Rural areas face a number of new challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the increasing demand for biomass. This series of conferences and workshops with different themes and a wide range of actors investigated new strategies for innovation in rural areas, compliant with environmentally friendly economic activities:

• Kick-off Event:
  Conference on Innovation in Agricultural Regions – Conservation as the Engine for Agricultural Development,
  Berlin, 14 January 2009
   
• Workshop:
  Principles and Elements of a Funding Structure for Agricultural Regions,
  Bonn, 5-6 May 2009
   
• Conference:
  Land and Economy – Ecological Future Markets in Agricultural regions,
  Erfurt, 30 June 2009
   
• Workshop:
  Principles and Elements of a Funding Structure for Agricultural Regions – Stocktaking and Perspectives of the ‘2nd Column – Funding’,
  Bonn, 21-22 October 2009
   
• Workshop:
  Development of the GAP from a Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection Point of View,
  Bonn, 26-27 May 2010
   
• Workshop:
  Nature Conservation and Development of Agricultural Regions - Suggestions for the Development of the Rural Development Policy in ELER,
  Bonn, 16-17 March 2011

Ecologic Institute supported the BMU and BfN with scientific advice including the compilation of background materials, and the organisation of the conferences and workshops.