Latest from EU Member States Archives - Page 3 of 68 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Water as a Common Good – Part 1

October 16, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

Blue gold: water is one of the most precious resources for agriculture and for life. In part one of this analysis, Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne looks at the difficult transition from acceptance of risk to transfer of climate risks (beginning with drought) to insurance companies – developments which spotlight inequalities in the circumstances of farmers across Europe. […]

Sustainable Food Systems – Taking Action on the Ground in Germany

October 5, 2023 ARC

ARC is proud to be part of the European Action Gathering for Sustainable Food Systems, to be held in Marburg, Germany in early November. This is because, while there is a somewhat stagnant process at EU and member state levels, throughout Europe there is action on the ground, with communities coming together to improve access to healthy, affordable and ecologically produced food. Find out more about our Marburg gathering. […]

Access to Land: More Resilient Agriculture – Without Any EU Legislation? (Part 2)

September 27, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

What levers do France and Germany have for adapting land policies to regional and local realities? After looking at regional public policies, consider the work of Terre de Liens in France and Regionalwert-AG in Germany, which are working to make farmland available for new entrants and agricultural renewal in these two major European countries. […]

Beer farmers – a Fair Deal for a Good Drink

September 20, 2023 Hannes Lorenzen

Belgium is famous for beer. However, that beer is a fast brew with almost no ingredients from Belgium. – and its brewed within six weeks. Traditional Belgian beer like Lambic and Geuze needs up to three years to mature. Yes, that is a long time, but there is a good reason for slowing down a bit. Meet the folks doing just that. […]

Access to Land: Looking to Europe to Secure Local Farmland? Part 1

September 20, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

How to distribute agricultural land for more resilient agriculture… without Europe-wide legislation? Policy analysis comparing access to land in France and Germany, by Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne. […]

Letter From The Farm | Wandering In Quest Of Balance

September 15, 2023 Chiara Garini

We’re back on Chiara Garini’s farm at the foot of the Italian Alps, where the forest garden is in beautiful shape in its fifth mushroom season. Running the farm is a constant balancing act. It’s the satisfaction of producing food that keeps Chiara going. Don’t miss our policy explainer at the end of this letter, where we examine the policy constraints that prevent Chiara and other small-scale farmers from diversifying their activites. […]

Rural Resilience | Diary from the Ground – Summer 2023

September 1, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

In phase 2 of the Rural Resilience project we pledged to explore new territories. Over the summer, we set out in search of experiments in resilience in the four corners of France. Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne reports. […]

The True Toll of Pesticides on Rural Health – Pesticides Analysis Part 2

August 8, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

The human and financial cost of exposure to pesticides in rural areas remains largely hidden from the spotlight. In France, Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne, of the Rural Resilience project analyses the risks and cost – part 2 of 2. […]

Beyond the Harvest: Health Effects of Pesticides on French Farmers

July 26, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

The SUR still proposes at least another thirty years of coexistence with pesticides, as its objective is the phasing out pesticides by 2050. Can we afford to wait another three decades? No, say those who advocate for an 80% reduction by 2030 (rather than 50%).
This article is based on accumulated knowledge of the impact of pesticides on health, distinguishing two types of exposed populations: farmers and other professional pesticide users (Part 1). […]

Ernährungsrat: The democratic potential of Food Policy Councils in Germany

July 13, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

Part 2 in democratising local food policy: we look to Germany and the democratic potential of Food Policy Councils. […]

Rural Resilience | Diary from the Ground – Spring 2023

July 7, 2023 ARC

In the first few months of the year, the Rural Resilience project has been busy attending events to maintain ties with existing partners and grow new connections, around issues making sense on both sides of the Rhine. Through the lens of multi-tiered rural policies, we are working with actors in territories across Europe to bring forward reality-based proposals, rooted in actions that are already underway on the ground. Here’s a quick overview of where we’ve been and who we’ve met. […]

Feeding Ourselves 2023 – Building Bridges for Rural Resilience

July 7, 2023 Alison Brogan

ARC2020’s Rural Resilience project explores the possibilities for Europe’s territories to become more resilient from the ground up, so we were keen to visit Ireland in March 2023 to support the Feeding Ourselves gathering in Cloughjordan Ecovillage. Alison Brogan shares the rich learnings for rural infrastructure gleaned from this weekend in the Irish midlands. […]

France | Democratising Food Policy – Tweaking The Financial Toolbox

July 5, 2023 Marie-Lise Breure-Montagne

How can a top-down tool such as France’s Territorial Food Programmes help to democratise local food policy? How does the French infrastructure compare to Germany’s Food Policy Councils? In the best case scenario, communities take food into their own hands. Part 1 of a policy analysis by the Rural Resilience project. […]

Good Food Good Farming | People Across Europe Demand Better Food Systems!

June 26, 2023 ARC

As the European Commission is expected to publish a proposal for a Sustainable Food Systems Law in the autumn, Good Food Good Farming launched Food for Talk: days of dialogue that highlight the voices of farmers, fishers, activists and citizens. In a participatory video, the movement now calls for #GoodFood4EU through an ambitious law proposal. Report by Good Food Good Farming. […]

Letter From The Farm | Restoring Nature, Improving Productivity

June 23, 2023 Shane Casey

We’re back with Shane Casey in The Burren, where it’s been a good Spring. Family and farm are thriving. For Shane, nature conservation and productivity go hand in hand. As the debate rages around the EU Nature Restoration Law, he is sympathetic to the farmers who are being asked to undo a lifetime of ‘improvements’ to make space for nature. […]