ARC2020

The Rise of a New Grain Alliance – Germany’s Free Bakers Sow the Seeds of Change A new idea is brewing in Germany, with the first seeds sown of a new alliance along the food value chain for cereals and legumes. ARC2020’s President Hannes Lorenzen reports on how farmers, bakers, se...

A new alliance is forming in Germany - one that unites actors in an agroecological value chain from seed to bread 🌾🧑‍🌾🥖 www.arc2020.eu/the-rise-of-...

#Agroecology #SustainableFarming

LEAK: CAP Crumbles as EU Eyes Radical Post-2027 Overhaul The European Commission is preparing to tear up the architecture of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), in what could set the stage for a radical overhaul of the EU’s farming subsidy programme, acco...

🚨 Leaked drafts suggest the EU Commission is preparing to tear up the architecture of the Common Agricultural Policy, setting the stage for a radical overhaul of the EU’s farming subsidy programme.

@natashafoote.bsky.social brings us up to speed: www.arc2020.eu/leak-cap-cru...

Op-Ed | From Declaration to Action - Rethinking Rural Power in EU Policymaking | Agricultural and Rural Convention Rural voices still seem to go unheard in EU policymaking. The Rural Pact Coordination Group proposes a new tool for rural stakeholders to take the power back: the Declaration on the Future of Rural Ar...

Why do rural voices still go unheard? 🙊 #RuralPact Coordination Group proposes a tool to take the power back 💪 Op-Ed by Edina Ocsko
www.arc2020.eu/op-ed-from-d...
#E40 #SmartVillages @soledadmorales.bsky.social @rafaelamorim.bsky.social @ecolise.bsky.social @eesc.bsky.social @smeunited.bsky.social

Crafting the Collective - Tijs Boelens' Vision for a Farmer-Led Grain Revival | Agricultural and Rural Convention If we want local food systems to thrive, every link in the chain must be nurtured: seeds must be saved, farmers must earn a fair price, processors must adapt their methods—and consumers must be able t...

Dankje to Tijs Boelens & De Groentelaar farm 🌾 who grow heirloom wheat from peasant seeds that is locally brewed into beer by Belgoo 🍻 The next step in Tijs' story is a performance with the Future Farmers collective 💃
www.arc2020.eu/tijs-boelens...
#Teirf #BelgianBeer

Re-Sowing the Seeds of Connection in Switzerland, Part I - Nurturing What We Have | Agricultural and Rural Convention The Seeds4All project emerges from a Swiss immersion with a two-part reflection on how seeds can become anchoring points for rebuilding connections and fostering healthy interdependencies in the pursu...

🇨🇭 Did you know there are 4 hyper local fava bean varieties in Valais? Many thanks to Sortengarten Erschmatt, Laura Kuonen, Domaine des Dailles, Olivier Studer & Alexandra Baumgartner for our Swiss immersion 🙏 Discover part 1 of our reflection here:
www.arc2020.eu/re-sowing-th...
#Seeds4All

Op-Ed | Europe Must End The Double Standards In Toxic Pesticides Exports | Agricultural and Rural Convention A number of hazardous pesticides which are banned in the EU are freely manufactured and exported to other countries with weaker regulations, putting human health and the environment at risk. The EU al...

Just published an op-ed on this issue by Marcos Orellana and Olivier De Schutter www.arc2020.eu/europe-must-...

Op-Ed | Europe Must End The Double Standards In Toxic Pesticides Exports | Agricultural and Rural Convention A number of hazardous pesticides which are banned in the EU are freely manufactured and exported to other countries with weaker regulations, putting human health and the environment at risk. The EU al...

Op-ed by not 1 but 2 UN special rapporteurs 😮 Marcos A Orellana & @olivierdeschutter.bsky.social
www.arc2020.eu/europe-must-...
#pesticides @corporateeurope.org @eeb.org @paneurope.bsky.social @fian-international.bsky.social @fianbelgium.bsky.social @foeeurope.bsky.social @slowfoodhq.bsky.social

Goodbye Carbon Markets, Hello What Exactly? | Agricultural and Rural Convention Climate Farmers - an influential think-and-do tank focused on regenerative farming - has stepped away from Carbon Markets. This news has been making headlines since it was announced in June. So what’s...

Why have Climate Farmers stepped away from carbon markets? And what are the alternatives? @olliemoore.bsky.social spoke with @ivodegn.bsky.social
@gerrylawson.bsky.social & others in the field to find out more: www.arc2020.eu/goodbye-carb...
#carbonfarming #carbonmarkets #regenag

With all the noise in EU institutions about the need to streamline #CAP - has anyone asked a farmer? @natashafoote.bsky.social sat down with Mathieu Courgeau to tackle the famous admin burden www.arc2020.eu/this-farmer-...
@eurovia.org @confpaysanne.bsky.social @collectifnourrir.bsky.social

Serbia | Between Tradition and Transition - Regenerative Agriculture in Vojvodina | Agricultural and Rural Convention Vojvodina, the heart of Serbia’s agricultural production, is known for its fertile chernozem soils. However, intensive soil tillage methods and low rates of organic matter return raise concerns about ...

