rural Archives - Page 2 of 11 - Agricultural and Rural Convention

Responsible Digital Agroecology – from Farm to Fork

January 25, 2023 Véronique Bellon Maurel

How can innovations in digital agriculture ensure inclusion and equity for all actors in the value chain? What are the examples of digital innovations in agriculture that have already or will have a real impact on farmers’ work, quality of life and on sustainability? And how can we develop the relevant policies to foster the development of digital technologies and services that would ensure inclusion and equity for all actors in the value chain? Here, Véronique Bellon Maurel addresses these questions, […]

A-ction, R-esilience, C-ritical Mass – Hannes Lorenzen’s Letter to 2023

January 17, 2023 Hannes Lorenzen

President of ARC2020 Hannes Lorenzen’s New Year’s letter to set the scene for the year. We spell ARC2023 like this: Action on CAP – Rural resilience – and a Critical mass for system change […]

“Faster than NASA” – How a Community Broadband Outfit Turbo-Charged Northern England’s Countryside

January 10, 2023 Daniel Rad

In many ways the rural-urban divide has been exasperated by increasing digitalisation. One community in the north of England, however, shows what’s possible when people come together. Daniel Rád of Future Economic Rural Network (FERN) tells the story. […]

Rural Japan | Diversification and Digitalisation on a Dairy Family Farm

October 26, 2022 ARC

What does digitalisation mean from the perspectives of a diversified, dairy family farm in rural Japan? For more than three generations, the Sudo Family has adapted their farm to the challenges and opportunities of working and living in the southern tip of the Bōsō Peninsula of Japan, Chiba Prefecture. […]

Four Takeaways From our Rural Resilience Gathering in North West France

October 8, 2022 Oliver Moore

A recent rural resilience gathering in the Loire-Atlantique, France saw farmers, cooks, elected officials, analysts, rural activists, volunteers and more meet to work on the future of the socio-ecological transition. Organised by ARC’s team on the ground in France via the Nos Campagne en Resilience team, and other partners such as the region’s Cooks Alliance, many fruitful talks and experiences were had. So what unfolded? Oliver Moore has some personal observations on his time there. […]

Has the 5th European Rural Parliament Something to Declare?

September 28, 2022 ARC

The 5th European Rural Parliament was held in Poland over four days, ending on the 15th September with the Rural People’s Declaration of Kielce. So how was the gathering? What’s in the Declaration – and does it do enough to address the needs of Rural Europe? […]

Ukraine | Green Road of Ecovillages, Six Months into War

September 20, 2022 Anastasiya Volkova

The Green Road of Ecovillages is a network of ecological communities and permaculture centers that give shelter to refugees from Ukraine. Some of the displaced people are still in Ukraine, others are outside Ukraine. The Green Road has developed organically on the ground and with with international, mutual aid support, in particular from Denmark and the Netherlands. After our initial article, here we check in on new challenges and how they are being dealt with. By Anastasiya Volkova of GEN Ukraine. […]

Future of Europe at European Rural Parliament – Sufficiency, Integrated Policy, & Rural Action

September 14, 2022 ARC

At the European Rural Parliament, ongoing in Kielce, Poland, the Future of Europe takes centre stage today. ARC2020 president Hannes Lorenzen hosted a panel on this topic, with Marion Eckardt (ELARD), Katrina Idu (Forum Synergies) Normunds Popens (European Commission), Radim Sršeň European Committee of the Regions, Goran Šoster (PREPARE) and Toma Šutić (European Commission). […]

On Meaningful Diversity: Reflecting on 75 years of Rural Sociology at Wageningen University

July 14, 2022 ARC

75 years have passed since Evert Willem Hofstee was appointed to the position of Professor at Wageningen University, which marks the beginning of rural sociology as a discipline and as a university department. What are the key features and how has it developed from 1946 to present? Prof. Dr. Han Wiskerke reflects on the 75th anniversary of what is now called Rural Sociology Group. […]

UK | Truth Waits In All Things

July 7, 2022 Kate Genever

What’s next for our countrysides? Before we even begin to consider re-scaling the rural, we must slow down and work in deep collaboration and coproduction – with all. This requires deep listening to the voices on the ground. But also trusting farmers and artists, who are skilled at working alongside and within communities, human and nonhuman. Otherwise we will continue to do the countryside a disservice, argues Kate Genever. […]

Where’s the Impact? The Commission’s Rural Pact Conference

June 21, 2022 Alison Brogan

A year after the European Commission adopted a Communication on “A long-term Vision for the EU’s rural areas – Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040”, it hosted a Rural Pact Conference in Brussels on June 15 and 16. Some 450 stakeholders participated. ARC2020 comments on its impact. […]

Denmark | Re-Scaling the Rural

June 16, 2022 Louise Kelleher

ARC2020’s Louise Kelleher and Matteo Metta were among the speakers at “AlterRurality 6: Re-Scaling the Rural”, a conference held last month in a small Danish coastal village. The interdisciplinary conference aimed to initiate a critical investigation of past, current, and what may become future concepts and interpretations of rural life. Report. […]

Reversing Rule and Exception – Transformative New Integrated Policy for Rural Agri & Food presented in European Parliament

June 10, 2022 Ashley Parsons

A book filled with “extraordinary examples of ongoing transformations of our rural world” was launched in the European Parliament this week. Key political stakeholders – including European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Isabel Estrada Carvalhais, and Dacian Ciolos – agreed on the need to start to build a process to explore and develop ideas contained therein- including a radical new Regulation. So what are these ideas? […]

First look – Rural Europe Takes Action e-book

June 7, 2022 ARC

Today we have something special for you. Another rural Europe is possible – and its happening. Today, we launch Rural Europe Takes Action – no more business as usual. We’ve spent many months working with our friends in Forum Synergies to bring an inspirational yet practical set of examples and proposals, of visions and strategies, together into one handy, approachable text. And it’s now ready for you to read. […]

Rural Europe Takes Action | Creative Municipalities

June 3, 2022 ARC

“Rural Europe Takes Action – No more business as usual”, the new book by ARC2020 and Forum Synergies, launches on Tuesday 7 June. As we count down to the launch, today we share another extract from the book: the story of a creative municipality that is bringing people into agri-food policymaking. From the story of Plessé and other stories, our book draws action points for policymakers on supporting local and circular economies. Below we summarise those action points, and then dive into a conversation with Aurélie Mézière, Mayor of Plessé. […]