European and Australian Regions Advance Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry Cooperation

Five European and two Australian regions are working together to strengthen sustainability in agriculture and forestry. Across the partnership, regions are experiencing the consequences of climate change, from increasingly volatile weather patterns and unexpected storms to longer-term drying trends and reduced rainfall.

In their early exchanges, the regions have begun exploring practical cooperation projects in several areas:

a) addressing the effects of a drying climate on forestry and viticulture

b) advancing circular economy and zero-waste agri-food systems

c) building supply chain resilience through short supply chains and stronger food sovereignty

d) improving traceability, quality assurance, and provenance-based branding strategies

Initial meetings have confirmed both the urgency of these themes and the commitment among participating regions to collaborate on multiple fronts. South-West Western Australia, Trier, and Central Macedonia have all seen climate impacts on forests and vineyards and can draw on available data to support pilot project planning. Western Greece and Gippsland share interests in branding, traceability, and communicating quality and provenance. Val d’Oise and Mazovia bring strong digital systems that support agriculture and food distribution, offering opportunities to transfer and adapt proven approaches across regions.

An additional collaboration pathway is emerging through interest from a Chilean region in joining the work, building a bridge to IURC Latin America and expanding the partnership’s cross-continental learning and potential impact.

The regions are now beginning work on their Regional Cooperation Action Plan, expected to include three to four pilot actions. These pilots will shape the work program for the next two years of collaboration and provide a practical framework for testing solutions that can be adapted and scaled across regions.