FAO has raised the alarm over the state of biodiversity, which is necessary for global food security, in the first report it has published on the subject.  While it is repeatedly a casualty of agriculture and our nutrition, biodiversity is needed for both of these. In a report published on 22 February...

Family farming shouldn’t be a solitary activity. Rural communities are key for supporting farmers and the development of the rural economy. In Europe and Central Asia, FAO has been supporting different initiatives and projects related to local rural development for more than a decade. Going now a step further, a workshop in Budapest marks...

NEWS FROM IFOAM EU WORKING FIELDS: Biofach 2019, UTP trialogues, benefits of eco-schemes, the Common Food Policy and much more!

The Organic Action Plan is a welcome tool in exploring the fantastic trade opportunities that exist for organic food and drink in Scotland. As a wholesaler we can see the demand that exists for organic produce within Scotland. The Organic Action Plan will provide a platform to ensure that in...

The campaign #17Reasons2Coop aims at promoting agri-food and forest cooperatives as a critical tool to design tomorrow’s agriculture. Since the beginning of their existence and at each stage of their growth, by responding to farmers’ needs, agri-cooperatives have been pursuing the objective of social, economic and environmental sustainability. Sustainability is...

LinkedIn Op-ed on the future of organic farming in the EU