For centuries, agriculture has been the lifeblood of Europe’s rural towns and villages, growing our food and shaping our landscapes. Though technological advances and the rise of multinational conglomerates are changing the way many farms are owned and operated, subsistence and semi-subsistence farming remains a way of life. Traditional agriculture practices are particularly important in Hungary, Poland, and the Baltic states. In Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania, most farms still cover  fewer than two hectares.

Yet Europe’s rural communities are facing unprecedented difficulties. Undercut by unaccountable big business, small-scale family farms are disappearing by the tens of thousands,  closing down job opportunities for people. As a whole, the EU countryside suffers from double-digit unemployment, particularly among the young. Many feel forced to leave farming for good.

This leaves whole communities vulnerable to exploitation by companies offering short-term employment in unsustainable industries. It also means Europeans have less control over their food and farming at a time when demand for quality local food is soaring.

Food and Water Europe is working to ensure agriculture policies support farmers, not factory farms, building strong rural economies based on delivering the kind of food and farming Europe wants.