Regional Conferences are an official forum where Ministers of Agriculture and other high officials from all Member States in the region meet to debate challenges related to food and agriculture, thus promoting regional coherence. The Regional Conference is held once every two years, in years when the global FAO Conference does...

The newsletter of the Low Impact Fishers of Europe

Individual Transferrable Quotas (ITQs) have caused no end of controversy in the small-scale and coastal fisheries (SSCF) sector worldwide. The most recent reform of the CFP stirred up such controversy but rejected the imposition of obligatory Transferable Fishing Concessions (TFCs) – ITQs by another name. However, TFCs remain an integral part...

National rural networks (NRNs), group administrations and organisations active in rural development. NRNs were introduced for the first time in the EU rural development policy of 2007-2013 and have been carried over into the 2014-2020 programming period. NRNs can either operate as a specific intervention within a single Rural Development...

ombres y mujeres que se extienden por las diferentes agriculturas y ganaderías que reflejan la enorme variedad de paisajes y realidades productivas de un país tan diverso como España, en el que conviven las llanuras cerealistas de las mesetas, el binomio clásico mediterráneo de viñedo y olivar, el vergel de...

Timed to follow the release of Defra’s 25-year food and farming plan to boost the growth of the UK’s food and farming, being released early this year, focusing on growing exports and trade, increasing competitiveness, technology innovation, investment and developing skills and employment within the industry. The agenda will also include...

Genetic diversity in food and agriculture is vital for ensuring high quality food production and for making animal breeds, forests and plants more diverse and better adapted to cope with changing environments, the impacts of climate change (such as drought), and new pests and diseases. To reverse the loss of...

In the period to 2020, the CAP is going to invest EUR 8.3 billion from the EU budget in Czech 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 stage, the Czech...

In the Mediterranean, the diversity of production systems and value chains is seen as an asset for sustainability. More than anywhere else, the Mediterranean zone boasts a wide range of sheep and goat farming situations, products and natural resources. This diversity of production systems has provided many different products, shaped...

Due to the topographical circumstances – 70 % of the territory is categorized as mountain area – Austria’s agriculture is largely based on small scaled family farms. Average farm size is about 22 ha UAA and about 36 ha cultivated area including forest (2014). Corresponding to these figures, Austria clearly...

The Dutch potato breeding model, which involves a partnership between family farmers and commercial breeding companies in a modern, Western context, is unique. While there are other examples of collaborative relationships between farmers and breeders in Europe, the Dutch potato breeding model stands out in terms of its long track...

The Swedish rural parliament is one of the largest gatehrings for rural development in Europe. All Sweden Shall Live (Hela Sverige ska leva) has arranged this event every second year since the mid-90s. The theme of 2016 is”Towards a balanced country”. Together we will challenge and educate each other on...

French milk, pork and beef farmers are currently facing severe crises, and they fear that the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will not have the answers they need.

Sustainable forestry is one the topics Forum Synergies is focusing on. After a first workshop held from 17-20 March 2016 in Milverton, UK this is  the second in a planned series of four workshops.

Le levier du développement de l’exploitation : favoriser les plus aptes à maintenir la continuité de l’unité économique qui fera vivre une famille (loi fermage (1946); attribution préférentielle (1938); salaire différé pour l’aide familial (1939)).

The Bucharest government wants to give organic farming a boost and – at the same time – increase consumers’ confidence in the sector. Despite its longstanding tradition of agriculture, Romania is still lagging behind in organic farming compared to other EU partners. Under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period...

The need for effective communication measures for the implementation and promotion of the EU fund achievements has never been higher. The over-saturation of information in media and public space has created a need to give a memorable message about the opportunities that have been created by your EU funded programme...

EU has committed many Sustainable Fisheries Partnerships with third countries to enhance sustainable exploitation of fisheries. The annual contribution from the EU to these countries is € 180 million.

The “Be part of CSA!” project - a European Participatory Training Programme for Community Supported Agriculture - has been designed to spread widely CSA initiatives by providing knowledge, skills and competences to local communitie in Hungary, Czech Republic and Romania, and disseminates its outcomes at the European level. The Booklet is here to...

This paper summarises the key findings of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) ‘2015 Annual Economic Report on the EU Fishing Fleet’, and provides additional insight on trends in economic performance and the potential drivers of such trends. It also includes supplementary analyses focusing on trends by...