What existing government policies can improve agroecological farming systems efforts?

The European Institutions, including the European Commission and the European Parliament have been working on the Green Deal and other efforts to improve agro-ecological farming systems (including organic farming). With Climate Change a reality and the world in crisis, the EU has recognized the need to focus on a green future.  

What policy measeures exist to improve agroecological farming systems in the EU?

The UNISECO project and its partners including the European Landowners’ Organization have and will continue to work with the European institutions at the international level to improve agroecological farming systems across the European Union. Examples at the local and national level can be found in the Case Studies and related issue and policy briefs on the Resource page.

What barriers exist that are keeping farmers and businesses in the value chain from adopting agroecological farming systems?

Costs and legislation are two of the barriers keeping farmers and businesses in the value chain from adopting agroecological farming systems, but other barriers can be learned in the policy and issue briefs as well as the case studies. We encourage you to learn more about this from our project resources page: https://uniseco-project.eu/resources

Read all our policy briefs

Austria

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Mitigation of climate change by humus formation and regenerative arable farming in Eastern Austria (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Eindämmung des Klimawandels durch Humusaufbau und regenerativen Ackerbau in Ostösterreich (in German)

Czech Republic

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Improving soil properties on arable land by maintaining organic dairy farming in the Vysočina region (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Zlepšení půdních vlastností orné půdy udržením ekologického hospodaření mléčných farem na Vysočině (in Czech)

Finland

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: The profitability of biogas investments remains an obstacle to achieving the carbon neutrality objectives of the dairy value chain (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Biokaasuinvestointien kannattavuus edelleen este maitoketjun hiilineutraaliustavoitteiden toteutumiselle (in Finnish)

France

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Viticulture and agroecology (France). Cooperation between farmers to foster agroecological practices in viticulture (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Viticulture et agro-écologie (France). Coopération entre exploitants viticoles pour promouvoir les pratiques agro-écologiques en viticultre (in French)

Germany

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Supporting knowledge networks for sustainable farming practices in Lower Saxony (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Förderung von Wissensnetzwerken für eine nachhaltige Landwirtschaft in Niedersachsen (in German)

Greece

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: The role of collective efforts in fostering agro-ecological transition in Imathia, Northern Greece (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Η συμβολή των συλλογικών προσπαθειών στην προώθηση της μετάβασης προς την αγρο-οικολογία στην Ημαθία (in Greek)

Hungary

•  UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Soil conservation farming in Hungary: How policies could be improved to assist agro-ecological transition? (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Szakpolitikai ajánlás: Talajkímélő gazdálkodás Magyarországon Miként lehet segíteni a szakpolitikák javításán keresztül az agro-ökológia felé történő elmozdulást? (in Hungarian)

Italy

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Innovative policy tools and grassroots initiatives to foster the agroecological transition of a market-oriented winegrowing area (Chianti, Italy) (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Strumenti politici innovativi ed iniziative locali per favorire la transizione agroecologica di un'area vitivinicola orientata al mercato (Chianti, Italia) (in Italian)

Latvia

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Differentiation of support for organic farming based on the complexity of agro-ecological farming practices and performance of agro-environmental measures in Latvia (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Policies Enabling Transition to Organic Dairy Farming Systems in Latvia (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 Policy brief: Atbalsta pasākumu diferencēšana bioloģiskajai lauksaimniecībai Latvijā (in Latvian)
• UNISECO H2020 Policy brief: Politikas atbalsts pārejai uz bioloģiskās piena lopkopības sistēmu Latvijā (in Latvian)

Lithuania

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Small family dairy farms - from status quo to agroecological farming systems? (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 Politikos santrauka: Smulkių pieno ūkių ateitis – agroekologinių ūkininkavimo sistemų link? (in Lithuanian)

Romania

• UNISECO H2020 Policy brief: Support the economic viability of the majority of Romanian farms by investing nationally in storage and processing facilities (in English)

Spain

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Supporting the development of an agro-ecological market through Measure 16.2 of the Rural Development Program (RDP) in Navarra (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Apoyar el desarrollo del mercado agroecológico en Navarra (España) a través de la Medida 16.2 del Programa de Desarrollo Rural (PDR) (in Spanish)

Sweden

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Agro-ecological diversification to produce more food from Swedish ruminant farms (in English)

Switzerland

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Increasing the knowledge about income alternatives to intensive livestock farming of the Swiss Lucerne Central Lakes region (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Verbesserung der Kenntnisse über Einkommensalternativen zur intensiven Nutztierhaltung in der Region Luzerner Mittellandseen (in German)

United Kingdom

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Addressing barriers of culture, mindset and institutions through effective co-creation forums and networking, in North-east Scotland, UK (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Tackling the shortage of skilled and informed labour to deliver transitions to agro-ecological farming systems in North-east Scotland, UK (in English)

Project level briefs

• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Recommendations for future research needs and actions to enhance agro-ecological transitions (in English)
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Operation of a Multi-Actor Platform in a transdisciplinary project focused on agro-ecological transitions (in English) 
• UNISECO H2020 policy brief: Supporting advice, education and lifelong learning to promote agroecological transitions (in English)