🌽 Regen ag may offer solutions to #soil degradation in #Serbia 🌻 but most farmers remain cautious about a change of approach 🌱 New ARC contributor Ladislav Luc reports on the ground
www.arc2020.eu/serbia-betwe...
#regenerativeagriculture

Congratulations! This is a powerful resource 💪

The EU’s Public Plate – An Opportunity for Food System Transformation Public procurement of food in the EU is worth billions annually – money that could help deliver healthy meals in schools, hospitals and nursing homes, while supporting sustainable agriculture, fair in...

The EU spends billions on public food each year – yet misses the chance to use sustainable procurement to drive food system transformation. Advocacy efforts are coalescing to change that. ICLEI’s (@iclei.org) Jean-Marc Louvin explains: www.arc2020.eu/the-eus-publ...

@aia-be.bsky.social @koalicjazywaziemia.bsky.social
@voedsel-anders-nl.bsky.social
@voedsel-anders-vl.bsky.social @wirhabenessatt.bsky.social
@slowfoodhq.bsky.social @foeeurope.bsky.social @organicseurope.bsky.social

We are proud to endorse this joint position paper along with 96 other orgs 💚
More in our article: www.arc2020.eu/fund-the-fut...

The EU Has the Funds but Lacks Focus - This Farm Shows What’s Possible with Both | Agricultural and Rural Convention Organic farming has long been hailed as the poster child for sustainable agriculture. But as the EU organic sector becomes increasingly industrialised, cracks are beginning to appear. How can we weed ...

EU organic farming is in crisis - what are the alternatives? 👀 Next up in our new series 🌱Adèle Pautrat & @natashafoote.bsky.social report from a French farm that's cultivating autonomy & resilience 🌽 💪 www.arc2020.eu/the-eu-has-t...
#Seeds4All #organic #diversity

The Power of Diversity & Community-Managed Natural Farming - The Future of Agriculture Comes From India | Agricultural and Rural Convention Crop diversification to improve the soil microbiome is key to the approach of the Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) movement. After soil to bread in Portugal, the Seeds4All proj...

This #zerobudget #naturalfarming model inspired by traditional practices has spread to 1 million farms in the last 10 years 🌱🍅🌽🍆🌿👩‍🌾 Benedikt Haerlin @saveourseeds.bsky.social reports from India
www.arc2020.eu/the-power-of...
#APCNF #feedthesoil #agrobiodiversity #Seeds4All

Mercosur Is Set To Sail - With Sore Points for Sustainability, Will The Deal Sink Or Swim? | Agricultural and Rural Convention After a quarter-century of talks, the EU-Mercosur trade agreement is closer than ever to the finish line. But is it a done deal, and who gets to sign off on it? How are the new more volatile geopoliti...

After a political handshake last December, #Mercosur will soon be handed over to lawmakers to seal the final deal 🤢 Can it be stopped or changed at this late stage? @olliemoore.bsky.social steers us through the choppy waters 🛳️
www.arc2020.eu/mercosur-set...
#EU #trade

EU Throws The Wolf To The Wolves | Agricultural and Rural Convention Following votes at both Council and in Parliament, the status of the wolf in Europe is being downgraded from "strictly protected" to "protected". So what's happened to conservation of this apex predat...

❗The wolf's protected status has been downgraded by the EU 🐺 What does this mean in Brussels - and for Alpine farmers? ⛰️ @olliemoore.bsky.social & Ashley Parsons report 👇
www.arc2020.eu/eu-throws-th...
@rewildingeurope.bsky.social @nabu.de
#wolf #rewilding

Letter From The Farm | Growing Food, Family, And Community | Agricultural and Rural Convention After a long break, we are happy to be back with Brîndușa Bîrhala on her homestead in the west of Romania, where she has been busy growing and nurturing farm and family. Yet she remains as keen as eve...

#LetterFromTheFarm 🌱🌱🌱 🍅🐔👶
After a long break we are so happy to be back with Brîndușa Bîrhala on her homestead in the west of Romania where she has been busy nurturing farm and family 💚 www.arc2020.eu/letter-from-...
#Agroecology #Family #Farmers #NewPeasants

Western Balkans | 20 Years Standing For Cross-Border Cooperation | Agricultural and Rural Convention An unusual political creature celebrates twenty years of cooperation between a wide range of committed government officials, rural and agricultural stakeholders and experts and rural communities and a...

