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...

Transferring pastoral knowledge to preserve vibrant rural areas Over millennia, pastoral societies have accumulated knowledge and skills on how to successfully manage pastoral systems. Their work contributes to maintain vibrant rural areas, benefitting the rural economy and reversing land abandonment, while it also unlocks multiple ecosystem services for the whole society. Yet,...

Rome - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today unveiled a prototype rooftop farm at its Rome headquarters, an initiative that highlights how innovative technology contributes to making agri-food systems more sustainable and to increasing access to healthy diets.The farm will help explore the potential of...

SUREVEG will develop and implement new diversified, resource-efficient and intensive vegetable cropping systems. The systems are based on strip-cropping, and fertility strategies combined from recycling of waste and plant-based soil-improvers and fertilizers. The purpose is to meet the needs of the organic vegetable sector comprising ecological intensification, resilience, fertilization, resource-efficiency and biodiversity. Field...

This publication presents a collection of case studies by Mountain Partnership (MP) members from around the world, highlighting experiences of agroecological mountain farming systems. It aims to increase attention toward agroecological principles and approaches and showcase their potential. The MP, the only United Nations global voluntary alliance dedicated to sustainable...

It has been since 1998 that Valdibella Cooperative is working in Camporeale, Italy to create and spread alternatives to the food system in Sicily. With more than 30 members, Valdibella Cooperative aims at restoring dignity to farmers by promoting concrete actions against commercial and labour exploitation and by applying organic agricultural methods...

Problem Apple trees require satisfactory soil mineral nitrogen levels before, during and a few weeks after the full bloom. Organic fertilisers are extremely heterogeneous and some of them do not provide an adequate level of bioavailable nitrogen in the desired moment. Solution It is necessary to choose fertilisers with low C/N ratio, if...

Access Agriculture has won the prestigious International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in the category “Award for innovations that empower youth in sustainable food systems” based on its model of young entrepreneurs.

Innovative pasture systems from Denmark and Italy

Despite the raise of awareness on the use of pesticides during the last 30 years, pesticide industries grew up thanks to the lack of information about the real damage these products could cause on the environment, human health and on producers’ incomes. The lack of knowledge using large and small...

As countries report mounting cases of the COVID-19, the outbreak presents them and the global community with unprecedented challenges in recent times. FAO monitors the experience of those heavily affected by the pandemic looking at the immediate impacts and the mitigation measures of countries in responding to the crisis. Drawing...

Digital tools that suit the complexity of diversified farms and meet their specific needs can bring new challenges. Once these are overcome, however, they can contribute to farm resilience and viability. Meet two Italian farm enterprises and see how their stories and narratives show that digitalisation means not only access...

The proposed operative group (GO) intends to set up a new circular local economy model, which combines the profitability of farms with social productivity: the valorization of horticultural genetic resources will be based on minimum technological input and on production schedule according to the needs of the community expressed by...