Agroecology for Europe

Diversification des cultures

About Agroecology for Europe

Towards the development of agroecology in Europe.

The AE4EU project

Why AE4EU?

“Europe is now at a turning point regarding the future of European agriculture. Agroecology is a key concept for embracing practice, research, innovation, and education. Agroecology is essential to transform our agricultural and food system and tackle climate and nature emergencies and at the same time providing healthy food based on a strong and living rural environment. I expect the AE4EU project to have a key impact in supporting this transition.”

Dr Alexander Wezel, Director of Research at ISARA, Lyon, France

A European funded project as a coordinate and support action

AE4EU is a three years project, that started in January 2021 and aims to enable a successful transition to agroecology through a strong development with ambitious and longer-term joint actions at the European level in research, innovation, networks, training and education. Thanks to a European network and the involvement of different actors from diverse horizons and sectors, the project will analyse agroecology through its different pillars: as a science, a set of practices, and a social movement.

Read the full article about AE4EU here!

6 key objectives

1. Increase connections between relevant actors

Understanding, mapping and identifying the state of the art of agroecology in European countries as well as the actors involved is the indispensable The final goal is to establish a European Agroecology Exchange Network

2. Develop skills and methods for developing research infrastructure and living labs

Living Labs are user-centered, open innovation ecosystems based on a participatory co-creation approach including the user as well as actors from various backgrounds for integrating in real life communities and setting. The establishment of living labs, research infrastructure and agroecology-territories are key to allow a successful transition to agroecology.

3. Analyse and prepare funders for increased and complementary funding of agroecology

AE4EU will identify potential adaptations for long-term funding schemes to support enhanced cooperation and coordination of public and private national or European funders and develop recommendations for enlarged and complementary funding. Implemented elements of agroecology in public and private national or European funding schemes and their functioning will be analysed.

4. Improve human and social capital

A European Agroecology Exchange Network Hub that will include a diversity of stakeholders (such as farmers, up- and down-stream businesses, researchers, consumers and citizens) will be set up in order to facilitate knowledge exchanges in the Europe-wide network of agroecology; identify pathways of co-development and co-learning for strengthened agroecological research and innovation.

5. Improve capacity to tailor policy interventions to specific situations

AE4EU will identify and analyse policy frameworks that include elements of agroecology. Recommendations for future policies that support and promote the development of agroecology in Europe will be provided, in particular considering the context and aims of the Eco-schemes and the recently approved European Green Deal, Farm to Fork strategy and the CAP.

6. Support the development of a European partnership in agroecology

AE4EU will develop a road map and framework for a European network that includes agroecological living labs, research infrastructure and other relevant actors to build a European partnership. The overall goal is to accelerate the transition towards sustainable farming and food systems practices by promoting networking, connectivity and place-based innovation in a co-creative environment.

Work Packages

WP1. Mapping Agroecology in Europe
The overall aim is to achieve a global mapping of current existing agroecology initiatives, research cooperation and policies to get an updated picture on national and local initiatives in agroecology, national and regional policies, and research development in Europe. The work will be carried out by combining the involvement of partners from academia, NGOs, civil society organizations, national networks, and national governmental structures.
WP2. Development of living labs and research infrastructures
WP2 will consist of empirical analyses of LLs and other RIs and the assessment of how to enhance them. Those analyses will comprise the human, social, agronomic and ecological dimensions and will form the basis for the provision of skills and methods for the development of LLs and RIs in Europe.
WP3. Funding schemes and sources for agroecology
WP3 will assess the implemented elements of agroecology in public funding schemes (regional, national and EU) and their functioning. This is delivered for both agroecological practices funding and agroecological research funding.
WP4. Learning and exchange in agroecology for the development of living labs and research infrastructures

WP4 will support the upscaling of agroecology in different dimensions:

  • through enhancing the capacity for knowledge and experience exchange between actors;
  • through identifying needs in skills and competencies for agroecological practices and principles in different geographical and professional contexts;
  • LLs for co-development and co-learning to answer the central question “How do we strengthen the European agroecological research and innovation ecosystem?”;
  • through evaluating the outcome of training sessions that will be organised in different contexts.

Existing agroecology initiatives and networks in Europe will be linked using the outcomes from WP1 and WP2.

