The international workshop “Crossroads Biodiversity – From a LIFE Integrated Project to a pan-Alpine biodiversity agenda” will take place on 10-11 October 2023 in Milan, Italy.

The workshop is being organised by Regione Lombardia and ERSAF (the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Forestry) in cooperation with the Alpine Biodiversity Board of the Alpine Convention and Action Groups 6 (natural resources) and 7 (connectivity, green infrastructure) of the European Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP).

This onsite event (with streaming of selected sessions) will offer an opportunity to exchange on the results of the LIFE Integrated Project Gestire 2020 and be a chance to advance the biodiversity agenda of the Alpine region according to the Multi-Annual Work Programme of the Alpine Convention and of EUSALP. The workshop is also a follow-up to the first international workshop held online by the Alpine Biodiversity Board on 17 April 2023, and will advance the discussion of biodiversity strategies that were  started.

The objective of the workshop on 10-11 October 2023 is to share good practices and define ways to cooperate for biodiversity in the Alpine Macro Region, starting from the national experience of the project Gestire 2020 and taking its results to the Alpine level and embedding it into the European context, including the recent approval of the EU Nature Restoration Law.

ALL-Ready and AE4EU jointly host their final project conference at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels on 27 September 2023. The one-day conference will shed light on how the two projects paved the way for a European Network of Living Labs and Research Infrastructures. Both projects will feature stories from the field, pilot networks, and local stakeholders. Experiences from involved Living Labs and Research Infrastructures will give practical insights.

Through a series of panel discussions, the event will explore how Living Labs and Research Infrastructures can support the agroecology transition. How can Agroecology Living Labs and Research Infrastructures translate theory into practice? This and related questions will be at the forefront of participatory discussions to understand lessons learned from three years of project work.

The closing session will focus on how regions can best support Living Labs and Research Infrastructures to drive the agroecology and urban transitions. The role of the Common Agriculture Policy network, local authorities, and the future European partnership “Accelerating farming systems transition: agroecology living labs and research infrastructures” will be given prime consideration.

SHERPA Final Conference will take place at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels, Belgium. It will be an opportunity to learn about SHERPA’s main results on rural policies, as well as network with other EU and rural actors.

ShepForBio is organising its first international conference on “The role of pastoral schools in the management of natural habitats”, on 10 and 11 May 2023 in Florac (France).

ShepForBio is a LIFE project with the primary aim of enhancing the conservation status of three grassland habitat types that have been recognized as being of Community importance under the Habitats Directive (Habitats 5130, 6210, 6230). The project endeavours to achieve this objective by supporting and promoting pastoral activities. One of the essential actions that the project envisages is the establishment of a Pastoral School, based on the models already operational in various other European nations.

The creation of Pastoral Schools can have a significant impact on promoting pasture and grassland management that aligns with the goals of protecting these habitats and their biodiversity.

To give closure to DESIRA, the project is organising the DESIRA Final Conference! The event will take place on the 26th and 27th of April 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. The conference will bring together policy-makers, research and innovation networks, farmers’ organisations, advisors, and other relevant stakeholders to exchange views on the current and future scenario of rural digitalisation.

RURALIZATION is organising the final conference of the project, which will be held on 20 April 2023 in Brussels. Hosted by the European Committee of the Regions, this onsite meeting with experts and stakeholders will provide a space for presenting the main outputs of the project, considering all the lessons learned throughout the four years of the project.

After presenting the project, policy options to fulfil rural dreams will be analysed during an interactive workshop. This will be followed by a “Rural Tales” session in which young farmers and entrepeneurs will share their own stories. Finally, representatives of the European Commission, stakeholders and other experts will discuss how specific European policies could contribute to the ruralisation process.

The LIFE PASTORALP final conference “Global challenges in mountain agropastoral systems – Scientific evidence on impacts, adaptation and policies” will be held on 15–17 March 2023 at the Forte di Bard in Bard, Aosta Valley, Italy.

The conference aims at bringing together researchers, policymakers, agriculture and extension technicians, farmers and students to share and discuss current and emerging issues related to climate-driven global changes in mountain agropastoral systems. The debate on these issues, hosted in the heart of the Alps, will be fostered by experiences from all of Europe and mountain environments and will give rise to new ideas and proposals to be spread and shared globally.

Interested in organic fruit growing system? Join the BIOFRUTINET final conference “Innovative solutions in organic fruit production”, taking place online on the 2nd of March 2023 from 9:15 to 13.30 (CET).

Organic farming relies on knowledge and flow of information. Sharing the available best practices through stronger networks is crucial to support organic farmers across Europe. Know more about the latest innovations and solutions in pome, stone and citrus fruits including strategies on pest and disease control, soil management and biodiversity as well as the use of the most suitable varieties and rootstocks. The experts will share experience on how to strengthen networks in organic fruit growing production and efficiently disseminate the best practices to farmers and advisers.

The 3rd SHERPA Annual Conference “Co-creating rural futures” will build on SHERPA’s contribution to the European Union Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas (LTVRA) and the work undertaken by the SHERPA partners during 2022.

The conference will focus on the role of Multi-Actor Platforms (MAPs) and multi-stakeholder governance in delivering the LTVRA and reflect upon the sustainability of SHERPA MAPs – as Science-Society-Policy interfaces – after the project’s end. 

SHERPA is organising a webinar on 2 December 2021, from 10.00 to 11.30 (CET) on the topic “Beyond the policy brief – How local actors engage in the policy process’.

Together with H2020 projects MOVING, LIAISON and PoliRural, SHERPA will share the experience and knowledge harvested at the local or regional levels, through the multi-actor platforms across these projects. It will highlight examples of how to deliver local actors engagement to feed into the policy process at different levels, from local to European.

Register to participate by latest 30 November 2021.

The RURALIZATION consortium is organising its Mid-term Conference on November 8 and 9 2021, dedicated to the H2020 Ruralization project results and future projections. Within the course of an on-site and virtual meeting with experts and stakeholders, the debate will be developed across three discussion rooms: rural research, rural generations and policy-making for rural areas.

The MOVING project coordinator, Mar Delgado, will participate in conference presenting in the rural research discussion group.