Brussels-based association connecting EU research on sustainable agriculture, soil health, and land policy with Europe's rural landowners and farmers.
ELO is a Brussels-based European association representing rural landowners and land managers, advocating for sustainable land use policies across the EU. In H2020 projects, they serve as the bridge between policymakers, farmers, and researchers — bringing practical knowledge of land tenure, agri-environmental contracts, and rural governance to multi-partner research consortia. Their core contribution is facilitating the adoption of sustainable farming practices, biodiversity protection, and circular economy solutions at the landscape level, translating scientific outputs into actionable policy recommendations and on-the-ground pilot activities.
Central role in CONSOLE (agri-environmental contracts), UNISECO (agro-ecological farming systems), SOILGUARD (soil biodiversity), InnoForESt (ecosystem service payments), and COUPLED (land use sustainability).
Active in Water2REturn (nutrient recovery from wastewater), REFLOW (phosphorus recovery from dairy waste), and FERTIMANURE (bio-based fertilisers from manure).
Contributed to Safeguard (wild pollinator protection), SOILGUARD (soil biodiversity), and InnoForESt (ecosystem service valuation).
Participated in FORBIO (biofuel feedstock on marginal land) and BIOPLAT-EU (web platform for bioenergy on underutilised land).
Involved in ALL-Ready (European agroecology living lab network) and AgriDemo-F2F (farmer-to-farmer learning hubs).
Partner in TerraNova, studying historical landscape transformations and their implications for future land management.
ELO's early H2020 work (2016-2018) centered on bioenergy from underutilised land and water/nutrient reuse in a circular economy context — practical resource efficiency problems. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward soil health, biodiversity protection, agri-environmental policy instruments, and agroecological farming systems. This evolution mirrors the EU's own policy shift from resource efficiency toward the European Green Deal's biodiversity and farm-to-fork strategies.
ELO is moving toward agroecology, living labs, and result-based payment schemes for environmental services — expect them to be active in Horizon Europe calls on sustainable food systems and nature restoration.
ELO never coordinates projects — they consistently participate as a partner, contributing policy expertise, dissemination networks, and access to rural landowner communities rather than leading technical work packages. With 218 unique partners across 36 countries, they are a well-connected network hub, rarely repeating the same consortium. This makes them an excellent "reach multiplier" for projects needing broad European dissemination and real-world uptake among land managers.
ELO has collaborated with 218 unique partners across 36 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected associations in the land use and agriculture space. Their Brussels base and pan-European membership give them reach well beyond any single national context.
ELO occupies a rare position as the European voice of private landowners and rural land managers — a constituency that most research consortia struggle to reach. Unlike universities or research institutes, they bring direct access to thousands of farmers, foresters, and estate managers who can pilot and validate project results on real land. For any consortium needing credible dissemination to rural communities or policy influence on land use governance, ELO is a natural partner.
