Main stories

Could a Rustic Cow Reshape Local French Food Systems?

At first glance, the Nantaise cow is a relic of the past. A small, sturdy breed once common in western France, it had all but disappeared by the late 20th century. Today, thanks to a growing network of farmers and chefs, the little cow is making a quiet but powerful comeback—proving that small-scale, local production can be a serious and viable alternative to industrial farming. […]

Latest from EU Member States

The Food Sovereignty Scandal Made in France

France has more than enough land to feed its inhabitants. Yet almost half of French farmland serves the global export trade. Food sovereignty will remain a pipe dream as long as the absurd globalised food system continues to hold sway, says a new report by Terre de Liens. The Rural Resilience project reports from the launch event in Paris. […]

Latest from Brussels

EU’s Competitiveness Compass – North-Pointing or are Things Heading South for Agri Policy?

Competitiveness is the key word of this new Von der Leyen Commission 2.0 – and the EU’s new ‘Competitive Compass’ is supposed to steer it onto a path towards security and economic prosperity. But far from pointing North, many see it as a sign of things heading South for the green and agricultural transition over the next 5 years. Natasha Foote breaks down what you need to know.  […]

Main stories

Who Is Actually Profiting Here? – Uniting for Common Good at #WHES25 

On Saturday January 18th, demonstrators in Berlin will take to the streets to say: “We are fed up with agri-industry!”. Ahead of the 15th annual Wir haben es satt! demo, Claudia Schievelbein of the Bauernstimme and AbL, reflects on the Weaving Common Ground gathering held in Poland last November, transition fatigue in agriculture and the need for better understanding between rural and urban areas.  […]

Main stories

Rural Gathering | From Common Ground to Common Action

During the short end of November days, the annual European Rural Gathering in Grzybów, Poland, co-organised by ARC2020 and a rich ecosystem of partners, marked another stop of our rural caravan from France to Germany to Poland. It was a meeting of heads, hearts and hands that opened doors of connection and possibility for future collaboration on rural resilience. […]

Latest from EU Member States

Weaving Common Ground – European Triangle for Rural Action

On 28 November – 1 December, in the rural village of Grzybów, Poland, ARC2020 is co-organising a European gathering of sustainable rural initiatives to take stock of a new political situation of Europe and to look into possibilities of cooperation: “Weaving Common Ground” between rural and urban people. In collaboration with our local hosts, the Ecological Folk High School and Ziarno association, the gathering will conclude a three-year cooperation of people in rural France, Germany and Poland.  […]

Latest from EU Member States

France | Local Authorities Can Lead on Sustainable Food

France’s territorial food programmes are an exciting example of what can happen when local communities have a say in their food systems. An open letter signed by a collective of more than 120 French mayors and local councillors of all political stripes, 19 organisations and 7 scientists, and published on Friday in Le Monde, calls for a systemic vision and state support to local authorities who are working to advance the agroecological transition and transform local food systems. […]

Latest from EU Member States

European Days of Action – Mobilizing for a Just Transition of our Food Systems

October has come to a close, and with it, another year of European Days of Action! With 64 events in 25 countries, we’ve raised our collective voice to highlight some critical EU negotiations next year: the EU budget, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework and the upcoming Common Agricultural Policy. Mia Mancini and Pauline Naterstad tell us more. […]

Latest from key partners

No More Business As Usual For Future Rural Development Policy

Negotiations on future policy options at the EU level are ongoing, setting the basic framework for future rural development policy. In this op-ed, Edina Ocsko of Smart Village Network Services / E40, who is Vice-Chair of the Rural Pact Coordination Group (RPCG), argues that the EU must take a more proactive approach in delivering stronger supports for rural areas. […]

Latest from Brussels

An Agrifood Stakeholder’s Guide to the EU’s New Power Structure 

There’s a lot of new faces in new places this week in Brussels as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has finally revealed her picks and priorities for her new team of Commissioners over this next 5 year political cycle. So who will be the ones shaping the future of the agrifood sector in the years to come? Natasha Foote outlines all the main players likely to feature in the agrifood policy game to come over the next few years.  […]

Main stories

CAP Strategic Plans: A European Food and Agricultural Policy for Times of War

The EU’s recent decision to tax Russian cereals over Ukrainian ones, and the maintenance of solidary lanes with Ukraine despite protests, highlights the relationship between policy and geopolitical tensions. So where next for the CAP? Frederic Courleux argues that CAP must evolve from its neoliberal framework to prioritize food security, economic stability, as well as agro-ecological sustainability. This transition includes securing trade through government-to-government agreements, fostering food stockpiling for inflation control, and integrating food aid into agricultural policies. […]

Main stories

Farmers Protests, Policy Failures and the Lobby  

Wouter van de Klippe delves into the recent farmer’s protests, and assesses the role both the agri-lobby Copa-Cogeca, and the Common Agricultural Policy itself, have played. Van de Klippe argues that behind Europe’s farmers protests lie decades of policy failures and a lobby determined to steer the conversation. […]