The European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD), the ‘second pillar’ of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), is implemented through rural development programmes (RDPs) which are co-financed by national budgets and may be prepared on either a national or regional basis.
Objectives
- Fostering the competitiveness of agriculture
- Ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources, and climate action
- Achieving a balanced territorial development of rural economies and communities including the creation and maintenance of employment
Priorities
- Fostering knowledge transfer and innovation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas
- Enhancing the viability and competitiveness of all types of agriculture, and promoting innovative farm technologies and sustainable forest management
- Promoting food chain organisation, animal welfare and risk management in agriculture
- Promoting resource efficiency and supporting the shift toward a low-carbon and climate resilient economy in the agriculture, food and forestry sectors
- Restoring, preserving and enhancing ecosystems related to agriculture and forestry
- Promoting social inclusion, poverty reduction and economic development in rural areas
Financed actions
- Organic farming
- Mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change, including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture
- Soil conservation, including the enhancement of soil fertility through carbon sequestration
- Improvement of the use and management of water, including water saving
- Creation, conservation and restoration of habitats favourable to biodiversity
- Animal welfare
- Short supply chains and local markets
- Resource efficiency, including precision and smart farming, innovation, digitalisation and modernisation of production machinery and equipment
- Safety conditions at work
- Renewable energy, circular and bio-economy
- Access to high-quality ICT in rural areas
