Get to know Agroecology Europe’s French members in this article, featuring exclusive interviews with three of our French member organisations:
We thank Kushal Poudel for his substantial support in carrying out these interviews.
Terre & Humanisme
In conversation with Lea Ostermann and Ole Ostermann
Since 1994, Terre & Humanisme has been sharing, promoting, and supporting agroecology for all audiences, to help guide the transition toward an ecological, human-centered, and solidarity-based agricultural model, inspired by the ideas of Pierre Rabhi. Because agroecology is something we cultivate together to succeed in the transition, Terre & Humanisme works with both individuals and professionals, in France and internationally. The association operates through three complementary pillars: awareness-raising (sharing knowledge, introducing agroecology), training (education and pedagogy), and project support (assistance, guidance, and coordination of networks and partners).
Can you tell us about your organisation’s work in Agroecology that you are proud of?
T&H association has 30 years of experience in training and supporting citizens and agricultural stakeholders in France and around the world. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is the diversity of its activities, ranging from international solidarity to training, including partnerships focused on food justice and democracy, as well as raising awareness among young people and experimenting with agroecological practices on its new farm.
Another achievement is the permanent management of a group of about twenty salaries, with high fluctuation, in a self-organised manner. There is no director or boss, all decisions are taken collectively by those who are concerned with pilot groups that are topic oriented. Even the Board has no president but a steering collective. All are working in a committed and responsible way.
What was the main motivation for joining AEEU?
The membership was initiated in 2020 by Ole Ostermann, board member of T&H (Conseil d’Administration), as well as on the Board of AEEU. The alignment of the working area of T&H and AEEU was the straightforward reason to bring them together. For 30 years, Terre & Humanisme has been active in raising awareness, training and supporting all those who, in France, other 7 countries in Africa and elsewhere, wish to take the path of agroecology. In France, it’s focus in in training, raising awareness and supporting farmers. Internationally it works in a process of technical, methodological, and financial support to its partners (in West- and North Africa), who work to promote the sovereignty and food autonomy of populations. Terre & Humanisme aims by joining AEEU to develop collaboration and networks through Europe, to improve agroecological transition.
What are you hoping to gain from your membership?
T&H’s its geographical orientation being focused on France and on Africa (northern and western), it is not very active in European collaboration due mostly to a lack of available human resources.
Its thematic orientation is largely on Agroecological practices and on the social aspects, there are few contacts with science to improve some techniques (e.g. LiFoFer). T&H is a field association that supports various groups of citizens and professionals willing to change their agricultural practices. The association has recently started to take part in European projects (notably with the Erasmus + programme), with the aim of being part of a network and promoting links and sharing experiences between countries.
We hope that the membership to AEEU will soon become more concrete, maybe by shared experiences, seminars or by welcoming some European organisations involved in agroecology into our farm and pedagogical garden in the south of France!
EU Farms
In conversation with Emilie Rousselou
EU Farms started 2 years ago with farmers each having their own established large organic farms. Our goal is to improve the life of farmers to build a European network of organic farms, especially in the face of climate change and economic challenges, as well as to ensure knowledge transfer between generations.
We noticed that the European agricultural policies don’t always support organic farming. For this reason, we wanted to build a supportive space where farmers could learn from each other. A network for peer-to-peer learning among farmers. We believe that organic farmers are the true experts in agroecological transition. With the generational shift happening in farming, there’s a real risk of losing valuable know-how. We want the younger generation to learn directly from experienced pioneers.
Can you tell us about your organisation’s work in Agroecology that you are proud of?
What makes EU Farms special is that they are built from the start of operating on a European scale. Many networks exist, like Agroecology Europe or IFOAM, but they’re not always farmer-led or focused solely on organic practices. We believe farmers are the best people to speak to other farmers, which is why our network is peer-to-peer. Climate adaptation is also more effective when knowledge is shared across countries—like farmers in southern France learning from those in Italy or Spain. This is supported by an Erasmus program with several networks, including farm foundations and organic training centres in Italy, Germany, Poland, Belgium, and France.
