Pollinators, particularly bees, are essential constituents of our ecosystem, first of all as bioindicators of environmental health and second as providers of a variety in food production. They contribute to well-balanced diets and human health. In the EU around 80% of food crops, particularly fruits and vegetables, rely on animal...

“Rural Europe Takes Action – No more business as usual”, a policy guide for rural Europe by ARC2020 and Forum Synergies, launched in June 2022. Today’s extract from Rural Europe Takes Action tells the story of the Balkan Seeds Network, a network of scientists and seed savers’ organisations tapping into...

A profound transformation of agricultural production methods has become unavoidable due to the increase in the world’s population, and environmental and climatic challenges. Agroecology is now recognized as a challenging model for agricultural systems, promoting their diversification and adaptation to environmental and socio-economic contexts, with consequences for the entire agri-food...

Romeo Mikičić has been fishing in the azure waters of the Adriatic Sea for more than 40 years.The father of two is passionate about the sea and comes from generations of fishers who lived on the island of Cres, one of more than a thousand islands in the Republic of...

Many countries in Western Europe have a long tradition of applying land banking as part of the integrated toolbox of land management instruments. As with land consolidation, the traditional purpose of land banking has been to support agriculture and rural development by reducing land fragmentation and facilitating the enlargement of...

At the BIOFACH Congress, farmers, retailers, scientists, entrepreneurs and processors will come together with economists, activists and policymakers to delve deep into the future of the organic sector. We’ll take part both as speakers and organisers, representing the voices of our members. IFOAM Organics Europe will also contribute to the programme with several...

« Horticulture for a world in transition ». Taking benefits from this new context, the organizing committee is preparing an unprecedented IHC in a hybrid version, which will focus on three priorities:1) to host an outstanding scientific event,2) to reinforce the links between research, education and industry, and3) to enhance the links between Southern and...

This report is a narrative review of the effects reported in the scientific literature (peer-reviewed and indexed scientific publications showing quantitative evidence) about the relationships between a selection of nature restoration practices and food production. The reported effects are extracted from systematic reviews, meta-analyses and individual papers. As a narrative...

How is a new generation of French winegrowers responding to the extreme temperatures and droughts becoming more pronounced in recent years? This summer, Adèle Pautrat visited Sainte Marie des Crozes, an organic and biodynamic Domaine in the village of Douzens in southern France. Winery Manager Christelle Alias and her team...

Ricardo Soares, a Portuguese apple and pear grower, is a young innovator. He has brought many innovations to his farmer colleagues. As a young farmer, he also encountered some obstacles and found some solutions to overcome them.

Costantino is one of the farmers in the Operational Group SISCCCA. The project develops sustainable integrated systems to control the brown marmorated stink bug.

Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL October 2022 Newsletter News highlighting FiBL’s research, training and advisory services

The European Farm-to-Fork strategy considers organic farming as a core element for improving agricultural sustainability, due to manifold best practice examples for sustainable farm management. Conversion to organic farming requires comprehensive knowledge about organic production practices, and good understanding of the conversion process itself and the related rules and regulations....

ECO_FRUCT_BN, a Romanian Operational Group, is testing different methods and technologies to improve insect pest control in organic fruit production. On 4 pilot organic farms in the hill and mountain area of Bistrita county, the project partners is carrying out trials for integrated pest management (IPM) strategies and a solution...

While much has been said about the impact of the war in Ukraine on global food markets, little is known about what is happening in Ukraine and how different food producers are coping with the hazards of the war. Natalia Mamonova discusses the impact of the war on Ukraine’s bimodal...

Europe needs the vision, engagement and participation of all young people to build a better future that is greener, more inclusive and digital. In the words of the European Commission’s President, Ursula von der Leyen, “Our Union needs a soul and a vision [young people] can connect to”. The EU...

Over the past decades, the abandonment of mountainous areas has largely been due to the reduction in the number of pastoral farms and shepherds. In the last months, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the PASTRES project released new reports to address the topic from the policy side...

This report provides a synthesis of the replies to Online Public Consultation on the Action Plan for the development of organic production conducted between 4th September and 27th November 2020. The synthesis leads to the conclusion that, to a large extent, respondents share common views on the obstacles to achieving...

Organic farming is a farming method that uses natural substances and processes to produce food. This means that organic farming has a low environmental impact. In accordance with the EU regulation for organic production, it is very restrictive on the use of different synthetic products and prohibits the use of...

The document provides a comprehensive analysis of the future of the food systems in Europe and Central Asia based on a qualitative review of the literature and information available at the time of drafting. Specific attention will be given to (i) economic growth; (ii) natural resources and climate change; (iii)...