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The German Greens won the premiership of the German land (region) of Baden-Württemberg in 2011, giving them a unique opportunity to implement green policies across a range of areas. For food and agriculture, this meant an ambitious strategy based on high ecological quality standards, versus the industrialisation of our natural resources.

Ideological innovation and perseverance can give birth to concrete actions contributing to the Green transformation of agriculture and food systems, despite a difficult political and institutional environment. This is currently experienced by the Belgian Greens of Ecolo in the regional governments of Wallonia and Brussels.

On March 13th the European Parliament (EP), now co-legislator on agricultural and budgetary issues, adopted its position on redesigning the CAP. A period of intense negotiations opens-up between the Council of the EU and the EP. But the complete shift of the CAP towards an ecological transformation of agriculture is now very unlikely to take place. This will not prevent the Greens and other progressive actors to continue to prepare this transition. If the CAP can’t change, can we?

In the Netherlands, one organisation is making a breakthrough in encouraging a better relationship between people and food. The secret – start young. An interview with Esther Boukema by Erica Meijers.

The Greens want to change the trajectory of the CAP to make European agriculture “greener” as this is the only way in which it will have a future. An urgent and long-term project against the conservative agribusiness model, and one which should be developed in cooperation with the first people affected: the farmers. Interview with José Bové, Greens/EFA MEP.

Often thought of as a problem in developing nations, land-grabbing is a reality in contemporary Hungary. The problem of private hoarding of land began after the fall of Communism in 1990, but the current government is making the situation worse. Through a corrupt relationship between power and agri-business, more and more land is falling into the possession of a powerful few, with devastating consequences for society and the environment.

The changes to agriculture in post-war France have had a devastating impact on the environment and on public health. Such changes were the product of international trade agreements and big agri-business, meaning solutions are unlikely to come from the top down. It must be local and small produces that come to the rescue.

Development continues and the overall number of farms declines. What is it like to be a farmer in today’s Finland? Will the sector still attract new entrepreneurs in the future?

Food cooperatives are a way of ensuring a supply of local and socially sustainable food. However the barriers to their development should not be underestimated, including opposition from middlemen who have the most to loose. Looking at experiences in Brazil, Poland and the US, Katarzyna S?oboda charts a way forward.

A focus on food production and protecting biodiversity should not be at the expense of a third key function of the countryside, access to it by the people.