Romania, Netherlands and 6 MS to work in sustainable grazing project
The University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (USAMV) Cluj-Napoca represents Romania as a partner in the Grazing4AgroEcology (G4AE) project, which is funded by the European Union with approximately 3 million euros.
According to a press release from USAMV Cluj-Napoca, the project supports farmers by promoting innovative solutions to make grazing-based farming systems economically viable. At the same time, the main objective of the project is to produce healthier food with less environmental impact.
"Romania is represented in the project by our university as coordinator and we are joined by farmers from the AgroTransilvania Cluster and members of successful agricultural cooperatives in Transylvania. We believe that such partnerships are the basis for the implementation of solutions that have proven their worth in partner countries. Unfortunately, we are currently witnessing a sharp decline in grazing in Romania, which poses a serious threat to the future of these fragile systems on which the survival of one of the most important national assets - biodiversity - depends", said Prof. Dr. Mugurel Jitea, from the Faculty of Horticulture and Rural Development Affairs, USAMV Cluj-Napoca.
Coordinated at European level by Grünlandzentrum (Germany), the G4AE project will run for 3.5 years, until February 2026. "The project contributes to achieving the objectives of the European Union's European Green Pact on restoring biodiversity, reducing soil pollution and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We are seeing grazing-based farming systems rapidly disappearing in Europe. In order to reverse these negative trends we need to support as consumers the use of agri-food products from farms where pasture is used in an environmentally friendly way," said the overall project coordinator, Dr Arno Krause, Grünlandzentrum.
The project consortium includes 18 partners from eight EU Member States representing different grazing practices: France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands (ZLTO, Aeres), Portugal, Romania and Sweden.
The network is based on a 'multi-stakeholder' approach, with farmers and representative farmer groups at its heart, who will work together with academics, consultants, agri-food industry representatives and consumer groups to implement solutions tailored to local needs.
More info on: https://grazing4agroecology.eu/
Main source: www.agrointel.ro