Rural development is a central pillar of the EU’s agricultural strategy. Under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), rural development programmes aim to strengthen the social, environmental and economic sustainability of rural areas through innovation, diversification and modernisation.

Farming is no longer solely about production volume, it’s increasingly about value, resilience and sustainability. Innovative practices in agriculture help rural areas by:

• Creating new income streams for farmers, moving beyond traditional mono-cropping and enabling use of new crops or technologies
• Supporting new jobs in farming, processing, logistics, research and support services for agriculture
• Making rural areas more attractive for younger generations and promoting generational renewal through dynamic farming models

Within the CARINA project, crops such as camelina and carinata are employed not only as agricultural outputs but as platform crops that support rural value chains. These crops enable:

• Farm-level diversification into oilseed production and associated co-products
• Local processing or adaptation of value chains which retain more added value in the rural area
• Alignment with circular farming models, enhancing sustainability while giving rural businesses a stronger foothold

Research and innovation programmes under the EU explicitly link agriculture, forestry and rural areas to economic and social development of rural territories. Financial instruments via the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) channel investments into rural projects focusing on innovation, resource efficiency and sustainable growth.

For rural regions in Europe, the path forward includes embracing innovative farming practices, crop diversification and integration into wider bio-based value chains. Through programmes like CARINA, rural communities can build stronger, future-facing agricultural models that deliver economic benefit, environmental sustainability and social vitality.

Read more: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/rural-development_en