The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was the first policy to specifically address mountain regions at European level, through Directive 75/268/EEC on mountain and hill-farming in less favoured areas (LFAs). Since 1975, the CAP instruments promoting the sustainable development of mountain agriculture and the well-being of mountain rural areas have significantly...

Similarly to other Northern countries, Italy has witnessed a growth in recent years of forms of direct sale of agri-food products. These so-called short supply chains often open new opportunities for the development and conservation of rural areas which are not merely economic in nature. The case study described here...

SEEAG's Mission is to educate children about the farm sources of their food from  field-to-table while connecting them to the farmland in their own backyard.

Wolves have been coming back for several years in the southern French Alps. In two valleys of the Mercantour national park, they have been present for 15 years. Sheep farmers have to adapt their farming systems to this presence. We carried out surveys among the sheep farmers i) to describe...

Farming in the area of Maramureş has created a land of impressive scenery and rich cultural heritage. The unique patchwork of forests, orchards, wetlands and grasslands forms the second largest protected area in Romania. This is a semi-natural landscape, the result of a long tradition of traditional farming and shepherding,...

Small producers, who sell their own products from their own farms, have been making and selling their products for many generations. They believe in the health of their products. But in certain cases, production and storage conditions can lead to serious food poisoning, even though the producer/seller who eats the...

This report is produced as part of collaboration between the European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP) and WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme (WWFDCP). Both organisations recognise the importance of certain farming systems for nature conservation. Between 2006 and 2008 a project was executed aiming at finding out at a local...

The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM-IAMB) has initiated since 1999 data collection on the organic sector in the Mediterranean area. Since 2005 a separate chapter in « The World of Organic Agriculture » has been dedicated to the Mediterranean area, and IAMB has committed itself to supporting the global...

La producción integrada, puede servir en los ambientes agrarios mediterráneos, como una estrategia de punto de partida, para una transición agroecológica. Esta transición tiene que abordar importantes retos: recuperar los suelos agrarios deteriorados; mejorar la calidad de las aguas de riego; utilizar variedades adaptadas a las condiciones atmosféricas mediterráneas, especialmente...

The necessity of improving knowledge in fisheries and especially small-scale coastal fisheries in order to analyze the conditions for their sustainable development is increasingly recognized. The three main requirements for the sustainable development of fisheries are the simultaneous present and future well-being of the bio-ecological system, the human system and...

The rural movements that have developed in Europe over the last 30 years represent an organised approach to providing a network and voice for rural areas, their people and the many organisations working for rural development. Faced with many threats of rural decline, centralising policy, globalisation of markets and European...

The objective of this study, commissioned by the FAO Regional Office for Europe and SDRR, is to analyse the status of and future needs for information and communication systems of private and government organizations in the national agricultural research system and its relevant partners with respect to agro-ecological and organic...

European consumers have become increasingly more aware of food safety issues, as a consequence of a number of food ‘scandals’. Most of these ‘scandals’ have been related to livestock products. However, most consumers still believe that it is possible to produce ‘safe’ food at low prices, while a small group...

During the past decade, the general attitude of the population towards health, nutrition, quality and environment has remarkably changed. Consequently, organic farming is increasing, especially in economically developed countries. Due to the growing demand, government subsidies and other economic advantages, the cropping area has increased. In Hungary, organic farming principally...

Organic milk production in the UK increased from 16 million litres in 1997/98 to 218 million litres in 2001/02 (MDC, 2002). Consumers often cite health benefits of organic food as a reason for purchase (Hill and Lynchehaun, 2002; MDC, 2002). To date, only minor differences in composition between organic and...

The nutritive value of forages for ruminants highly depends on the ratio between cell content and cell walls and on the ability of the rumen microorganisms to degrade the plant cell walls (Waldo, 1986). The primary function of the NDF fraction in ruminant diets is to provide energy for microbial...

One of the characteristics of organic farming is the conservation of domestic, endogenous livestock breeds and strains. For a successful development of the organic pig sector in Southern Europe, the animals must be well adapted domestic breeds, as they are exposed to extreme weather conditions in the free range systems...

Maintaining high welfare status and allowing birds access to natural behaviour and outdoors are particular challenges in organic egg production. Feather pecking, foot problems, external parasites and poor utilisation of outdoor areas have been recognised as problems in organic layer systems (Lampkin 1997, Berg 2001, Kjilstra et al. 2003). Inexperience...

All stakeholders in the organic livestock food chain have different priorities with respect to food quality. Stakeholders include producers, wholesalers, retailers, advisory bodies, certification groups, regulatory and inspection groups (such as environmental health officers & food microbiologists) and the consumer. Due to the wide range in requirements by these different...

While the level of consumption of organic food is markedly lower in Hungary than in many other European countries, there is an increasing trend among consumers to look for functional and ethically and environmentally sustainable food. This potentially opens up new perspectives for the organic food producers who currently are...