The pilot programme in the eastern Creuse department of France, part of the RTL – Rural Transition Labs initiative designed to foster innovation in rural areas of Southwestern Europe, is now in full swing.
Aimed at structuring a local economic sector centred on the restoration of traditional hedgerows for water retention and biodiversity enhancement, the French pilot (alongside counterparts in Póvoa de Lanhoso, Portugal, and Cartagena, Spain) seeks to raise farmers’ awareness of this valuable plant resource, bolster the natural worth of fields by reducing soil loss and providing shade, generate new income streams for local stakeholders, and strengthen community cooperation.
In March, RURENER—the European network of rural energy-transition communities and lead partner of the RTL project—travelled to eastern Creuse to meet residents concerned with the agricultural economy and to identify the specific needs and interests of each group.