Latest from EU Member States Archives - Page 16 of 68 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Rural Dialogues | Intergenerational Collaboration in the Vineyards of Southern France

November 6, 2019 Natasha Foote

Lack of access to affordable land is one they key obstacles to new farming entrants. The sector is suffering from a seriously aging population which puts the future of European small-scale farming at risk. How can we encourage more young people to get into the profession when access to land is so tricky? Natasha Foote talks us through the problem and explores one exciting approach on the vineyards of Southern France. […]

Greece | How is the Back to the Land Movement Now?

November 4, 2019 Hans Wetzels

In the wake of the economic crisis and harsh austerity measures that followed, young Greeks flocked to the countryside to take up farming. How are these urban escapees years later? Hans Wetzels reports from the Mediterranean country. […]

Agroecology Europe Forum | Apo Kinou – Crete’s Full Farm to Fork Social Co-op

October 13, 2019 Oliver Moore

Oliver Moore attended the 2nd Agroecology Europe Forum in Crete recently. In the first of three reports from the island and event, he tells us here about the one of the field trips. This was a visit to the inspiring Apo Kinou social coop, where production, distribution and consumption are all under collective control. […]

Will Wojciechowski Make it as Ag Commissioner? Polish & Other Perspectives

October 6, 2019 Igor Tomasz Olech

Poland’s choice for Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski’s had a tough hearing on 1st October – so tough, he’s had to answer written questions and may have to appear again on Monday. Then he may be subject to a secret ballot of the 48 MEPs who make up the Agri Committee. So who is Janusz Wojciechowski, what might he focus on, and what is the Polish impression of the MEP from the Euroskeptic ECR group? With new correspondent Igor Olech. […]

Rural Dialogues | Culture as Connection in Rural Europe

September 29, 2019 Bryonny Goodwin-Hawkins

Rural places are peopled places – and people have and need cultural life. Culture can include heritage and the arts, the activities we enjoy, the food we eat, and the language we speak. Since these things matter in all our lives, they matter for all the places where we live, too. But talk about rural renaissance can often miss making cultural connections. […]

Farm-2-Fork 2030: A Truly Green Farming, Food and Rural Vision for Ireland

September 20, 2019 Stuart Meikle

With the Irish 2030 agri-food strategy preparations underway, Regenerative Farming Ireland (RFI) have launched a vision for a truly green farming, food and rural future for Ireland, Farm-2-Fork 2030. Stuart Meikle, member of RFI, lays out the vision here. […]

Anders Borgen | Nurd of the Niche

September 17, 2019 Hannes Lorenzen

Anders Borgen has been an organic farmer for 35 years, and has for the past 15 years worked as a private organic plant breeder in Northern Jutland, Denmark. Hannes Lorenzen meet Anders Borgen at the European Cereal Diversity Conference in Kalö near Aarhus in Denmark to discuss organic regulations, cereal diversity and other matters. […]

Agriculture Atlas | The Biggest Beneficiary

September 16, 2019 EditorialARC2020

France is the largest recipient of Common Agricultural Policy funds. But there are significant disparities among the country’s regions, between types of production, and among farms. […]

Rural Dialogues | Ruralization: Finding Frontiers for Rural Regeneration

September 15, 2019 Aisling Murtagh

Repositioning rural areas in response to problems of decline means overcoming complex, interconnected challenges. The RURALIZATION project is exploring innovative ways to overcome issues of rural regeneration and support generational renewal. […]

Interview with Mary Reynolds | Acts of Restorative Kindness (ARK)

September 13, 2019 ARC

Having won the biggest awards in Landscape Gardening including the Chelsea Flower Show, had a Hollywood movie made about her (Dare to be Wild), and been commissioned for some of the most striking and creative landscaping projects in Ireland, Mary Reynolds stopped being a landscape gardener. So what came next? (Hint – its different to ARC – its an ARK!) […]

Agroecology Europe Forum September 26-28th

September 13, 2019 ARC

What should be the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the future for promoting agroecology? Which local practices and policies exist in Europe that support access to land for young and first generation farmers? Which traditional and new knowledge is available on soil restoration and biodiversity enhancements? Find out at the 2nd Agroecology Europe Forum in Greece 26-28th September. […]

Agriculture Atlas | Tied to the Land

September 11, 2019 EditorialARC2020

Three-quarters of the Common Agricultural Policy budget goes into direct payments for farmers – almost regardless of what they do. Most of the money benefits just a few large producers and fails to deliver on the social and environmental challenges rural areas face. […]

Rural Dialogues | Smart Villages: How to Make Them Really Work

September 11, 2019 Edina Ocaso

How are smart villages different from and add value to existing initiatives and policy tools? Edina Ocsko proposes practical steps to develop policies in support of multi-funded integrated smart village strategies. […]

Rural Dialogues | Stochastic System Collapse Part 2 – the Social and Solidarity Economy Alternative

September 5, 2019 ARC

In part one, we outlined just how bad the situation is regarding climate and biodiversity collapse, as well as the people-driven responses to this – from extinction rebellion to the school strikes. Beyond these alarm-raising direct action initiatives, what is there out there to become the system change that’s so clearly needed? Here in part 2 we introduce the social and solidarity economy, and the interesting lessons we can learn from separatist movements from the past and present, from Quebec to Ireland. […]

UK | RSA Report finds ‘Our Future in the Land’ should be Agroecological

September 4, 2019 Oliver Moore

One of the few bright spots of Brexit is the opportunity the UK now has to rewrite its agri-food and rural rules. The RSA’s report ‘Our Future in the Land’ gives some indication of what such a food and farming future might look like. The outcome? Agroecology! […]