Local policy

Local action is key to a regenerative future. Even when national or EU policy frameworks fail to support new farmers and agroecology, some local governments in Europe are pioneering creative strategies to improve agriculture, food, and land systems in their areas.

Local authorities who support access to land for agroecology can generate benefits which go far beyond the farming sector. These range from access to healthy and local food to educational, social and economic opportunities on farms, along with preserved landscapes and natural patrimony – all key assets to achieve sustainable development and support vibrant local communities.

Local authorities have a variety of ways to make a difference on land, even when resources are tight. Three broad ways local authorities can take action are:

• Managing public land responsibly and to benefit the local community
• Facilitating better local land systems by promoting local dialogue and democratic oversight on land issues
• Using regulatory powers to preserve and enable access to farmland
  

To learn more at a glance about how local authorities can take action

– Watch our Farmland for Public Good videos
– Check out our Farmland for Public Good infographics

For more in-depth analyses

– Read our 2023 online handbook "Local Authorities Making Farmland Work for the Public Good"
– You may read also our previous 2017 handbook "Supporting Access to Land for Farmers in Europe. Experiences and potential of local authorities."

Additional ressources

– Visit the practical resources section of our online handbook
– Visit the bibliography section of our online handbook
– Check out the material from our Access to Land Farmland for Public Good conference held in March 2023.
– Read about our Field Trip on Local Authorities in France FARMLAND FOR PUBLIC GOOD #2 - Join us on the Farm! and learn about what we have learned!