Austria
NEL (Netzwerk Existenzgründung in der Landwirtschaft)

NEL is an Austrian association founded in 2013 which aims to support new entrants into farming by providing information and hosting a platform to connect them to available farms, as well as by raising awareness on the subject.

NEL’s core project is its matching platform, Perspektive Landwirtschaft, which has been active since December 2017. Other activities include a variety of awareness raising events, a series of short film portraits of new entrants in farming, and networking on regional, national and international levels.

Perspektive Landwirtschaft is a matching platform that connects farmers without a successor to prospective farmers. Its website provides information on extra-familial farm succession and farm start-ups and collects specific contacts for eg legal consultants by region. Both sides are supported in clarifying open questions before creating their profiles and entering into the matching process. The project also hosts regional events to raise awareness, foster local networking, and stimulate public debate on farm succession.

More info can be found at https://www.perspektive-landwirtschaft.at/

Main activities: Land stewardship ; Support for farmers ; Policy/ advocacy ; Ethical finance ; Land acquisition/ ownership ; Public education ; Farming ; Awareness raising ; New entrants

Geographical scope: National

Types of agriculture: CSA, AMAP, consumers co-operative ; Local supply chains ; Organic ; Peasant ; Biodynamic