Euromontana kicks off the year with the publication of its annual booklet of good practices for sustainable mountain development. This publication showcases 10 inspiring initiatives from across Europe (EU and non-EU) collected by Euromontana throughout 2023 to promote initiatives that drive sustainable change in mountain areas. The booklet covers key issues for...

More than 900 non-indigenous species have already been identified in the Mediterranean Sea. And the number is only expected to increase. Climate change is helping non-native species move further north in the Mediterranean as water temperatures rise. As they spread, so does concern about their effect on marine ecosystems and the local fishing...

Agroforestry - a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland - has varied benefits, including increased biodiversity and reduced erosion. The combination of agriculture and forestry in the Mediterranean is deeply rooted in a culture of tradition and niche production...

Harvest and clean the fruits, and slice them longitudinally. Crush the fruit sections into a mixture of pulp, seeds, and juice. Subsequently pour the mixture into a large container where it ferments for a period usually lasting three days. For acid extraction, apply an equal volume solution of hydrochloric acid...

B. oleracea plants are usually self-incompatible and they need to cross with other genotypes for generating progenies. The self-incompatible genotypes require specific management for controlled pollination achieved by spatial isolation in the field or by the use of pollination chambers isolated by net for avoiding pollen contamination by pronubes. Self-incompatibility...

In the last years, Agroecology Europe started to map agroecological initiatives in different countries or regions of Europe with the aim to support the development of agroecology in Europe, raise awareness for it and thereby strengthen agroecology in Europe. This work, namely the mapping of initiatives, writing of reports and coordination...

CSA as a LifeCOACH, a film developed by filmmakers Ondrej Sovik and Martin Matej, explores the value of mentorship and apprenticeship in small-scale, agroecological farming in the beating world of community-supported agriculture (CSA). To resist the loss of agroecological knowledge, to combat the devastating consequences of climate change, and to...

Agricoltura Capodarco, a social cooperative located in the outskirts of Rome, employs people with disabilities and socially excluded people. 'Connecting people' is their main philosophy. The multifunctional cooperative runs two organic farms, two restaurants, produces wine and other products, has educational programmes and much more. The agricultural cooperative was founded in...

Exploring Georgia’s gastronomy offers tourists unique insights into the country and its culture.   Enriching tourists’ experiences also has the potential to attract more visitors which can generate vital income in rural communities.   The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are...

Non-extractive and power-equalising research involves different knowledge holders (e.g. researchers and farmers) in a process of close cooperative engagement, jointly producing new knowledge, with mutual learning. As such, this form of cooperative enquiry is a significant reversal from dominant roles, locations, and ways of knowing. I offer some examples and reflections on...

The FAO elearning Academy, which offers over 500 multilingual certified e-learning courses as a global public good, now features Access Agriculture as a partner and a valued resource for information and knowledge on agroecological principles and rural entrepreneurship.

To enhance the visibility of women and their role in rural areas and to support efforts that may overcome major structural challenges that disempower women and discriminate against them, CREA – Centre for Policy and Bioeconomy, as part of the National Rural Network, is holding a series of meetings on...

The AGROMIX project aims to deliver participatory research to drive the transition to a resilient and efficient land use in Europe. It focuses on practical agroecological solutions for farm and land management and related value chains. In May 2022 the project attended the European Agroforestry Fenderation (EURAF) conference held in...

From March 28 to 30, an international working meeting dedicated to agroecology – ecological agriculture, which contributes to sustainability and climate resilience, is taking place in Belgrade for the first time. This gathering is part of the project “Mediterranean Caravan of Agroecology”. Representatives of associations from several countries are gathering...

On the 6th of July 2022, the second AE4EU mapping webinar took place covering the development of agroecology in Italy and Greece. Documenting and analyzing the development of agroecology in different countries and context is important to enhance the up- and out-scaling of agroecology at the European level. With an...

Costantino is one of the farmers in the Operational Group SISCCCA. The project develops sustainable integrated systems to control the brown marmorated stink bug.

Legumes are a special group of plant species that includes crops such as peas, beans, and clovers. Legumes are unique because they require no synthetic nitrogen fertiliser to grow and once they are harvested, the nitrogen-rich crop residues can be left in the field as manure. This process further offsets...

In this LIVESEED video, Riccardo Bocci from Rete Semi Rurali (IT) explains how to organise a field day. LIVESEED is a EU Horizon 2020-funded project that runs from 2017 to 2021. LIVESEEED aims to improve transparency and competitiveness of the organic seed and breeding sector, encouraging greater use of organic...

The project consists of seven WPs and 32 activities aimed to:- study the status and potential of milk and meat supply chains based on species rich grasslands- improve the organization and efficiency of the supply chains based on species rich grasslands, and implement innovative solutions in the farms- develop an...

Back on Chiara Garini’s forest farm at the foot of the Italian Alps. Three years in, her mushroom farm and forest garden is at a crossroads: should she expand or diversify? In any case Chiara is determined to bring utopia into her business plan, and tells us about an exciting...