Project details

The ‘Regionen Aktiv’ programme is a policy initiative of the Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture (BMVEL) that addresses the key principles of contemporary RD policy. The role of the IfLS is to carry out accompanying research and consultancy services related to policy development for the BMVEL.

The main aim of the ‘Regionen Aktiv’ programme is to establish regional models of multifunctional agriculture and sustainable food and farming systems. For this purpose, an attempt is made to facilitate the creation of new alliances between the relevant groups and joint action. The programme, which was launched at the end of 2001, is based on the idea of giving regions grants for supporting sustainable regional development. The creativity of actors is the key to support and integrative RD concepts are asked for. Emphasis is on a participatory, bottom-up approach to conceptualisation and implementation. Design capacity and regional management structures are supported. The aim is to encourage communities´ responsibility for RD policy, community participation and action and to foster local and co-operative initiatives at all levels (geographically and between private, public and community organisations). Synergy between different developments and projects is a key issue.

The programme as a whole has been organised as a competition. Of the 200 applicants, 18 regions with the most convincing concepts are now receiving financial support in the amount of up to 2-3 mill Euro over the period from 2002 to 2005 from the ministry. The entire initiative can be regarded as a new, future-oriented policy measure with very high potential for policy-practice synergies. The ministry only provides a support framework and actively supports the innovativeness of regions.