Welcome to

Niche Market Farming

The niche market farming project is an ERASMUS+ project that focuses on educating farmers, students, policy makers and stakeholders on how to obtain farms under the current economic pressure by serving demanded niche markets. Find out about pathways towards sustainable farming practices and innovative marketing models in order to secure and create jobs in agriculture. Serving niche markets can set a milestone for a modern and competitive approach to agriculture security and sustainability and be a possibility to sustain family farms in rural areas.

About the project

For many years, the number of farms has been decreasing. Existing farms have the option of giving up the land or expanding their farms. Larger fields and specialization on fewer varieties seem to be the only way to withstand the economic pressure. 

Serving niche markets can be a solution for farmers. Consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable, organic and local food production as well as the preservation of traditional varieties. Geographical designations of origin protect the quality and regional production of well-known regional products. Traditional varieties can turn out to be more compatible, stronger, better adapted and resistant to current problems like drought or infestation. With the strong development of these niche markets, a new perspective is opening up for farms beyond production for the world market.

The project creates an e-learning platform covering basic information on the topics of niche market farming and agricultural biodiversity by cultivating old varieties. You can learn more about regional germplasm banks, the benefits of organic food and the securing of protected regional designations.

Download our project results

Partners

Contact

For any inquiries please email

Project Objectives

The project results are structured in three modules containing different topics on different levels of knowledge. The modules contain information on old varieties and their cultivation (Module 1), niche markets and distribution chains (Module 2) as well as protected designations of origin and regional brands (Module 3).

Target group

The interactive and combined e-learning hub speaks to farmers and consultants in the field of agriculture as well as students of agricultural schools. The training is suited for front lessons and combined training. The hub is also appropriate for advisory services, representatives of local communities, policy and decision makers, at local, regional, national and European level and stakeholders of the food sector.

The learning hub and all provided materials are free of charge.

Project result 1

Biodiversity, old varieties, traditional food heritage and niche market

Old varieties and traditional food can be an attractive niche for farms in areas with a rich agricultural tradition and regional cuisine. This module provides you with information you need to gain access to old varieties, e.g. through regional germplasm banks. Growing these old varieties can bring benefits in agricultural diversity and health-related values. Using old varieties, regional food production can become more reliable and resilient in times of climate change.

Project result 2

Organic and biodynamic food and niche market rural chains

Organic and biodynamic farming is a method for sustainable farming and producing high-quality products. It is one way of valorizing genetic diversity. The certification schemes and short chains are a well established approach with defined quality criteria and transparent food production. With the increasing demand for high quality food, this niche market becomes more and more attractive for farmers. 

This modul presents you with good practices of pesticide-free production, short chains and the benefits of organic and biodynamic agriculture for you as farmer and your customers.

Project result 3

PDO, PGI, TSG and quality geographical indication food niche market

There are existing regulations and aids that mark the quality of a product. You will learn about the labels “Protected Designation of Origin” (PDO), “Protected Geographical Indication” (PGI) and “Traditional Specialties Guaranteed” (TSG). With their criteria, they are securing the quality of farming creating advantages in the marketing of the products.

Germany

Institute for Rural Development Research

The Institute for Rural Development Research e.V. (IfLS) is coordinating the niche market farming project. IfLS is an independent non-profit research institute at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. It was established in 1956. Since then, it has been addressing issues in the field of agriculture and rural areas in Germany and Europe. With a long record of projects focusing on sustainable land use and sustainable regional development, IfLS has been working closely with farmers, trainers and consultants and advisory services as well as researchers. A team of around 13 researchers and advisors supported by project assistants and administrative staff are currently managing and implementing around 30 projects.

