D3.1 – Report on public and private funding for agroecology

This research work focuses (AE4EU – WP3) on one specific portion of the overall picture presented above: a snapshot of recent years of funding for agroecology in different EU countries.
Task 3.1 is about “public funding schemes for agroecology practices and research (regional, national and EU.” The objectives are:

• To build upon the mapping of task 1.2 in WP1 and assess how different countries implemented elements of agroecology in national/regional funding schemes and how they function;
• To scan for any other direct or indirect funding schemes which are supported by public funding (e.g. cities, national parks, communal funding, Local Action Groups, Leader, operational groups within EIP-Agri;
• To include financial data, and analyse trends and correlations;
• To analyse at European level (ERA-NET and COST programmes and framework 5 to 9 programmes (Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe).

Secondary data collection and financial analysis from public sources are drawn on for the analysis presented here, as well as primary data collection via targeted expert interviews, where secondary data do not yield sufficient results.
This report discusses the importance of peasant agroecology for sustainable agriculture in Europe; its relevance in the context of the next CAP; the methodology used to collect and analyse data on public funding of agroecology in Europe; funding for agroecology (public and private), both in the context of research funding at European level and qualitative aspects of grassroots funding at country and regional levels.