France
The Livradois-Forez network of municipalities

Auvergne is a moutainous part of central France, which has experienced dramatic rural exodus and loss of farms for the past 50 years. Since its establishment in 1986, the regional natural park of Livradois-Forez has always paid attention to the renewal of the farming population in the area of the park. In France, a regional natural park is a public body bringing together the regional authority and all muncipalities and groupings of municipalities of a specific natural area, which choose to adhere to a Charter and participate in the actions of preserving and developping the value and potential of the area.

Initially, the Park conducted a series of land assesment to identify retiring farmers with no successors, and areas where land is so fragmented that it may hamper the entry of a new farmer. It then decided to constitute a “network land/ entry into farming in the Livradois-Forez”. The first activity was to develop an on-line platform compiling, managing and updating all the data produced by the different land assessments, with a geographic information system. This platform makes it possible to know, in real time, who’s producing what, where, on which land, for how much longer, and with which perspectives of farm succession.

Besides, the network has taken shape through regular meetings gathering representatives of the Park, of the county council, of municipalities and agricultural stakeholders, as well as the establishment or consolidation of agricultural committees in each association of municipalities.

On a concrete level, the network succeeded to facilitate the entry into farming of a couple of goat and cow organic breeders, with on-farm dairy processing. But the main result of the project has therefore been to make local representatives aware of the challenges of preserving active farming on their territory. It has translated into land planning laws where farmland and the conditions for farming are well preserved.

Source:
Experience file, Terre de liens Nord Pas de Calais, in Terre de liens, Agir sur le foncier agricole: un rôle essentiel pour les collectivités locales, 2015

Scope of the initiative:: Single farm or site ; Regional ; National ; Local ; International

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

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

Types of agricultural activities: Agriculture (plants) ; Mixed farming ; Breeding (animals)

Types of landowners: Other Land Trusts ; Ethical companies ; Other non-profit organisations ; Churches ; Public owners ; Private owners ; Commons ; Other ; Community Farm Land Trusts

Place:

Maison du Parc, Le Bourg, 63880 Saint-Gervais-Sous-Meymont

Web site: http://www.parc-livradois-forez.org/