Germany

Hof und Leben

HuL is a private SME located in Southern Germany, Bavaria.
These are the main business pillars:

  1. CONSULTING
    HuL is doing business consulting in Germany for family farms. We focus on production, processing as well as selling/ logistics – the whole added value chain – of agricultural produce in the fields of food, feed, fibre, energy. With a special focus on social and ecological aspects besides the pure economy in the planning HuL assures sustainability of conceptualization and implementation. We aim at long term relation with our farmers as business partners.
  1. NETWORK FOR FARMERS
    Within its strong network HuL has developed a process and attitude to bring together the right people at the right time in order to implement sustainable concepts earlier, better, faster and long lasting.
  2. RESEARCH/ PROJECT PARTICIPATION
    HuL attaches strong importance to the direct link of research and knowledge with experience and local competences: linking theory to practice and implementation of effective results.


HuL is giving inputs to current research, through keynote speeches in universities/ farmers federations/ political parties/ etc.
HuL is in steady contact with agricultural and rural research institutes and alliances.

Italy

CIA Agricoltori Italian of Umbria

CIA Agricoltori Italian (Italian Farmers) of Umbria, established in 1977 is an organization independent of political parties engaged in developing agriculture and rights of farmers in the society. 

It is a part of the national organization based in Rome, with more than 900,000 members at national level, a representative office in Brussels, member of the European institution COPA-COGECA and a national and local magazine CIA INFORMA. 

CIA of Umbria has a membership of about 14,000 members, 16 offices in the main towns and a central regional office in Perugia.

It consists of trade and product associations, institutions and companies which meet all sorts of emerging requirements of farmers and rural enterprises. CIA also includes important specific associations such as Young farmers Association (AGIA), Donne in Campo, constituted of female entrepreneurs, Turismo Verde Umbria, with more than 150 agrotourism firms. Services to individuals and businesses are provided by Cia Servizi all’Impresa. CAF is an institute providing fiscal assistance to the farmers and INAC is dedicated to the social security assistance.

Italy

Madrevite

The farm Madrevite has developed since three generations its own production of wines, extra-virgin olive oil, cereals and legumes, including the famous local species “Fagiolina del Trasimeno”, Vigna unguicolata L. Walp., with its own firm packaging, for local, national and international market. The farm core business is viticulture and wine production. The land properties, located in the hills surrounding the Lake Trasimeno and Lake of Chiusi, are historical rural settlements that preserve, still intact, archaeological remains from Etruscan and Roman times.

In this area, a natural and virgin oasis, vineyards with precise and unique characteristics has its roots. The conformation of the area acts as a thermal flywheel creating a unique microclimate, with good temperature ranges, that give freshness and longevity to the wines, with mild winters and hot but windy summers, optimal conditions for the development of viticulture. The grapes are local varieties adapted to the Trasimeno terroir since a long time: Grechetto and Trebbiano Spoletino, for white wines, and Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Sirah and Gamay Trasimeno, for the red wines. The last one is an old variety of Grenache arrived in the area of Lake Trasimeno five centuries ago. Today the farm consists of about 60 hectares – 12 of which are vineyards – which extend over three different hills and woods on the border between Umbria and Tuscany; it is the territory where the owner, Nicola Chiucchiurlotto, was born and that he wants to contribute to develop. This is why the farm is currently in organic conversion: because to be organic means to make an act of love, it means to believe in an ethical and sustainable approach, for the owner and for those who will come in the future.

Spain

On Projects Advising

On Projects was born in 2014 as a project managing consulting enterprise. Its main focus is advising enterprises, associations, public bodies and other entities in managing, monitoring and disseminating public funded projects. On Projects staff has a wide experience in managing projects in the framework of many European Programmes (including 6th and 7th framework programme, Horizon 2020, Life, Progress, Culture, Media and Creative Europe programmes, Youth in action and of course LLP and ERASMUS+) with a special focus on education, culture and heritage, social integration domain and rural development.

Poland

Association of Regional Initiatives Development

The Association of Regional Initiatives Development (ARID) is a private non-governmental organization oriented to the promotion and development of lifelong learning. The Association specializes in vocational education (VET), but also, in line with the idea of lifelong learning, provides training for adults. 

