Concept and strategy development

In a world that is constantly changing, there is a need to be well positioned to face changes and foreseeable developments as well as future challenges. In particular, this includes identifying and pursuing paths to a sustainable and resilient future.
To this end, we guide, support and design the creation of municipal and regional development concepts. When creating such concepts and strategies, a well-founded examination of the structural conditions, a good knowledge of the initial situation and innovative action and implementation strategies are of central importance. At the same time, it is important to have thoroughly understood the content and fields of action required by possible funding programmes.
In addition to the conceptual and technical components, appropriate concepts and strategies can only be successfully developed and implemented if the relevant stakeholders are adequately involved in the development and implementation processes. To this end, we carry out appropriate participation procedures and take on the process design.
Our current focus is on the creation of municipal and regional sustainability strategies, regional development concepts (LEADER/ILE) and large-scale protected area concepts for nature parks, biosphere reserves or geoparks. We are also involved in specialist concepts such as climate protection and adaptation strategies or biodiversity concepts.

Projects in the thematic field

Regional development

Erarbeitung eines Regionalen Entwicklungskonzepts (REK) für die Limesregion Hohenlohe-Heilbronn

The action group "Limes Region Hohenlohe Heilbronn" applies for recognition as a LEADER region for the funding period 2023-2027. In addition to the establishment of cooperation structures in the form of a regional partnership, a region-specific…

Conception of the Local Development Strategy for the LEADER Region Lahn-Dill-Wetzlar

With a new local development strategy, the LEADER region Lahn-Dill-Wetzlar wants to build on the successes of the previous funding period and the work done in the past years.

The IfLS accompanies and advises the region in the conception, the…

Creation of a regional development concept as part of the LEADER application of the Hohenlohe-Tauber region

At the beginning of the new EU funding period 2023-2027, the LEADER region Hohenlohe-Tauber is preparing a new regional development concept (German acronym: REK) in order to apply again as a LEADER region. The client is the Hohenlohekreis as the…

Elaboration of the Local Integrated Rural Development Strategy for the Region 'From Rhine to Wine'

The Local Action Group (LAG) in formation 'From Rhine to Wine' applies for the first time for recognition as a LEADER region for the funding period 2021-2027. In addition to the establishment of cooperation structures in the form of a regional…

Large-scale protected areas and cultural landscapes

ESD concept for the Steinhuder Meer Nature Park

The Steinhuder Meer Nature Park, with the largest inland lake in north-west Germany, its moors and wetlands, and its dune and geest landscapes, forms an exceptionally diverse natural and recreational region, the full context of which needs to be…

Biodiversity Plan for the Palatinate Forest-Northern Vosges Biosphere Reserve

The Palatinate Forest-Northern Vosges Biosphere Reserve is characterized by a high density of distinctive species and habitats.
A biodiversity strategy is being developed to protect biodiversity. This strategy is intended to serve as a practical tool…

Biosphere Reserves as Model Regions for Circular Economy in Rural Areas

In the years 2024 and 2025 the IfLS Consulting and Projects is exploring the potentials of a systematic circular economy in rural areas. In this context, biosphere reserves serve as model regions for strategic approaches.

Circular economy (CE) is no…

Framework concept for the Biosphere Region Berchtesgadener Land

The reflection of the previous activities and developments in the biosphere region Berchtesgadener Land within the framework of the periodic review provides the perfect occasion to also set the course for a sustainable development of the region in…

Agricultural policy and rural development

Re-calculation of the premium payments for agri-environmental measures of the rural development program of Slovenia

The IfLS has been commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of the Republic of Slovenia to recalculate the agri-environmental premiums. Agri-environmental premiums are paid to participating farmers as remuneration for ecological…

Cross compliance indicators in the context of consultation systems for agricultural enterprises – CIFAS

Based on Regulation (EC) No 1782/2003, EU member states are obliged to define Cross Compliance (CC) requirements and standards which must be fulfilled by farmers receiving direct payments. Additionally, an establishment of agricultural consultation…

Development of a set of criteria for the assessment of Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) with respect to biodiversity conservation and landscape

The study dealt with the interrelationships between farming and biodiversity, the question of the integration of agricultural and environmental goals, and the definition of codes of ‘Good Agricultural Practice’ (GAP). The starting point is the term…

Climate protection and adaptation

Preparation of a climate protection concept for the rural district Vogelsberg

In cooperation with the Institute for Housing and Environment (IWU) and „Infrastructure & Environment“ (IU) from Darmstadt, the Institute for Rural Development Research (IfLS) works out an integrated energy and climate protection concept (IEKK) for…

Integrated climate protection concept for the Rheingau associations of communesfür den Zweckverband Rheingau

[Translate to English:]

With a view to climate change observation, the tasks of climate protection and adaption are vital for safeguarding the future and constitute obvious challenges for all international, state and sub-state levels. In line with that, the German federal…

Mittelhessen Bioenergy Region’ development concept

With the ‘Bio-energy Regions’ competition tendered in 2008, the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) promotes networks which have developed innovative concepts. Within the framework of the two-tier competition…

Bioeconomy and circular economy

Biosphere Reserves as Model Regions for Circular Economy in Rural Areas

In the years 2024 and 2025 the IfLS Consulting and Projects is exploring the potentials of a systematic circular economy in rural areas. In this context, biosphere reserves serve as model regions for strategic approaches.

