New farmer Chiara Garini, fresh from learning about gastronomy and agroecology at the academic level, is trying to put some of her ideas into practice on a farm in Italy. Here she introduces her background, her studies, and the land she’s working on. Already, she has faced challenges and had to make decisions. […]
In the second of his two articles on landgrabbing in Poland, Hans Wetzels reports on rural Poland, the rise of the populist right and on sociological critiques of populist claims. We see that landgrabbing, large corporations and EU policy impact some areas and sectors differently to others […]
There has been unrest in rural communities across Poland for some years. Land prices have increased dramatically and despite a moratorium on foreign land purchasing, foreign entities have found a way to buy land. Polish farmers are despairing and protesting en masse. Hans Wetzels reports from Poland on land grabbing. […]
With Ireland edging towards reopening its organic farming scheme – closed since 2015 to new entrants, and closed in 2014 for a year too too – the context of organic farming within the overall agri-food sector is worth exploring. What would it mean for Irish agriculture in general to have a bigger, more vibrant organic sector? Particular attention is paid to the public goods of biodiversity and water quality. […]
Ireland’s Maynooth University hosted the 2018 Festival of Food Sovereignty mid-April. The intention was to connect activists, scholars, practitioners and social movements from around the world interested in creating a food system rooted in principles of justice, ethical production and consumption, sustainability and democracy. […]
Kieran Sullivan is a part-time sheep farmer in south-east Ireland. How does CAP relate to his way of farming and his plans? Pillar 1 Pillar 2, bureaucracy and vested interests all play a part in his story. […]
Jordan Treakle tells us about the 2nd UN FAO Agroecology Symposium, held in Rome April 3rd-5th. What vision for agroecology was presented? And how does this relate to policy matters, and realities on the ground? […]
The 2015-2020 CAP in France has fallen short of expectations. Despite novel governance mechanisms, the scheme has been burdened with administrative complexities and delays and has under-performed. In the run-up to the upcoming CAP reform, Aurélie Catallo talks through these shortfalls of the current CAP in France. […]
Samuel Féret gives us his analysis of the new European agricultural policy promoted by Emmanuel Macron. Despite France being the CAP’s leading recipient of financial support, at 12 billion a year on average, President Macron is willing to break taboos and change the narrative about France in the EU. […]
President Emmanuel Macron launched the General State of Food (GSF), an investigation into the French agrifood system in the second half of 2017. Laure Ducos reports on how the GSF went and its role in French agroecological transition. […]
When we change how land is used, it doesn’t just impact on this one area. Italian trio Riccardo Scalenghe, Francesco Malucelli and Mario Catizzone examine soil matters in the Emilia-Romagna Plain, Italy, and help us understand what is truly lost when we loose soil without thinking about all the impacts. […]
Sebastian Lakner examines what the new German coalition government has in store for agricultural and rural policy – is it a coherent document, or simply all things to all people? […]
Traci Birge argues that the best way to conserve the biodiversity and other values of traditional rural biotopes is through appropriate grazing and fodder collection. A results-based model, especially a progressive payment model that gives farmers new goals to aim for in their management, might work. […]
Germany has a new coalition government, and it has set some ambitious targets in the food and farming sphere – especially for organic farming. Oliver Moore has more. […]
As his opening contribution to #SoilMatters, Soil Scientist Mario Catizzone outlines some immutable soil facts, while introducing the UN FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines on Sustainable Soil Management […]
Agricultural and Rural Convention