Along with Greece, Italy and Portugal, Spain is the country in continental Europe that is faced with the largest percentage of desertification and the greatest water shortages.Next to climate change, intensive and conventional farming are the main causes of this catastrophic form of land degradation. According to the European Commission,...

The efforts of agroecology-oriented farmers and peasants’ orga-nizations have been studied in depth in relation to their political expression, but less so with regard to the forms they adopt to strengthen the socio-economic viability of small- and medium- sized farms within sustainable food systems. Whilst farmers’ self- organization represents a...

Rural women face double discrimination. The first is directed against the rural areas, which are marginalized by public policies, are invisible in relevant debates, ridiculed and blamed at for its social and economic problems, poverty, lack of education, migration and many other consequences of historical and systemic discrimination. The second...

Agroforestry (AF) and mixed farming (MF) are two multifunctional land use systems that harbor an untapped potential for future climate mitigation, however, they remain outside of the norm. This review collected and analyzed the policy landscape for AF and MF in 19 European countries. The results show that while the...

Following the 2021 United Nations Food System Summit call for implementing nature-positive production, this document provides an overview on the conceptual, theoretical and operational aspects of nature-positive production agriculture. The concept of nature-positive production revolves around the possible synergies between ecosystem restoration and food/biomass production and among biodiversity, nature and agriculture....

The Geodata and Technologies for the Common Agricultural Policy (GTCAP) team at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) has devoted the last quarter-century developing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) control mechanisms and assisting with the implementation of compatible innovative technologies for the CAP. In recent years GTCAP’s research and development work...

Summer 2023. 2 young filmmakers travelled through Europe visiting seed producers at their workplaces and experiencing first-hand how important it is to preserve this diversity in Europe. The short documentary gives a voice to these small-scale seed producers and seed savers from across Europe, with beautiful footage shot in Ireland,...

As part of its communication material, the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) relies on State of Play booklets, which provide a thematic focus on programmes and interventions related to Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) implemented by INTPA F.3. Their purpose is to inform a wider...

German Naturparks and French Parcs Naturels Régionaux (PNR) are project breeding grounds where eco-friendly agriculture, outdoor tourism, and recreational activities can coexist, as we explored in part 1. In this second part, we will discuss the more successful trajectory of certain French PNRs, which, along with some German nature parks,...

This technical report presents the key policy measures for the transition towards sustainable food systems in 17 developing countries. For each country, the analysis is based on the integrative review of the National Pathways (elaborated in the frame of the United Nations Food Systems Summit - UNFSS) and the Food...

This report presents an overview of the European Union’s (EU) international cooperation in the areas of food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture during the 2014-2020 Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF). It provides an illustrative insight into over 3,000 EU actions across the globe.

The interlinked crises of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss threaten Europe’s agriculture and long-term food security. No pollinators means no life on the planet. Losing insect pollinators would destabilise the functioning of ecosystems. Since the start of the ECI in 2019, the Commission has taken ambitious actions under the...

Most of southern and western Europe is affected by substantial anomalies of soil moisture and river flow due to an exceptionally dry and warm winter. The snow water equivalent in the Alps is far below the historical average, and is even lower than that for the 2021-2022 winter. This will...

Water policy and management needs to take into account and integrate different water uses and the protection of water resources and aquatic ecosystems. Better policy is based on best scientific and technical knowledge. The availability of scientific knowledge is key to integrate environmental, agricultural and other sectoral policy objectives, as...

It aims to revise and strengthen the European Union’s (EU) rules on organic production and the labelling of organic products in relation to: the control system; the trade regime; production rules. In this way, it aims to: create a level playing field for operators; harmonise and simplify rules; improve consumer confidence in organic products and in the EU’s organic logo. It repeals and...

The Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development undertakes activities aimed at the development of entrepreneurship (e.g. improving qualifications and access to the labour market, financial support) under the Rural Development Programme for 2014-2020 (RDP 2014-2020).

The theme of RIA 2022 was ‘The Future is Youth’, inspired jointly by 2022 being the European Year of Youth, the long-term vision for rural areas, and the Rural Pact, developed by the European Commission. RIA 2022 sought to promote the importance of European youth to build a better future...

Agroecological transitions aim at developing sustainable farming and food systems, adapted to local contexts. Such transitions require the engagement of local actors and the consideration of their knowledge and reasoning as a whole, which encompasses different natures of knowledge (empirical, scientific, local, generic), related to different dimensions (economic, environmental, technical,...

Does Eastern Europe have a specific dynamic regarding the development of LSPA (Local Solidarity Partnerships for Agroecology)? Together, let’s find different methods and models to build a more sustainable food system. The module is designed for consumers and producers interested in finding out more information about CSA in Hungary and Romania. It may also...

Foreign tuna fishing companies, mostly from Asia, have been exploiting Madagascar’s waters since the 1950s. The bloc that is now the European Union joined the hunt in 1986 and didn’t stop for decades, renewing its deal with Madagascar every few years. Yet when the last Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA), as...