Promoting sustainable agriculture through the social and solidarity economy: guide for French local authorities
A French project has developed a guide detailing ways of advancing sustainable agriculture at the local level through the social and solidarity economy (SSE).
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The guide (available in French), created under the TRESSONS project, provides a better understanding of the SSE and the practical solutionsit offers to agricultural challenges, particularly regarding the setting up of new farms and generational renewal. It showcases various examples highlighting cooperation between local authorities and SSE stakeholders.
Intended for local authorities and stakeholders involved in sustainable agriculture and the SSE in France, the guide sets out various avenues for fostering sustainable agriculture through the social and solidarity economy. These include:
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Fostering local engagement: for example, identifying key stakeholders and organising events;
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Facilitating access to private and public land: for instance, carrying out land surveys, setting aside and making available public land and protecting farmland;
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Supporting cooperative models that promote sustainable agriculture: e.g. supporting the setting up or takeover of agricultural cooperatives and raising public awareness;
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Encouraging employment and training: for example, promoting training programmes and supporting the integration of workers into the agricultural labour market;
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Supporting regional cooperation initiatives and development of regional supply chains: for instance, supporting development of skills in new sectors and encouraging stakeholder cooperation;
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Securing market outlets and supporting regional processing facilities: e.g. launching awareness-raising campaigns on the importance of buying locally, strengthening short supply chains and funding the start-up and scaling-up phases;
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Identifying and securing funding: for example, mobilising and raising awareness of European, national and local funds;
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Integrating the SSE and sustainable agriculture into overarching development plans: e.g. adding a focus on sustainable agriculture into regional or local SSE strategies.
The TRESSONS project running from 2024 to 2025 was funded under the ANIMERA call for projects led by the French National Network for Agriculture and Rural Affairs. It worked to identify and strengthen the social and solidarity economy’s contributions to the development of sustainable agricultural projects and to the attractiveness of rural areas.
Explore the latest Rural Pact resources on the social economy and agriculture.