The last GIAA Encounter (the 8th in a series of 8) took place on 16 June 2026, bringing together L’Atelier Paysan (France), Tzoumakers (Greece), Schola Campesina (Italy), other organizations members of the Grassroots Innovations Assembly for Agroecology and beyond. Together, they explored how civil society organisations could strengthen their financial sustainability without compromising their long-term agroecological vision and priorities.
Across the previous Encounters, GIAA members had examined how grassroots organisations identify needs, co-design tools, develop practical skills, exchange knowledge, adapt innovations to local contexts, organise collective governance and assess technologies according to community priorities. This concluding exchange turned to the question underpinning all these processes: how could organisations sustain the people, spaces, relationships and infrastructures that make grassroots innovation possible?
Participants reflected on a context in which grant funding is declining or shifting priorities, competition is increasing and short project cycles rarely cover essential organisational work. Among the approaches discussed were combining public grants, private support and local contributions; sharing resources and developing collaborative funding proposals; starting with small, locally rooted initiatives and growing gradually where appropriate; improving transparency around finances and responsibilities; retaining core staff and organisational knowledge; and planning early for continuity after time-limited funding ends.
The discussion also considered the role GIAA could play by sharing funding tools and strategies across the Assembly, helping funding institutions better understand the importance and realities of grassroots innovation. Participants stressed that financial strategy could align with the decentralised nature of grassroots innovations; and rely on local resources rather than on national and international grants and projects; in alignment with the swarming strategy of l’Atelier Paysan. By learning from different organisational models and working together as a network, GIAA members can strengthen both their resilience and their capacity for long-term collaboration.
Photo credit: Soudons Fermes (Atelier Paysan) / Training hall in Renage (France)