The conference actively supports mountain research, as well as the exchange among disciplines to gather and shape all available puzzle pieces.

The European Union – via the Cohesion Policy – introduced dedicated measures to pay a “particular attention to mountainous regions” (Article 174 TFEU). These measures can be used to finance many initiatives that improve the quality of life of mountain citizens. However, as stated by the 8th Cohesion Report, the “cohesion in the European Union has improved, but gaps remain” especially in rural regions. Potential beneficiaries of these funds in mountain areas are too often unaware of the opportunities offered by the Cohesion Policy and face a number of barriers limiting the uptake of these funds in their regions. What are the barriers hindering the uptake of the Cohesion funds in mountain regions? How can Managing Authorities and other relevant actors better inform mountain actors on the opportunities of the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy in their region? What kind of support is needed to help mountain stakeholders make the most of these funds?

Montana174 is a one-year communication campaign to inform and engage mountain citizens on the Cohesion Policy in five European mountain regions. Capitalizing on its findings and activities, Montana174’s final conference will be an opportunity to share lessons learnt on the needs and challenges facing mountain stakeholders as well as to discuss upon different practices to foster the uptake of the Cohesion Policy funds in mountain areas over the 2021-2027 period.

More information on the draft agenda will be available soon.

Every four years, the Mountain Partnership — a United Nations voluntary alliance of partners dedicated to mountain peoples and environments — holds a Global Meeting of its members, who come from diverse mountain countries across the world. 

The upcoming sixth Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership will be held in Aspen, Colorado, United States of America on 26-29 September 2022, co-hosted by the Mountain Partnership together with the State of Colorado, the City of Aspen, and the Aspen International Mountain Foundation.

The Government of Ireland will host the 13^th OECD Rural Development Conference 2022 on the theme of Building Sustainable, Resilient and Thriving Rural Places. 

The programme will contain sessions with Ministers and Senior Officials from OECD countries on a range of issues including rural economy and services, connectivity, climate action, innovation, and social cohesion. There will also be a special focus on the youth and women. The event will include cultural and rural development activities on Friday 30 September, departing from the Conference venue. Details of this programme will be made available shortly.

Homo Montanus: Sustainable human-mountain relations in a changing world.

The second edition of the Global Mountain Sustainability (GMS) Forum aims at exploring sustainable and resilient human-mountain relations in light of current societal and environmental challenges humanity is faced with. In doing so, the conference strives to provide a platform for multi- and interdisciplinary discussion while shedding light on the lessons to be learned from mountains and mountain communities in relation to the sustainable reorganisation of modern societies. A special focus will be placed on the dynamics between highlands and lowlands.

All scientists, researchers and students are invited to submit their application to present their research. Interdisciplinary topics are particularly welcome! Abstracts should be assigned to one of the four thematic sessions:
– Managing environmental challenges in mountain areas
– Resilient communities & community resilience
– Mountain leadership
– Changing values and mountain narratives

Call for Abstracts: Sunday, 29 May 2022
Registration: 30 June 2022
More Information: https://lnkd.in/dtPxnFs

The ODT Forum 2022 will revolve around the theme: “What are the strategies for the sustainability of localised agri-food systems in the face of the climate crisis?”. It aims to open up arenas for debate on the issue of global ecosystem health, policy solutions for sustainable transition at different territorial scales and the future roles of food systems.

The ODT Forum community will underline in 2022 the importance of mountain territories by focusing its attention mainly, but not exclusively, on mountain territories and their agri-food chains, also due to the involvement of its partners (academics, politicians, researchers and local actors) in the European project MOVING H2020.

The “International Mountain Conference” will open this year’s ODT Forum, with ten field visits in the morning and debates in the afternoon with local stakeholders, scientists, the Tête de Moine PDO sector and the Swiss and Jura authorities. The objective of this international mountain conference is to give the floor to personalities from all continents to bring a global perspective to the functioning of localised agri-food systems and the innovative approaches developed by mountain communities in the face of the climate crisis.

The following two days of the ODT Forum will address the theme in 5 workshops with complementary angles:

1. Identify impacts of differentiation strategies on the sustainability and resilience of territories to climate change.
2. Research on mountain territories, particularly affected by climate change.
3. Bring together researchers, experts and practitioners on the theme of “OneHealth” global health of ecosystems, animals and human populations and strategies to restore or improve it.
4. Take stock of the resilience strategies of territories focused on the search for food sovereignty, sometimes to achieve food autonomy.
5. Reflect on the role of public policies in the agro-ecological transition of territories in the global context, focusing on soil in climate policy and the need to better connect agricultural policy, including quality signs with rural development policy.

Registration and call for contributions, here.

See flyer of the Forum, here.

It is a unique opportunity to get in touch with academics, experts, researchers, international organisations, local actors, and promoters of innovative initiatives. Participants will discover the landscapes and sounds of the Swiss and French Jura mountains, and meet and dialogue with members of rural communities on site.

Euromontana and CIA – Agricoltori italiani are co-organising the XII European Mountain Convention in Sila National Natural Park, Italy, on 25-26-27 October 2022.

The XII European Mountain Convention aims to define a sustainable strategy for the development of smart mountains towards 2050.

The Convention goals are to present the economic, social or environmental challenges faced by European mountains and provide innovative solutions to these. It will thus showcase smart initiatives for key sectors in mountain areas, such as tourism and agriculture, and will provide the basis for more integrated and effective public policies, contributing to the sustainable development of mountain areas and the quality of life of mountain communities.

MOVING will organise an European Multi-Actor Platform (EU MAP) webinar on 8 November 2022, from 9.30 to 1.00 (CET), on European Quality schemes: the added value for mountain value chains.

The objectives of the webinar are;

• Find out more about MOVING project results and the EU MAP;
• Provide an update of the new EU quality policy, according to the EC legislative proposals;
• Inform about the implementation and added value of the EU quality schemes and the implications for mountain value chains;
• Enhance the exchange, learn and interact at the EU level on the application to mountain value chains.

See Draft Agenda, here.

The event information will be updated shortly with the registration form.

Learn more about this update of the EU quality frameworks in the blog article ‘The revision of the EU Geographical Indications system’ by Francesca Alampi (AREPO).