Latest from EU Member States

Letter from the Farm | Wild Geese and Tamed Farming – is it All for the Birds?

Is farming for the birds? Like mountain farmers, some lowland farmers have trouble keeping economically afloat due to growing production costs, difficult market access, and the impact of climate change. Jan Gonne Thams is one of them. He lives on Pellworm island, in a remote and disadvantaged region of North Friesland, Germany.  There, the increasing numbers of protected wild Geese which arrive on Pellworm island have changed priorities of the young farmer. Now the farm shop is first and farming is secondary. In conversation with Hannes Lorenzen. […]

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True Bread – the Restorative work of Farmers, Millers & Bakers in Hungary

The Hungarian Environmental Social Science Research Group (ESSRG) reports on the renewed interest – and importance – of short and local distribution channels, which are better able to meet the growing demand for alternative grains in Europe. And introducing True Bread, produced by ESSRG, a beautiful documentary to tell the story of small-scale farmers, millers, and bakers in Hungary gathering to restore coherent collaboration. […]

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Letter From The Farm | Cooking With The Lights Off – Ingredients of Rural Resilience

We’re back on Cortijo El Manzano in Campotéjar, rural Andalusia, with another letter from ARC2020’s Matteo Metta. This agroecological farm has been building resilience collectively since 1986. After his experience living and volunteering on the farm in February, Matteo reflects on what El Manzano can teach us about some key ingredients of rural resilience: housing, labour and energy […]

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Digital Czech-in – The Cost of Too Many Portals

Taxpayers have a right to demand value for money from agricultural subsidies. But does this merit placing farmers under continuous surveillance? Farmers can struggle to reap the benefits of new digital tools that add to rather than ease their workload. Czech farmer Terezie Daňková relates her experience with the demands of the new digital order, and proposes an intergenerational solution. […]

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Beer farmers – a Fair Deal for a Good Drink

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. […]

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Letter From The Farm | Wandering In Quest Of Balance

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. […]

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Upland Farmers Face Harsh Realities in Post-Brexit England | Part 1

In July 2023, Marianne Landzettel travelled to Northumberland, England to meet and interview four farm families. The resulting story portrays the difficulties upland farmers face as they navigate compounding crises. The phasing out of EU direct payments and their replacement with a system based on ‘public money for public goods’, combine with high input costs, extreme weather events, and increased market competition to threaten farm futures. […]

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Letter From The Farm | Restoring Nature, Improving Productivity

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. […]

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Letter From The Farm | The More-Than-Human Magic of Transhumance

The transhumance is the pinnacle of Claire Jeannerat’s farming year, bringing with it a seasonal shift in her family’s home life. With the summer transhumance behind them, she sits down to catch her breath. The Swiss Shepherdess reflects on why her family has chosen to practice traditional pastoralism and to embrace the magic, the symbiosis and the sacrifices of this way of life. […]

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Rural Realities | Networks Make Communities

Producing and selling locally is a shared value. Rural territories are defined not by administrative borders but by economic concerns. That’s what we heard on the ground from the farmers and other rural actors we visited in France in 2021 and 2022. Last in a four-part series analysing the hot topics around transition, by the Rural Resilience project team. […]