Circular economy (CE) is no…

Sustainability and resilience

Global Sustainable Municipality Hesse (GNK Hessen) - support for municipalities in Hesse in developing their own municipal sustainability strategy

In June 2025, the Global Sustainable Municipality Hesse (GNK Hessen) project entered its second round. The aim is to support municipalities in Hesse in developing their own municipal sustainability strategy - based on the United Nations 2030 Agenda…

Concept 'Education for Sustainable Development' for the Rhine-Taunus Nature Park

Since April 1, 2018, 'Education for Sustainable Development' has been a further statutory task of nature parks in Germany in accordance with § 27 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act. Nature parks are to convey the nature park objectives, contents…

Strategic Concept "Education for Sustainable Development" of the Bergstraße-Odenwald Geo-Nature Park

In accordance with the criteria of the National Committee for UNESCO Global Geoparks in Germany, the Bergstraße-Odenwald Geo-Nature Park is developing a strategic-didactic concept for the future orientation and design of the ESD (Education for…

SDG model region for a sustainable Rhineland-Palatinate

With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the international community of states agreed on global sustainability goals. Building on this, biosphere reserves (BR) have committed themselves in the Lima Action Plan to make their own, concrete…

Socio-economics of farm business

Socio-economic study in the large-scale nature conservation project "Streams, moors and mountain meadows in the Thuringian Forest"

The UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Thüringer Wald is home to a diverse mosaic of beech and mixed mountain forests, mountain streams, moors and mountain meadows with rich biotic communities. To preserve and promote this habitat and species diversity,…

Socio-economic analysis as part of the care and development plan for the large-scale nature conservation project "Ribbons of Life in Hunsrück"

In the Mosel-Hunsrück-Nahe region, the nature conservation project "Ribbons of Life in Hunsrück" is planned. The project is supported by the districts of Birkenfeld, Bernkastel-Wittlich and Trier-Saarburg together with the Rhineland-Palatinate Nature…

Nature conservation project "New pastoral paths in the Palatinate Forest" - Socio-economic analysis as part of maintenance and development planning

A maintenance and development plan (PEPL) for the conservation of the species-rich open-land biotopes and drift paths will be drawn up for the 8,500-hectare development area of the nature conservation project "New pastoral paths in the Palatinate…

Agro-Socio-Economic Study for the LIFE-Project „Hessian Rhön – Mountain Grasslands, Wood Pastures and their Birds“

Species diverse Natura 2000 habitats of the bird sanctuary “Hessian Rhön”, i.e. mountain hay meadows and Nardus grasslands, represent habitats especially to meadow breeders such as whinchats, meadow pipits and common snipes. The LIFE-project “Hessian…

Sustainable land use

Study for the development of foundations of the implementation of a national peatland protection strategy

About 5% of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany stem from drained organic soils. In order to achieve Germany’s climate goals, a re-wetting is thus necessary to increase water levels in these soils. Rewetted peatland also creates further ecosystem…

Developing a concept of defining and implementing Ecological Focus Areas in Germany

The European Commission’s proposal of the CAP reform after 2013 includes a “green” payment in Pillar One. One part of the corresponding greening obligations is the introduction of Ecological Focus Areas (EFA) on 7 % of arable land and permanent…

Development of a concept and implementation plan for a sustainable crop production system for FRoSTA

In conjunction with the reorientation of the FRoSTA brand name, there are new requirements for raw fruit and vegetable products such as

controlled growth conditions and ensured retraceability
documentation of all cultivation measures relevant for…

Green belt Frankfurt/Main: Development of environmentally friendly forms of agriculture in the context of communal policy

The urban development project intends to introduce the 100 farmers located in Frankfurt with about 4,000 ha of land to their future tasks, which are increasingly in the area of environmental precautions as well as recreational and leisure activities.…

Knowledge and innovation

Development of an agri-environmental scheme in Estonia

The general aim of this project was to assist the Estonian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) in the development of an agri-environment programme (AEP) for Estonia which was: a) appropriate to the specific context of Estonian rural life, including the…

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