The project “Adotta un terrazzamento” [“Adopt a terrace” in English] aims at regulating and expanding mountain farming activities by giving any interested person the opportunity to adopt a terrace and provide direct or long-term support to the mountains of the Brenta Valley, in the Alps region in Italy.

Extensive livestock farming is the most important population-fixing activity in Iberian rural areas. This is so because, unlike other activities, it requires people to take care of the animals every day. Furthermore, in many marginal rural areas, extensive livestock farming is often the only possibility that the territory has to...

“Adotta una mucca”, (“Adopt a cow” in English) is an Italian initiative from the Valsugana Valley in the Trentino province. Its objective is to introduce tourists, children and families to mountain life and culture. Adopters can visit various Alpine huts, learn how mountain products are made faithfully following old recipes...

During the event, participants will explore the richness and the dynamism of mountainous territories, and their innovative initiatives for building sustainable food systems.

A year ago this week, I adopted an olive tree. I called it Carmen, after my grandmother. Whenever I want to know about my tree I just need to open an app that I have installed on my mobile phone. I can see pictures of it and whether it has...

Urgenci, the international network of Local Solidarity Partnerships for Agroecology between producers and consumers (LSPA) and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). As part of the 3-year mutual commitment, the Mediterranean network, including members...

Between November 22 - 25, 2017 Lebanon hosted the 2nd Learning Journey on LSPA: Local Solidarity Partnerships for Agro-ecology between producers and consumers. Around 20 facilitators from 11 Mediterranean countries (Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia, Turkey, Syria) participated and shared their experiences through meetings and site...

How to strengthen producers-consumers relationships ? This activity is one of the numerous exercises to be tried out during Urgenci's learning journeys. The latest of these journeys took place in Turkey 4-8 October, thanks to the support from the Civil Society Team of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Some tasks...

Ecologistas en Acción finally published the e-book : Compartiendo la cosecha: Agricultura Apoyada por la Comunidad, una guía ciudadana, a Spanish version of Sharing the Harvest, by Elizabeth Henderson y Robyn Van En. In this Spanish translation of the thoroughly revised and expanded classic, Elizabeth Henderson provides us with valuable...

The two women in this story are among 8,000 Afghan milk farmers, mostly women, who were introduced to the business through the dairy cooperative movement. Founded by FAO in 2002, the movement is expanding steadily and is now based on thriving co-operative-managed enterprises, thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation...

Mountain people learn, live, love and unite for life – to awaken and search for the treasure within the mountain. By combining our wisdom, we can co-exist and develop to our fullest potential, working towards holistic dignity and sustainability. This initiative involves 1,144 families, mainly concentrated in Mae Win, Mae...

A trilogy of books has been designed as a sequel to the highly-acclaimed publication "Voices from the Forest: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge into Sustainable Upland Farming" (RFF Press, 2007) that brought scientific attention to indigenous innovations in improved fallow management. A third and final volume, edited by Malcolm F. Cairns and with the continued assistance...

In this video we travel to West Stara Planina, Bulgaria, in the south-eastern corner of Europe. We will learn how High Nature Value grasslands are preserved in this country by enthusiastic farmers like Pavlin Antonov, who apply rotational mob grazing to ensure the best production and environmental value in his...

Filmed on Achill Island in September 2015 this video highlights the Natura 2000 habitats Machair Grassland and Upland Heath, both present on the Island. Supporting the type of traditional extensive farming that is practiced here is essential for maintaining these habitats. Taking a more targeted approach to agri-environment schemes can...

SIMRA (Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas) is a four-year project (2016-2020) funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme. It aims to advance understanding of social innovation and innovative governance in agriculture, forestry and rural development – and how to boost them – in marginalised rural areas across Europe...

From 3 to 5 October 2016, around 260 mountain actors (researchers, farmers, environmentalists, elected representatives from local and regional authorities, representatives of chambers of commerce and development adeclaration finale bragancagencies) met in Bragança, Portugal during the X European Mountain Convention organised by Euromontana.

Their specific potentials and opportunities of mountain areas need to be considered as much as their challenges. Mountain areas are too diverse to elaborate an integrated European strategy. However, a framework for development strategies in mountain areas can be developed, taking into account the specific challenges and importance of mountain...

Pacific Island countries and territories already face a range of development challenges due to their specific geographic and socio-economic characteristics, and their generally high exposure to natural hazards. The projected changes to the climate of the Pacific Island region over the coming decades present another challenging dimension that the region...

Mountain areas have difficult climatic and environmental conditions, but mountain people are used to adapting to these. Thanks to their great experience of innovation and adaptation, they have already started to tackle the challenge of climate change. This X European Mountain Convention will present a state-of-the-art of the situation in...

This short film is showing a bit from the daily life on a summer mountain goat farm I Western Norway. It shows a modern and mechanized summer mountain farm with mechanized milking. The milk is preceded and on the farm. The chesse is sold from the farm and delivered to...