Noto Peninsula has a rich history and culture that dates back over 2100 years. Though life on the peninsula was initially typical of a hunting and gathering society, according to archeological surveys, the roots of today‘s agricultural system can be traced to the Nara Era over 1300 years ago.  Over...

Mountain farming in Europe is based mainly on ruminant livestock and utilization of locally produced forage resources by grazing and hay. Farmland extends from mountains in the eastern Mediterranean to the Atlantic coast, with major areas at the highest elevations in central Europe, thus encompassing wide variation in geology, soil,...

Iceland indicated that its agricultural policy and administration is tailor-made to the domestic circumstances, scope and nature of agriculture. Iceland has therefore indicated that it does not intend to make changes in policy, administration or its legislation until the Accession Treaty has been accepted in a referendum in Iceland. Iceland...

The concept of HNV farmland is a novelty for the South Eastern Europe (SEE) countries. But even in the absence of detailed studies it is clear that the generally very extensive character of agriculture in these countries suggests that there are large areas of HNV farmland in a variety of...

For millennia communities of farmers, herders, fishers and forest people have developed complex, diverse, and locally adapted agricultural systems. These systems have been managed with time-tested, ingenious combinations of techniques and practices that have usually led to community food security, and the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. Agricultural heritage...

In response to the global trends that undermine family agriculture and traditional agricultural systems, in 2002, during the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD, Johannesburg, South Africa), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations launched a Global Partnership Initiative on conservation and adaptive management of “Globally Important...

The Western Balkan countries are all in a process of accession to the European Union. Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro have the status of candidate countries. Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo under UNSCR 1244/99 are potential candidate countries, with the prospect of joining the EU when they meet the...

Italy is a country well known for the quality and diversity of its cuisine. Traditional foods and family recipes form an integral part of national culture. Preservation of these food values is important to many Italians (as it is for other Europeans as well) and in recent years the concept...

Agriculture can be qualified as a specific sector that represents an important part in implementing strategic vision of the Serbian economy's development. The reason for this is that over the past decades the accumulation that other sectors cannot provide has been drawn from this sector and that the great potential...

The members of the monitoring committee of the Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland, strategy group for rural development, working group on agri-environment payments, working group on animal welfare payments and guidance group on rural network and it's working groups and the local action groups were asked to state their...

Sheep farming is practiced throughout Iceland, although it is most common in sparsely settled areas. About 2,000 farmers are engaged in sheep farming. Icelandic sheep are short-tailed and belong to a breed formerly common in north western Europe, but now only to be found in very few areas of the...

Following the extra meeting of the Coordination Committee of the European Rural Development Network held in Brussels on April 14th  The National Rural Network received proposals from nine members: four of them are active in the field of rural development (National Agricultural Research Foundation – {NAGREF}, Agricultural Products Certification &...

Pasture is one of the most vital natural resources for Central Asia countries – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It accounts for nearly 260 million hectares of land resources being a basis for livestock breeding which is an income source for the majority of Central Asia population. Pasture land is...

Through the “Integrated Dairy Development Project in Albania,” Heifer International has empowered 630 families in rural areas to increase their food and income by transforming subsistence farms into a sustainable resource while increasing cooperation between farmers. The donation of heifers, combined with effective technical assistance and training on community development,...

Le pastoralisme est une des pratiques les plus anciennes de l’activité humaine. Il produit des paysages spécifiques, à la fois par la marque qu'il imprime au territoire et par les traditions culturelles matérielles et immatérielles qui leur sont associées. Exposé à des mutations profondes dans certaines régions, en voie de...

The Central Asia and the Caucasus (CAC) region consists of five countries in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and three in the South Caucasus (Armenia Azerbaijan and Georgia). The eight countries of the region attained independence after the breakdown of the former Soviet Union in 1991, and...

Ce numéro d’Options méditerranéennes restitue des actes de la deuxième réunion thématique d’experts sur le pastoralisme méditerranéen qui s’est tenu à Tirana (Albanie du 12 au 14 novembre 2009. Trente participants de douze pays méditerranéens ont participé à cette réunion ainsi qu’un certain nombre d’organisations internationales : Fao, Pnud-Albanie, Icomos,...

Position and Perspectives of Small Farms with Respect to the Structure Development of Subsequent Vertical Link Blažková, I., Sadílek, T. (2009). Proceedings of 111th Seminar, June 26-27, 2009, Canterbury, UK The article describes the position and perspectives of small farms’ production sales with respect to the structure development of subsequent vertical...

The total landscapes of Norway are dominated by mountains, forests, open heathlands and grasslands. Only about 3% of the land surface is suited for cultivation or arable farming. The land use patterns of uncultivated areas were therefore of great importance to traditional farming economy, and even today they have impact...

El primer número de Mundos Rurales incluye artículos sobre: El largo proceso de Jesús de Machaqa hacia su autonomía indígena originaria ¿Qué tan plurinacional será la nueva Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional? Hacia las elecciones de diciembre 2009 El acceso de campesinos indígenas a la tierra es estratégico, ¿Qué presupuesto le asigna el Estado? El rol de...