FAO recognizes and re-affirms that CSOs are critical partners across a wide spectrum of activities at the local, national, and international level. The autonomy and independence of CSO's is a central value that is undoubtedly recognized by FAO: CSOs in the region  recognize that, all issues and the policies discussed...

Association of private farming of the Czech Republic organized an International Conference on family farms and Common Agricultural Policy of EU. The event was held in Brno on 4 - 6th of April 2016. 10 European countries attended the conference. Herewith volume 5. Presentation of Latvia

SIMRA (Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas) is a four-year project (2016-2020) funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. It aims to advance understanding of social innovation and innovative governance in agriculture, forestry and rural development – and how to boost them – in marginalised rural areas across Europe...

From 3 to 5 October 2016, around 260 mountain actors (researchers, farmers, environmentalists, elected representatives from local and regional authorities, representatives of chambers of commerce and development adeclaration finale bragancagencies) met in Bragança, Portugal during the X European Mountain Convention organised by Euromontana.

Their specific potentials and opportunities of mountain areas need to be considered as much as their challenges. Mountain areas are too diverse to elaborate an integrated European strategy. However, a framework for development strategies in mountain areas can be developed, taking into account the specific challenges and importance of mountain...

This report presents the findings of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group (FG) on New Entrants to Farming: lessons to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, which was established under the European Innovation Partnership Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI). New entrants are widely recognised as important to the ongoing vitality and competitiveness of the...

Justina grew up on her family’s farm in the Ukmergė region of central Lithuania and she wanted to continue in her family’s footsteps by becoming a young farmer. Initially, she had access to land and some older equipment. However, being an ambitious young person with a lot of ideas and...

Mountain areas have difficult climatic and environmental conditions, but mountain people are used to adapting to these. Thanks to their great experience of innovation and adaptation, they have already started to tackle the challenge of climate change. This X European Mountain Convention will present a state-of-the-art of the situation in...

In order to continue to develop this regional approach, from 23–25 November 2016 the regional symposium on title ‘agroecology for sustainable agriculture and food systems in Europe and Central Asia’ will be held. It will start with a field visit on 23 November afternoon and the internal CSO meeting, followed...

In the period to 2020, the new CAP will invest about EUR 63 billion1 in France's farming sector and rural areas. Key political priorities have been defined at European level such as: jobs and growth, sustainability, modernisation, innovation and quality. At the same time, France has flexibility to adapt both...

Greening the economy and improving air quality for a better environment and human health were two main themes of the Eighth Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference, held 8-10 June in Batumi, Georgia. Participating countries also emphasized agriculture, forest management, water and food as key focus issues contributing to a “Green...

The transition towards sustainable food systems has often been conceived on the basis of two sets of instruments: legal regulations that impose certain ways of acting and prohibit others, or economic incentives such as taxes and subsidies to reward good practices and discourage less good practices. This classic view of transition...

La publicación del Anuario de 2016 de UPA, con el lema, “Agricultura y mundo rural: experiencias locales en un mundo global”, es una gran ocasión para reflexionar sobre las relaciones entre la globalización de los mercados y el mantenimiento de las producciones locales. La globalización es cada vez más constatable...

This short video explains the basis of Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS). It was designed as a trailer and short version of the documentary: A guide to Participatory Guarantee Systems for Organic Agricultureavailable to watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbwiC...The video was produced by IFOAM – Organics International with the financial support of the Technical...

 Under the banner, “Feeding Public Policies”  opening a space for international debate and alliance building in order to promote public policies that contribute to food sovereignty.

  Farmers in Koutiala, a district in Southern Mali grow cereals to feed their families and keep cows for milk and as a form of savings. There, all the arable land is currently under cultivation. During the four months of the rainy season, farmers prioritise the cultivation of cereals over fodder...

Although family farms are found in great numbers all over Romania, they are found in their highest numbers, and in the most typical traditional small-scale farmed landscapes, in the northern and Central parts of Romania. This smallholding-based production has persisted, especially in Romanian mountain and upland regions. However, livestock numbers...

Stanislav Nemec’s runs a dairy farm in the Czech Republic. He originally produced feta cheese, but in 2008 during the economic crisis, his business partner pulled out and he lost 70% of his turnover. What appeared at first to be a serious threat for the further existence of his farm,...

El esfuerzo continuado desde el año 2008 hasta el 2011 de las organizaciones agrarias, rurales y sociales de más de sesenta países de los cinco continentes, impulsados y coordinados por el Foro Rural Mundial-FRM, logró que la comunidad internacional, a través de la FAO, el FIDA y la ONU, pusiera...

Over the past couple of decades, the European Union has adopted and implemented legislation that has eliminated the most extreme confinement systems for farm animals, such as barren battery cages for laying hens, cages for broiler chickens and individual sow stalls for pigs. The European Commission asserts that animal welfare is a...