Hannes Lorenzen was senior adviser to the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg from 1985 to 2019. Before starting his career in the European institutions, he carried out research, coordination and evaluation work on rural development projects with the Technical Service of the German Government. On the international level Hannes Lorenzen is co-founder of Genetic Resources Action International (www.grain.org) and co-president of the European Rural Development Network Forum Synergies (www.forum-synergies.eu). He is also co-founder of PREPARE, the “Partnership for Rural Europe” network for Central and Eastern European Member States (www.preparenetwork.org), serving as chairman and president until 2016. He co-founded ARC2020 and is its president since 2016. Closer to home, Hannes chairs a local rural development organization on his home island of Pellworm in North Friesland, Germany, which works o organic farming, renewable energy production, soft tourism and nature protection projects in a local dimension.
‘Established democratic parties ignored problems of farmers for far too long’
The anger of Europe’s farmers is largely justified, but it is heading for dangerous territory. A transition to agroecology is urgently needed in the interests of all farmers.
February 6, 2024
Steering the ARC through 2024’s Rough Waters
Yes, we are in rough weather. We are in a world of war and deep crises. But we are also in a world of people organising themselves in solidarity with farming, local food systems, organic, regenerative and permaculture farming, urban gardening and many more encouraging projects.
January 29, 2024
Beer farmers – a Fair Deal for a Good Drink
Traditional Belgian beer like Lambic and Geuze needs up to three years to mature. Yes, that is a long time, but there is a good reason for slowing down a bit: taking good care of farmers, nature, a brewing tradition, preservation and development of cereal diversity, and a very special taste.
September 21, 2023
A-ction, R-esilience, C-ritical Mass – Hannes Lorenzen’s Letter to 2023
Beyond the classical thematic advocacy for organic farming, animal welfare and nature conservation there is a new opportunity to embrace the climate, biodiversity, CAP, job-sharing movements – and the desire to reach a humane work-life balance.
January 20, 2023
More Food less Feed – Agriculture and the War on Ukraine
We now have choices to make regarding (fossil) fuel, fertilizer, feed and food. We can maintain a downward spiral of dependency, still funding war machines and climate catastrophes, or we can, hard as it will be, build real solidarity via our own, deeper iteration of food sovereignty.
March 9, 2022
France | Building Rural Resilience From The Ground Up
Nos Campagnes En Résilience is a new project to build rural resilience in France, coordinated by ARC2020. It’s about rural communities finding ways to live and grow with respect for people and nature.
May 4, 2021