An unusual political creature celebrates 2 decades of cooperation 🤝 ARC president Hannes Lorenzen reports from Ohrid, North Macedonia:
www.arc2020.eu/western-balk...
#SWGRRD #Balkans
@bmleh.de

Pruning the EU’s Farming Policy: Have CAP's Green Shoots Survived the Shears? | Agricultural and Rural Convention The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is once again being trimmed down to size, with the Commission reaching for the shears in an attempt to cut back what it sees as an overgrown subsidy programme...

🌱 Has the EU's farming policy lost its green edge?
✂️ As the #CAP gets pruned, are environmental goals being trimmed too?
@natashafoote.bsky.social digs into the details: What’s left of the #GreenDeal in the new CAP revisions?
🔗 www.arc2020.eu/pruning-the-...

#CAPStrategicPlans #CAPreform

Polish Rural Forum Takes Action For A Broad Rural Alliance | Agricultural and Rural Convention The Polish Rural Parliament launched earlier this month, holding its inaugural gathering at the European Congress on Rural Renewal and Development organised by the Polish EU Presidency on May 8-10 202...

Can the new Polish Rural Parliament create the broad alliance needed to revitalise Poland's countryside? Hannes Lorenzen reports from Poznan @ryszardkaminski.bsky.social
www.arc2020.eu/polish-rural...
#rural #poland

LEAK - Sneak Peek At New EU Farming Policy Simplification Shake-Up | Agricultural and Rural Convention Leaner but not greener with a new era of flexibility and power to member states – these are some of the changes on the menu for the EU’s new plan to simplify the Common Agricultural Policy, according ...

❗ LEAK ❗ Can't wait till Wednesday to hear the EU’s new plan to simplify #CAP? @natashafoote.bsky.social gives us a sneak peek:
www.arc2020.eu/leak-sneak-p...
@gfgf-europe.bsky.social @koalicjazywaziemia.bsky.social @collectifnourrir.bsky.social @verbaende.bsky.social @wirhabenessatt.bsky.social

A European Land Observatory - What’s In Sight? | Agricultural and Rural Convention Despite moves towards simplification, a Land Observatory is coming this summer. What’s more, there is broad consensus from both the Commission and farming organisations on the need for some more harmo...

Despite moves towards simplification, a Land Observatory is coming this summer 👀 @olliemoore.bsky.social takes us through the terrain 🧐
www.arc2020.eu/a-european-l...
@saoirsemc.bsky.social @ @eurovia.org

Looking forward to making sense of the trade mayhem with ARC board member Karen Hansen-Kuhn 💚

Op Ed | Big Ag Pushes Lawmakers to Roll Back Consumer Rights | Agricultural and Rural Convention In advance of the first trilogue meeting on “new genomic techniques” that takes place this week, the industry has launched a statement against GMO labelling. Only the Parliament, not the Council nor t...

#NoGMOsThroughTheBackDoor
Ahead of 1st trilogue meeting on “new genomic techniques” this week, industry launches a statement against #GMO labelling. Op-ed by Franziska Achterberg @saveourseeds.bsky.social #NGT
www.arc2020.eu/op-ed-big-ag...
@demeterint.bsky.social @koalicjazywaziemia.bsky.social

Bosnia and Herzegovina | Who Owns Agricultural Land? | Agricultural and Rural Convention “Who owns agricultural land” is never an easy question. In post-war Bosnia and Herzegovina, multi-layer governance adds another dimension of complexity. Farmland is disappearing as landscapes—and the ...

#AccessToLand is complicated at the best of times 😶 New research by @katkusic.bsky.social breaks down the complex topic of land ownership in post-war #BiH
www.arc2020.eu/bosnia-and-h... @landmatrix.bsky.social

Letter From The Farm | Community Farming in Ireland | Agricultural and Rural Convention On Cloughjordan Community Farm it takes a village to grow 50 sorts of vegetables. The member-owned farm produces high quality, nutritionally dense veggies using agroecological methods. Community is ce...

It takes a village to grow 50 sorts of vegetables 🌱 @olliemoore.bsky.social shows us around @CloughjordanCommunityFarm.mastodon.ie.ap.brid.gy which has just planted 2,000 trees for #syntropic farming
www.arc2020.eu/letter-from-...
#LetterFromTheFarm #Agroecology
@talamhbeo.bsky.social

Spilling Europe’s Dirty Secrets: Uncorking the Toxic Trade in Banned Pesticides | Agricultural and Rural Convention Pesticides deemed too toxic for Europe are still being produced here and sold abroad to be sprayed on fields where farm workers live, work, and raise

🚫 Banned in the EU… but still exported to other countries?
🌍 Europe's toxic trade in pesticides is flying under the radar — until now.
📦 New piece from @natashafoote.bsky.social uncorks the dirty secret of agrochemical exports.
🔗 www.arc2020.eu/spilling-eur...

P.S. If you want to learn about the realities of agroecological production, we invite you to dig into the archives of Chiara's letters over the years, which beautifully document the ups and downs of this inspiring project at the foot of the Italian Alps:
www.arc2020.eu/author/chiar...