No other part of the economy is so deeply influenced by European Union rules as farming, which is subject to the Common Agricultural Policy, or CAP. Agriculture covers 175 million hectares of Europe and shapes the landscape like no other activity. […]
The momentum behind Smart Villages continues to grow – both within EU and national policy circles and on the ground among rural communities. The challenge is to translate this momentum into a policy framework that provides fast and flexible tools which meet the needs and expectations of rural communities in different parts of Europe. This will mean avoiding complicated structures and plans, mobilising what exists in each place – and supporting local action rather than words. […]
How can the agricultural sector in Ireland be part of a Just Transition to address inequality in the sector and tackle climate change? Agriculture is not only a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland, it is also the most unequal sector in the Irish economy in income terms. When it comes to climate change and agriculture, we need to change how we think about the challenge of reducing emissions. Farmers and their communities must play a central role in planning climate action to ensure it is good for farmers as well as the planet. […]
There are farmers interested in the environment, and environmentalists interested in farming…and now, there are environmentalists who have started to farm in a way that speaks to their values. Meet France’s Peasants of Nature. […]
How can farming organisations and environmental organisations have real conversations with each other – where everyone listens, and difficult issues grappled with respectfully? Where everyone comes away with a better understanding of other people’s positions? There are in-situ meetings, and then there is the Landcare process. Oliver Moore has more.
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A fantastic new resource has been published – an Agriculture Atlas. This is a really useful introductory to agri-food and rural policy in the EU, and mostly revolves around how CAP is implemented, including in a number of member states. ARC2020 has an article on Pillar 2, written by Helene Schulze and Oliver Moore. Published by Heinrich Boll Stiftung, Birdlife International (Europe and Central Asia) and Friends of the Earth Europe. […]
Many rural areas suffer depopulation, while there is a need for newcomers to a country to be accommodated and given purposeful activities. Some lessons from a thoughtful approach to better rural integration of immigrants in rural Spain, with lessons for rural development more generally. […]
There are cliches of what rural America is: white, conservative and climate change denying. As so often is the case, the truth is more complex. There are opportunities too in the difficulties climate change presents, for rural communities to engage with the topic – and with each other. […]
After ignoring the warnings of scientists for years, it seems society is finally starting to wake up to the fact that a deep transition to a low carbon society is necessary. What will this mean for rural areas and community initiatives? And what’s already happening in these places? Eamon O Hara of ECOLISE tells us more. […]
Introducing our next debate series – rural dialogues. What is the state of play for rural Europe? Are rural places still lagging behind – forgotten, disadvantaged and in need of extra supports? Or is there a rural renaissance of sorts occurring, from smart villages to innovation hubs? Tell us what you know and let’s get talking! […]
An exciting opportunity for young people to get involved with interesting, innovative sustainable rural development initiatives around Europe has come up. […]
Some countries in Europe do a better job at bringing younger people into farming. So what techniques work – and don’t work – in an aging industry? With Hans Wetzels. […]
Right-wing populism has gained high levels of support among rural population in Europe. How could this happen and what are the solutions? Natalia Mamonova, of the Emancipatory Rural Politics Initiative, explains the causes of populism in the European countryside and shares some ideas on potential resistance and the building of alternatives to the regressive nationalist politics. […]
The Kingdom of Bhutan is best known for its high national happiness levels, gorgeous Buddhist monasteries, untouched forests and nature protection areas. Lesser known is that fifteen years ago, the small country in the Himalayan Mountains pledged a shift to total organic food production. ARC2020’s Hannes Lorenzen reports on the innovative entrepreneurs spearheading this transition. […]
The dynamics of small and large scale farms in post-Soviet countries is fascinating. Natalia Mamonova unpacks some of the complexities and intracties in this interview. […]
Agricultural and Rural Convention