Mountain farming in the Alps is undergoing profound transformation driven by climate change, demographic shifts, evolving labour conditions, market volatility, and changing societal expectations regarding food, landscapes and cultural heritage. These pressures reshape not only food systems, but also the social fabric, livelihoods, identities, and futures of mountain communities. Within these developments, shifts in gender roles and the evolving responsibilities of female farmers represent an important yet often understated aspect of change. This session explores how Alpine farming is being challenged, adapted and reimagined in a rapidly changing world, drawing on social-science perspectives and interdisciplinary insights.

The session invites contributions that examine current transformations and future pathways of mountain farming through lenses such as rural sociology, anthropology, geography, political ecology, agricultural economics, governance studies and sustainability research. We welcome empirical case studies, comparative analyses across Alpine regions, conceptual or methodological innovations, and transdisciplinary work involving practitioners, policy actors, farmers, and local communities.

Key themes include socio-economic and demographic changes; evolving labour dynamics and the future of seasonal work; new forms of agricultural organisation and cooperation; cultural heritage and identity; multifunctional and agroecological approaches; land-use change and biodiversity implications; and the governance frameworks shaping the long-term sustainability. The session aims to illuminate how mountain farming systems can navigate tensions between tradition and innovation, ecological constraints and economic viability, and local needs and broader policy frameworks.

By fostering dialogue between researchers and stakeholders, the session seeks to stimulate reflection on resilient futures for Alpine agriculture and rural communities. It contributes to a forward-looking understanding of the role of mountain farming in shaping liveable, biodiverse, and socially cohesive Alpine landscapes.