Future for rural Europe: from ethical land management to agrotourism innovation

Tools to revitalize, modernize and diversify opportunities in the countryside

• Date: 30 October 2025
• Time: 10:00 – 14:55
• Location: European Economic and Social Committee

Rural areas are the backbone of Europe’s natural and cultural heritage, as well as vital spaces for biodiversity conservation, agriculture, and tourism. However, they face major challenges: depopulation, economic fragility, and the pressure to reconcile productive land use with environmental sustainability.

The new Vision for Agriculture and Food emphasizes the importance of multifunctional agriculture, sustainable land management, and fair living conditions in rural areas. This Vision, together with the Rural Action Plan, sets out ambitious objectives to revitalize rural territories, modernize agricultural systems, and diversify opportunities for farmers, ensuring a competitive agrifood sector and vibrant rural communities.

Two Erasmus+ projects, WESEM (Wildlife Estates Sustainable and Ethical Management) and STAY (Still Tourism Around Yard), address these challenges through innovative educational solutions:

• WESEM equips students and professionals in agriculture, forestry, and environmental sciences with the expertise to support landowners in implementing sustainable and ethical land management practices, aligned with biodiversity conservation and certification standards like the Wildlife Estates Label.
• STAY promotes vocational education and training for rural tourism establishments, empowering farmers and rural entrepreneurs to diversify their income through agritourism while preserving natural and cultural heritage.

This joint final conference will serve as a platform to present project results, share insights on sustainable rural development, and engage stakeholders in shaping the future of Europe’s rural landscapes, in line with the Vision for Agriculture and Food and the Rural Action Plan.

WORKING AGENDA

10:00 – 10:30 – participants registration

10:30 – 10:40 – welcoming address – EESC member

10:40 – 12:15 – Agrotourism innovation: New skills and business models for rural diversification

• STAY project presentation (45 minutes)
• Stakeholder panel discussion (50 minutes)

12:15 – 13:15 – Lunch break

13:15 – 14:50 –Ethical land management: Competences for a biodiverse and productive rural Europe 

• WESEM project presentation (45 minutes)
• Stakeholder panel discussion (50 minutes)

14:50 – 14:55 – Concluding remarks: dialogue between the 2 projects coordinators