European rural regions supporting and hindering the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract Transformation of rural land systems is essential if the European Union is to achieve its goal of fair and healthy food systems while becoming the first climate-neutral continent and halting biodiversity loss. Here we develop and apply a method to quantitatively assess the environmental and social sustainability of rural land systems in Europe, with regards to the EU Sustainable Development Goals and the Common Agricultural Policy. Using spatial hotspot analyses based on 24 indicators at the NUTS2 regional level, we identified two “brightspots” with good environmental and social performance (Nordics and Central Europe), and five “dragspots” hindering sustainability: the Balkans, the Lowlands, Northern Italy, Southern Italy and Malta, and Southern Spain. Existing subsidies over-reward large, intensive, unsustainable farms. A shift to low-intensity stewardship of high nature value farmland, and better integration of forests is necessary if rural systems are to transform to meet their social goals.