Nature Restoration Law
HOW IT CAN BE DONE
On April 27, 2026, we invited to a lively and engaging exchange on "Nature Restoration - How It Can Be Done" from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM in the Ankersaal in Vienna. Farmers, ecological experts, representatives from nature parks, municipalities, and businesses discussed ideas on how they can concretely address habitat restoration in their respective areas and what is needed to achieve this. Representatives from the European Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, the scientific community, an Austrian biodiversity youth organization, and other interesting guests were invited to give a presentation. A long networking lunch ensured an opportunity for personal interaction.
Details: www.renaturierungsgesetz.at
" Current projects
European innovation partnership for agriculture
COLLABORATION WITH THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND THE DIARY INDUSTRY
On 20 April 2026, the kick-off event for our new project, ‘Assessment of individual farm-level agri-ecosystem services (AÖSL) to promote dairy farming suited to local conditions and the environment’, took place in Raumberg-Gumpenstein. The aim is to raise public awareness of the important agri-ecosystem services provided by dairy farms and to highlight the importance of agriculture in Austria.
In order to be able to make data-driven statements about the locational and environmental equity of milk production at the individual farm level, a practical, free online tool is to be developed. The aim is to preserve the dairy farming sector, with the services it provides that are essential to society, and to support it through agricultural funding schemes.
Suske Consulting is leading the project, which brings together the Raumberg-Gumpenstein Agricultural Research Centre, the WOERLE dairy farm, several farmers and the Zirbitzkogel-Grebenzen Nature Park.
The project will run until March 2029, with support from the federal government, the federal states and the European Union.
Farming for Nature
PROJECT EXAMPLE IN OBERHOFEN, TYROL
In the municipality of Oberhofen in the Inn Valley, we launched the project “Nature Restauration – How it could work” in 2025, in collaboration with the Province of Tyrol, on the initiative of committed farmers and with the support of local councillors and the Chamber of Agriculture.
It is precisely because the area is used for intensive agriculture and is still home to farmland birds such as the Eurasian skylark, yellowhammer, red-backed shrike, European stonechat and Eurasian hoopoe that the region serves as a model.
Based on technical principles, a series of workshops with farmers were held to identify potential areas for action; these were presented graphically in the form of idea sheets and distributed to the farmers. Alongside late-harvested fields, cereal crops and biotopes beneath electricity pylons, embankments and verges are valuable areas that are subject to less pressure from agricultural use.
The feedback is plotted on a regional map and serves as a starting point for future implementation strategies.
At the request of the land managers, an Oberhofen nature calendar has been designed, featuring clear fact sheets on local bird and butterfly species, along with the respective host plants for their caterpillars. It highlights ways in which these species can be supported. A fold-out poster provides a concise overview of the developmental stages of butterflies and bird behaviour throughout the year. As these species are typical of cultivated landscapes, the calendar can be used in a variety of ways.
FarmBioNet
PRESERVING TRADITION THROUGH AGRITOURISM
As part of the EU FarmBioNet project, the international project team visited two traditional olive farms in Tuscany. The farms rely on organic strategies to tackle challenges such as pests. For example, the olive fruit fly is controlled using natural attractants. The diverse use of the land between the olive trees also strengthens the crops’ resilience to drought.
These labour-intensive traditional farming systems are economically viable primarily thanks to high-quality produce and agritourism. This helps to preserve not only a centuries-old cultural landscape, but also valuable knowledge. As farmer Federica Romano emphasises, tradition is also innovation: tried-and-tested methods can make an important contribution to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.
Under the leadership of Suske Consulting, national networks for agriculture and biodiversity are being established in 13 countries to gather and disseminate knowledge and information. The project demonstrates how biodiversity measures can combine economically viable agriculture with nature conservation – despite differing climatic and social conditions in the partner countries.
