Large-scale, industrial agriculture is often held up as the solution for feeding the world’s growing population. But small farms—with about 25 acres or less—along with family-run operations like Masumoto’s produce over 70 percent of the world’s food. Raising awareness of the contribution of these farmers inspired the We Feed the World...

For centuries, farmers, herders, fishers and foresters have developed diverse and locally adapted agricultural systems managed with time tested, ingenious techniques. These practices have resulted in a vital combination of social, cultural, ecological and economic services to humankind. “Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems” (GIAHS) are outstanding landscapes of aesthetic beauty...

Produced in the remote mountainous region of Tusheti, Tushuri guda takes its name from the sheepskin sack in which the raw-milk cheese is traditionally ripened. The skin is turned inside out, so the wool is in direct contact with the ripening cheese. Archaeological evidence suggests that sheep cheese made in a similar...

From 25 to 27 September 2018, nearly 200 mountain stakeholders from all over Europe gathered in Vatra Dornei, Romania, to participate in the European Mountain Convention on “Cultural Heritage as an Engine for Creativity, Innovation and Socioeconomic Development of Mountain areas”, organised jointly by Euromontana and several Romanian organisations, including the Mountain Areas Agency and...

With the release, by the Ministry, of the common logo, Italian mountain producers have now all the normative references for the use of the optional quality term “Mountain product”.

Farm holidays, or agritourism for short, have been experiencing a significant increase in overnight stays for years. At the same time, it is more and more developing into a high-quality holiday offer. The striving for ever more demanding customers is to be seen quite sceptically. All too touristic structures endanger...

This report monitors progress towards the targets of ending both hunger (SDG Target 2.1) and all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2), and provides an analysis of the underlying causes and drivers of observed trends. While the prevalence of undernourishment is at the forefront of monitoring hunger, the prevalence of...

It is time to better preserve and valorise mountain cultural heritage and to turn it into a driving force for future development, to revitalise mountain areas and strengthen their attractiveness. From 25 to 27 September 2018, nearly 200 mountain stakeholders from all over Europe gathered in Vatra Dornei, Romania, to participate...

SIMRA’s fourth brochure collecting examples of social innovation in marginalised rural areas has just been published. This collection of brochures aims at concretely illustrating social innovation through the presentation of local on-going initiatives throughout Europe and the Mediterranean basin, taking turns addressing different marginalized rural areas. This brochure addresses mountain...

In the context of the recent recolonization of many European areas by large carnivores, the European Parliament has commissioned a study presenting the state of play in EU Member States. The study gathers the most recent data available on large carnivores’ populations in the EU’s Member States, evaluates the impact...

On Thursday 19 July 2018, the Romanian President signed the decree passing the Mountain Law. Long awaited by the Romanian mountain communities, the law comes to regulate the ways to protect and develop the mountain area in an inclusive and sustainable manner, through: valorizing the human and natural resources, increasing the...

ERSAF, the Italian regional agency for agriculture and forestry services, who has been collaborating with Euromontana for many years for the promotion and valorisation of mountain products, started an experimental project, with the Lombardy Region, to implement the use of the optional quality scheme for “mountain products” in some of its...

SIMRA has just released its third brochure collecting examples of social innovation in marginalised rural areas in the Balkan peninsula. The focus of the SIMRA project is on the European Union and the Mediterranean area, including the Balkan Peninsula in South-East Europe which includes both countries which are Member States of...

La secretaría de Fontagro (Mecanismo de Cooperación entre países de América Latina y el Caribe y España) realizó un boletín donde presenta las actividades realizadas durante los primeros meses del año, con información sobre novedades y plataformas cofinanciadas, que está dedicado especialmente a Agricultura Familiar.  

Agritourism offers farmers the possibility of diversifying and generating additional income through on-farm touristic activities in order to help supplementing their low agricultural income. This helps to maintain the viability of active farms and rural communities. The more general understanding of agritourism states that agritourism activities support and promote agricultural...

Throughout Europe and Central Asia, wild boar raid crops and spread swine diseases, negatively affecting agriculture, conservation, road traffic and the health of livestock, wildlife and even humans. Due to their increasing densities and expanding ranges, economic losses are on the rise. To better manage wild boar populations, officials have needed...

The agreement came ahead of today’s International Mountain Day – a day celebrated each year on December 11 to highlight the importance of mountains to people’s lives and livelihoods. The two organizations committed to creating stronger synergies between mountain food products and sustainable tourism services. This includes promoting high-quality, indigenous, mountain...

Baba Residence (baba – grandmother in Bulgarian) is an initiative bringing together urban youth and elderly people in low-density and remote villages in Bulgaria. Participants spend one month living and learning in a mountain village, with the purpose to create a meeting point between the entrepreneurial spirit of young people...

Urgenci’s advocacy capacity is central to strengthening the role of the Community supported Agriculture (CSA) movement at local and global level. As a global social movement, the CSA and theirs networks need to work  collectively to show how they contribute to overcoming global challenges to the food system. This is...

This is the Newsletter of the Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture, www.airca.org. This edition showcases examples for the use of Information and Communnication Technologies in agriculture research and development.