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.

AGENDA

10:00 – 10:30 – Participants registration and Welcome coffee

10:30 – 10:40 – Welcoming address

• Stoyan Tchoukanov, NAT Section President, EESC

10:40 – 12:15 – Agrotourism Innovation: New Skills and Business Models for Rural Diversification

• Presentation: Promoting Vocational and Educational Training for Rural Touristic Establishments Willing to Engage in Agrotourism – Results of the STAY Project – Jerneja Rozman, Biotechnical Center Naklo
• Moderator: Gabriele Sacchettini, Project Manager, RISE Foundation
• Stakeholder Panel Discussion:
  • Juan Carlos Muñoz Flores, Expert in Ecotourism, Sustainable Tourism, Rural Development, COAG-Jaén
  • Daniel Henri Sparmont, Vice President, Fédération Wallonne de l’Agriculture (FWA)
  • DG AGRI – TBC
  • Silvia Burzagli, Executive Director of the EU Liaison Office for Tuscany Region
  • Christophe Lenaerts, Private Heihuyzen Foundation
• Questions & Answers

12:15 – 13:15 – Lunch break

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

• Moderator: Delphine Dupeux, Director of EU Biodiversity Policy, European Landowners’ Organization
• Presentation: Promoting Sustainable Practices to Foster Coexistence Between Agriculture and Conservation – Results of the WESEM Project – Pille Ligi, General Manager, Loodushoiufond

Stakeholder panel discussion

• Stoyan Tchoukanov, NAT Section President, EESC
• Florian Claeys, Policy Officer, DG ENVI
• Alec van Havre, FCS Network Manager, Wildlife Estates Label (Belgian delegate)
• Jose Antonio Parcha, Feedback of the WESEM training course
• Questions & Answers

14:50 – 14:55 – Concluding Remarks – Pille Ligi, General Manager, Loodushoiufond, Jerneja Rozman, Biotechnical Center Naklo

STAY/WESEM registration form