In addition, the Association cooperates with a number of professionals (e.g., beekeepers, teachers, farmers, agricultural advisors, social workers, prison staff, caregivers of the disabled, etc.) and public and private institutions from various sectors (e.g., universities, research institutes, the prison inspectorate, agricultural advisory centers, schools for disabled children, etc.).

Privacy Policy

At Niche Market Farming we take the protection of your personal data very seriously. Our purpose is to protect the privacy of the data you provide us and to comply with the current regulations on the protection of personal data.

In compliance with the Act 3/2018 of 5 December on the Protection of Personal Data and Guarantee of Digital Rights transposing Regulation (EU) 2016/679, we inform you of the following information about our privacy and data protection policy:

Who the controller of the processing of your data?

The organization responsible of your data is Institute for Rural Development Research. This is an Institute located in Frankfurt, Germany.

Address
Kurfürstenstraße 49, 60486, Frankfurt/Main Germany
Telephone
+49 (0)69 / 9726 683-10
Email contact
office@ifls.de

What is the purpose of the treatment?

  • To respond to requests, complaints and incidents transferred through our contact channels incorporated in the website.
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  • Comply with legal obligations that are directly applicable to us and regulate our activity.
  • To protect and exercise our rights or to respond to complaints of any kind.
  • Submission of newsletters regarding the goods or services that make up the activity of the responsible person or news related to his activity.

What is the legal base of the treatment?

The legal basis for the treatment of your data is the consent of the data subject under article 6.1 a) of the Regulation, as well as the legitimate interest of the data controller under article 6.1 f) of the Regulation.

The data we request from you are adequate, relevant and strictly necessary and in no case are you obliged to provide them to us, but their non-communication may affect the purpose of the service or the impossibility of providing it.

For how long do we keep your data?

Your data will be kept for the time required for the proper provision of the service offered, as well as to meet the responsibilities that may arise from it and any other legal requirement.

Which recipients will receive your data?

While processing your data, Institute for Rural Development Research may share your data with:

On Projects Advising SL, as web management and maintenance service providers.

What are my rights?

  • Right of access: the right to obtain confirmation of whether personal data is being processed, as well as the right of access to such data.
  • Right to rectification of personal data.
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The controller retains the right to restrict the rights set forth in Article 23 of the EU Regulation, if such restriction is provided to safeguard, in particular fundamental rights and freedoms and is a necessary and proportionate measure.

Where can I make a complaint?

If any interested party considers that their data are not being treated correctly, they can send their complaints to the following e-mail address; office@ifls.de.

The data subject declares to have acquired all this information.

Cookies Policy

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Cookies do not harm your computer and are necessary to facilitate navigation.

What are cookies used for on our website?

Cookies are necessary for our website to work properly. The purpose of our cookies is to improve the user’s browsing experience. They can be used to remember your preferences (language, country, etc.) during navigation and on future visits.

The information collected in the Cookies also allows us to improve the website and adapt it to the individual interests of users, speed up searches, etc.

What types of cookies does our website use?

Analysis Cookies: These, if they are used properly by us or by third parties, allow us to quantify the number of users and thus perform the measurement and statistical analysis regarding the users’ usage of our service.

What we will NOT use cookies for

Our cookies do not store information about your personal identification, address, password, credit or debit card details, etc.

Who uses the information contained in these cookies?

The information stored in the website’s cookies is used exclusively by us, apart from those identified below as “third party cookies”, which are used and managed by external entities to provide us with services to improve our own services and the user’s experience when browsing our website.

Third party cookies are mainly used to obtain statistics and to guarantee the payment operations are carried out.

Can I prevent cookies from being used?

Yes, firstly, you must disable cookies in your browser and, secondly, delete the cookies stored in your browser associated with this website. 

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List of cookies that our website uses

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These Cookies are used to identify the user during the session, prevent the user from having to repeat authentication processes on the website, speed up some website processes, remember selections made during the session or on subsequent accesses, remember pages already visited, etc.

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Persistent

Third Parties

Coming soon

The e-learning platform on agricultural biodiversity and agricultural niche markets.

For further information and to stay updated contact info@nichmarketfarming.eu