Recent updates Archives - Page 14 of 86 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Rural Europe Takes Action – Book Launch and Draft EU-Regulation

May 30, 2022 Hannes Lorenzen

On June 7 ARC2020 and Forum Synergies launch a new book titled “Rural Europe Takes Action – No more business as usual” which reveals the power of European civil society and the collective intelligence and imagination of numerous rural experts, policy makers and practitioners. The book includes an ‘Unwritten Regulation on an Integrated European Rural, Agricultural and Food Policy’ as an alternative to continue or replace the CAP by 2028. Hannes Lorenzen explains why it’s high time for a new integrated policy framework for rural territories and their people. […]

Diversifying Europe’s Rural Economy | SHERPA

May 25, 2022 ARC

As rural Europe deals with its challenges and embraces its opportunities, what role for production change and diversification? And what are the key factors involved? SHERPA -Sustainable Hub for Engaging into Rural Policies with Actors – a Horizon 2020 project, addresses this topic. Key areas highlighted that can lead the process of diversification include entrepeneurship, digitalisation, bioeconomy and the food chain. […]

Ukraine | the Green Road of Ecovillages – Communities that Protect

May 23, 2022 Anastasiya Volkova

In times of tragedy and disaster, people can come together and do extraordinary things. And so it is in and around Ukraine, where an amazing mutual aid network called the Green Road has emerged – organically, rapidly, and with impact. The Green Road has seen the global and the local ecovillage and permaculture communities involved in ongoing emergency support for people fleeing the war. Anastasiya Volkova of Permaculture in Ukraine has more. […]

Ukraine | Two Farmers near the Frontline

May 23, 2022 ARC

Paul Lemaire is a photojournalist who has recently left southern Ukraine. Here we present a photo essay from his time in the countryside around the city of Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea between Odesa and Kherson. At the end of April, Paul spent some time with farmers Vladimir and Ivan, as they’ve tried to carry with their work in rural Ukraine. Here we feature a first look at photos from his time there. […]

EU Organic Action Plan – Decoding Texts of Supposed Support

May 20, 2022 Oliver Moore

The European Parliament recently proclaimed its support for organic farming and food, by an overwhelming majority. However, delving into the details a little, it turns out that our MEPs could be accused of offering pie in the sky – salvation via organic farming’s great sustainability performance some time in the future, provided no real significant changes are made in the here and now. Here we critically assess the language used line by line, to help decode the more hidden motivations behind the eurospeak. […]

Graduation then Desertion – French Ag Students Opting for a Different Path

May 19, 2022 Ashley Parsons

Last week, French students at Agro Paris Tech – France’s most prestigious agro-engineering school – staged a “call to desert” during their graduation speech. To desert? Yes, to desert the environmentally destructive engineering positions the university sets them up for after graduation. But these inspiring words and actions of these young people don’t match up to the government’s actions, nor the school’s response. A recap and analysis by Ashley Parsons. […]

Feeding Ourselves 2022 – Crises Compound, Food Sovereignty Movement Mobilises

May 18, 2022 ARC

In a context of crises compounding, the annual Feeding Ourselves gathering in Cloughjordan took on a renewed urgency this year. So how are the strands of people from food sovereignty, cooperative and environmental areas coming together to amplify their collective work? Oscar Mooney reports. […]

Conference on the Future of Europe – Accession, Treaty Change and Rural Perspectives

May 16, 2022 ARC

For a year, a process to generate feedback from European citizens on how Europe should change, develop and unfold has been underway. This Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), launched in the spring of 2021, aimed to provide future guidance, while calling on the EU institutions and national parliaments to take action. […]

Diversification in Rural Ireland – event report

May 12, 2022 ARC

With many farms specialising, mixed farming in Ireland is now at only 3%. This compares to an EU average of 21%. Such specialisation has made Ireland vulnerable to global events as it relies heavily on feed and fertilizer imports for an export driven agri-food sector. Meanwhile, there has been a deterioration of ecosystems and a failure to reach climate targets. So what level of agri-food diversification is possible – and desirable – in Ireland? […]

All Hot Air? An Organic Action Plan without Farm to Fork Targets

May 12, 2022 Ashley Parsons

The European Parliament voted this month to endorse the EU Action Plan for Organic Agriculture. The adopted action plan garnered 611 votes to 14, with five abstentions. What is missing however is any specific mention of the Farm to Fork target of shifting 25% of agriculture to organic. So, where’s the action in this action plan? Or is it all just hot air? Ashely Parsons has more. […]

The Influence of EU Policies in National Rural Digitalisation

May 9, 2022 ARC

Digitalisation is progressing in rural areas around Europe in different ways. There are a number of reasons for variability in style and substance, as María Alonso-Roldán and Mar Delgado-Serrano of the DESIRA project show. The pair have engaged with experts in 15 countries. Here’s what they’ve found. […]

Just Transition in Ireland – Next Steps

May 5, 2022 Matteo Metta

What’s really involved in a genuinely just transition? Here we summarise the perspectives of wide range of actors from agriculture, energy, forestry and rural areas gathered to exchange views on the meaning and practical application of a just transition in a farming, food and rural context in Ireland. Event held in the WeCreate Centre in Cloughjordan ecovillage. With Matteo Metta and Oliver Moore. […]

France | Why Did Le Pen Reap Record Numbers of Rural Votes?

April 26, 2022 Ashley Parsons

Europe let out a sigh of relief on Sunday night with the announcement of Emmanuel Macron’s victory over far-right candidate Marine Le Pen for the French Presidency. But since her previous bid in 2017, Le Pen’s popularity has increased steadily, especially in rural France. Does her growing appeal point to a rejection of Macron’s techno-solutionism and the failures of his first term? What does it tell us about rural attitudes to Europe? Analysis by Ashley Parsons. […]

Rural Ireland on the Move – new report on Just Transition and Diversification launched.

April 20, 2022 ARC

This week ARC2020 and partner organisations release a report, and hold two events, on the topics of Just Transition and Diversification in Ireland. Targets to reduce emissions come alongside pressure for agriculture to improve its impact on biodiversity, water and air quality. Meanwhile rising feed, fertilizer and other input costs, and a sequence of recent crises – brexit, covid, and now the tragic war in Ukraine – compound the pressure. So what next for rural Ireland? […]

West Balkans – Accession, Agriculture and a Greener Agenda

April 8, 2022 Hannes Lorenzen

War in Ukraine has sharpened the EU’s focus on food security, farm and trade policies and the EU Green Deal. This war has also spotlighted progressive engagement with the Western Balkans, a region with its own simmering political tensions not unrelated to the wider conflict. Agricultural ministers meet this week to engage, to connect to EU institutions, but also to help lead on a greener farming agenda for Europe. Hannes Lorenzen, who participated in the meeting, has more. […]