Another part of our work is our collaboration with scientists, farmers and students. We’re working on a program to scientifically assess organic agroecological practices in 20 farms across Europe, 12 in France and 8 in other countries by using IDEA Assessment method of INRAE in partnership with institutions like AgroParisTech. We call it “Organic Agroecology” because we believe not all agroecological practices are organic, and not all organic practices are truly agroecological. Reports have shown that Europe can be completely Organic, and we want to show that it’s visible. We want to make this dream into reality to validate our model scientifically, socially, and economically.
What were the main motivations for joining AEEU?
We joined Agroecology Europe early in the formation of EU Farms. Since EU Farms was initiated by farmers, we felt it was important to be part of a network that is actively engaged in agroecology at the European level. There are few such networks, and many scientists we know are part of Agroecology Europe, so it was a logical step for us.
Since joining Agroecology Europe and attending the forum in Hungary and presenting our initiative, it’s becoming easier to collaborate with scientists. Some of them already know about EU Farms, and being part of Agroecology Europe gives us more visibility and credibility when we apply to be part of new projects. That said, this is more of a feeling.
What are you hoping to gain from your membership?
It’s about connecting grassroots initiatives to the European level and expanding the network itself. We are already having better networking and wider recognition, particularly with scientists.
It would be better for us to join European calls for projects, like the Agroecology Partnership through the collaborating with Agroecology Europe to respond to these types of calls, which could be done by building consortia and including young NGOs like us. But people need time to see what we can do before involving us in bigger projects.
Agroecology Europe has the networks and experience in lobbying. We could be a grassroot networks creating data and inspiring models for helping to shape lobbying documents and help those to policymakers and AEEU could act as an advisor for us.
Also, in terms of communication, we are a farmer network always looking to connect with other farms and networks. AEEU can help connect EU Farms and share our work.
ARYAM
In conversation with Rim Tehraoui
ARYAM was born out of the belief that a regenerative economy is possible, that this path must be inclusive and leave no one behind, and that technology, when driven by purpose, can help build a better, more sustainable future. Guided by these convictions and their expertise, ARYAM has made it their mission to harness data and artificial intelligence in service of the social and environmental agenda, using it as their « raison d’être » to create positive impact. They develop AI-powered solutions to accelerate the agroecological transition, preserve biodiversity and fishery resources, and promote a regenerative economy.
Can you tell us about your organisation’s work in Agroecology that you are proud of?
One of our proudest initiatives is the development of a digital platform designed to empower the actors of the agrivalue chain to transition to regenerative practices in a way that is both sustainable and economically viable. Fuelled with data and AI, our platform upya connect equips farmers and other agrifood actors with the tools and knowledge they need to build resilient, productive, and climate-positive agricultural systems. It includes a GenAI assistant to deliver context-specific recommendations as well as monitoring tools to seer impact on soil health, climate, biodiversity and crop yields.
What were the main motivations to join AEEU?
As an impact-driven start-up committed to transforming agriculture through AI-powered solutions, our motivation to join the Agroecology Europe Association (AEEU) stems from a shared vision of a more just, sustainable, and regenerative food system. We believe that agroecology is not only a set of practices but also a movement for systemic change. Being part of AEEU allows us to align with a community that values knowledge co-creation, farmer-centered innovation, and the integration of science, practice, and social equity.
What are you looking forward to gaining from the membership of AEEU?
We are excited to engage with fellow innovators, researchers, farmers, and changemakers across Europe. We’re especially looking forward to collaborative opportunities—whether through joint projects, research, or pilot implementations. We hope to learn from the rich diversity of agroecological practices across regions, receive constructive feedback on our tools, and contribute our technical expertise in AI to amplify the reach and impact of agroecological methods.
If you wish to be featured in the Members Spotlight of our Newsletter, become a member and tell us your story at secretariat@aeeu.org!