THE LANDWORKERS ALLIANCE

Their core work

The Landworkers Alliance is a UK-based union and advocacy network representing farmers, growers, foresters, and land-based workers. In H2020 projects, they bring the practitioner perspective — connecting grassroots farming communities with research on sustainable food systems, agroecology, and cooperative networks. Their contribution is grounded in real-world farming experience and collective organizing, making them a bridge between policy research and on-the-ground agricultural practice.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early work (BOND, 2017) focused broadly on social capital, cooperative structures, and networking among farming organizations — essentially strengthening the organizational fabric of European agriculture. From 2020 onward, their focus sharpened toward agroecological transitions and territorial food systems, moving from general network-building to specific food system transformation research. This shift mirrors the broader European policy turn toward agroecology and the Farm to Fork strategy.

They are moving from broad agricultural networking toward deep engagement with agroecological transition research, making them increasingly relevant for food system transformation projects.

How they like to work

The Landworkers Alliance never coordinates — they join as a participant or third party, contributing practitioner knowledge and grassroots network access rather than project management. With 49 unique partners across 19 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia. This pattern suggests they are valued for their on-the-ground legitimacy and access to farming communities rather than for technical research capacity.

Despite only 3 projects, they have connected with 49 partners across 19 countries, indicating participation in large pan-European consortia. Their network is broad and geographically diverse rather than concentrated in any single region.

What sets them apart

As a farmers' union rather than a university or research institute, they offer something most consortium partners cannot: direct access to working farmers and land-based workers across the UK. For any project needing genuine practitioner engagement, participatory research, or action research with farming communities, they provide credibility and reach that academic partners typically lack. Their combination of advocacy experience and research participation makes them a trusted intermediary between policy, science, and practice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BOND
  Their largest funded project (EUR 144,500), focused on strengthening farmer organizations and cooperatives across Europe — directly aligned with their core mission.
• ATTER
  An MSCA-RISE project on agroecological transitions, signaling their growing role in research mobility and knowledge exchange beyond traditional CSA participation.