The Friends of the Countryside
The Friends of the Countryside is a non-profit making organisation consisting of a network of like minded private landowners,
rural managers and entrepreneurs from 27 countries stretching from the Rockies to the Urals.
By means of innovative, regenerative and sustainable practices, this network promotes the long term interests of their land. Through the platform of the European Landowners’ Organisation, the FCS are able to ensure that their voice is heard throughout the European Union and beyond.
The General Assembly was a great success – thanks to you!
24th Friends of the Countryside
General Assembly in Córdoba, 2021
What a joy it was to see and meet all those who participated in the General Assembly in Cordoba!
An album has been created online – you can access it through the Members Login.
The brochure is included in the Publications page while our specially conceived website with information about the GA and pre-tour remains open with the full programme. Please click here or on the image.
Please save the date for the 25th Jubilee FCS GA in
Evora, Portugal : June 9 to 12, 2021
Current Events
The September-October issue of the CountrySide magazine is out. You are invited to read it by clicking on the Publications page.
March 18, 2021 : NEW ENTRY! Discover this new section with information about local events & activities, recent innovations, new members and prizes won by our Friends…
If you have information to share, please write to events[@]elo.org
Welcoming Estates Website: Countryside estates open to the public for private events, countryside getaways with a historic touch, countryside produce, sports, restaurants, picnics and so much more…
Click on the logo for a full list of estates, their history and activities on offer or visit our Instagram page!
** Applications to the Soil Award are now open! **
The prize rewards land use and soil management practices mitigating soil threats.
For more details and the application from, go to this page.
The FFA2021 Regional Event France will take place on Thursday, December 2, 2021, in Paris, France. Save the date and stay tuned for more information!
Remember you can listen to the FFA Podcasts! Episode no. 30 just came out!
The European Biodiversity Conference, will take place in person on December 7th in Brussels from 3pm to 5.45pm at the NH Brussels Hotel Berlaymont. The theme of the conference will be Soil Strategy and how to make it work at the local level.
This will also be the opportunity to launch our new project, AgriLife, the first ever pan-European label that rewards and encourages farmers at the centre of biodiversity and promotes quality production through best practices.
The conference will be followed directly by the presentation of the European Bee Award now in its 8th year.
Participation to both is free and in person by registering on this link :
** The Bee Award Ceremony will take place on Tuesday December 7 from 18h to 20h **
To register your attendance, please click here.
Land Mobility Virtual Final Conference
Are you an older farmer or landowner, looking to pass your farm on to the next generation (or sell outside the family)? Or perhaps a young entrepreneur looking to enter the field of agriculture? Or you just like to learn? Then come learn about the ELO project Land Mobility!
The Land Mobility Virtual Final conference will be held on December 9th, 2021 at 11:30am (CET) to share all the wonderful outputs and explain how Land Mobility can work for landowners, farmers, stakeholders, and others.
You can register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/…/..
To check out the project beforehand, visit http://land-mobility.eu/
And if you have any questions, please email us at: [email protected]
The ELO Activity Report for 2020 is now available!
For all the news on ELO Policies, Projects, Awards, Events and the ELO family, please click here to access the pdf version: AR 2020 ELO AR
We are pleased to present the study that we produced in association with the François Sommer Foundation, OFB and AGPB in both English and French. Please click on the image to download it.
This work aims to serve as a scientific basis for the adoption of measures favorable to biodiversity within the framework of the reform of the CAP.
In order to see such measures adopted by the agricultural world, (& hence the involvement of the AGPB in the writing of the book) various sessions will be held including the Biodiversity summit.
We invite you to distribute this study widely to whom it may concern.
Hardback copies are available on order for 25€ +p&p. Please email events(at)elo.org
A comprehensive PP presentation of the activities to support landowners by the European Landowners’ Organisation from the ELO General Assembly in Paris in December 2021. Please click here to view it
Click on the image to access information about all our Previous Events.