WP5. Policy development and road map
Agroecology policy strategies should be based on the development of adequate policies targeting specific economic, environment and social conditions across Europe. This WP will analyse the past and current EU documents (strategies, declarations, …) and CAP programmes across the 28 countries of Europe to understand the main measures that were taken by regions and countries to foster agroecology in Europe. The overall aim of this WP will be to provide targeted recommendations for EU countries to develop the future CAP Strategic Plans with regard to agroecology.
WP6. Framework development at European level
To come to a comprehensive framework to strengthen agroecological research and innovation in Europe we will combine the input from multiple stakeholders and create a synthesis of the varying needs, drivers and inhibitors of agroecology at the European level. Multi-stakeholder sessions at a European level will be organised to co-design a framework to strengthen agroecological research and innovation. The implementation of this framework through the coordination and engagement of stakeholders across Europe will develop awareness for agroecology and encourage the wider engagement of stakeholders. Additionally, we will work on coordinating the European agroecology community to encourage the wider use, standardisation and accessibility of data and metadata.
WP7. Project management
The overall aim of the WP7 is to ensure the condition to enable efficient consortium work and achievement of goals for the project. ISARA ensures the lead and coordination of the project in close collaboration with AE4EU partners.
WP 8. Ethics
The objective of WP8 is to ensure compliance with the ‘ethics requirements’ linked to any project funded under the H2020 programme. This aims to establish personal data protection management plan and follow, as requested in any Horizon 2020 project the Ethics Appraisal Procedure from beginning to end, as AE4EU see the ethical compliance as pivotal to achieve real research excellence and two increase the trust of the AE4EU stakeholders.

Work plan scheme

Observation de la biodiversité

AE4EU Partners

Isara

France

logo Isara

ISARA is an engineering School for agricultural, food and environmental sciences, offers professional engineering programme (MSc degree), master programmes, professional learning, and carries out research and extension.

Baptiste Grard, bgrard@isara.fr

Learn more about ISARA

University of Gastronomic Sciences – UNISG

Italy

logo Universita degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche

University of Gastronomic Sciences is an international leader for the study, research, transmission and innovative processing of knowledge in the field of Gastronomic Sciences.

Paola Migliorini

https://www.unisg.it/en/

Agroecology Europe – AEEU

Belgium

logo Agroecology Europe

Agroecology Europe, an international non-profit organization, aims to analyse, design, develop and promote the transition towards agroecology-based farming and food systems in Europe and throughout the world.

Elena Ambuehl

Learn more about AEEU

Thünen-Institute – TI

Germany

logo Thunen Institute

As a federal research agency, the Thünen-Institute supports evidence-based agricultural policy. The Thünen-Institute is active on a broad range of topics that extend to the fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

Anett Richter

https://www.thuenen.de/en/

Coventry University – CU

United Kingdom

Logo Coventry University

Coventry University is an ambitious and innovative university in central England (United Kingdom). Its Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience is driving transdisciplinary research on the understanding and development of resilient food and water systems internationally.

Lindy Binder

Learn more about CU CAWR

Wageningen University and Research – WU

The Netherlands

logo Wageningen

Wageningen University and Research is one of Europe’s leading research institutions in the domains of Agri, Food and Life Sciences.

Andrew Dawson

Learn more about WUR

Hellenic Agricultural Organisation DIMITRA – ELGO

Greece

ELGO – DIMITRA is the National Agricultural Research Organization of Greece with the  mission to design and implement research, demonstration and pilot projects with regards to main Mediterranean crops.

Vasileios Gkisakis

https://www.elgo.gr/

European Coordination Via Campesina – ECVC

Belgium

logo European Coordination Via Campesina

The European Coordination Via Campesina is a European grassroots organization which currently gathers 31 national and regional farmers, farm workers and rural organizations based in 20 European countries.

Olcay Bingol

Learn more about ECVC

Council for Agricultural Research and Economics – CREA

Italy

Council for Agricultural Research and Economics

The Consiglio per la Ricerca e l’Analisi dell’Economia Agraria is a national research body operating under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, in the field of research in agriculture, agro-industry, food, fisheries and forestry.

Stefano Canali

Learn more about CREA

University of Santiago de Compostela – USC

Spain

logo University of Santiago de Compostela

The Crop Production and Engineering Project Department at the University of Santiago de Compostela has 27 staff, and the Agroforestry Research Group is one of its eight research groups.

Maria Rosa Mosquera

Learn more about USC

Eco Ruralis – ECO

Romania

logo Eco Ruralis

Eco Ruralis is a national association of peasants and agroecological small-scale food producers from Romania.

Attila Szocs

Learn more about Eco Ruralis

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – SLU

Sweden

logo Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences develops the understanding and sustainable use and management of biological natural resources.

Georg Carlsson

https://www.slu.se/

Collaborations

Italian Foundation for Research in Organic and Biodynamic Agriculture (FIRAB) was set up by organic and biodynamic farmer, environmental and labor organisations and promotes applied research in low input farming through a participatory approach and operates technical and scientific dissemination.

Related projects

Agroecology for Europe works in close collaboration with other ongoing project and especially the H2020 CSA All-Ready project.

Other ongoing/past project will support the project: LIFT, DIVERSIFOOD, ReMIX, UNISECO, TYFA, RURALIZATION, etc.