IN A WORLD WHERE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND GENDER EQUALITY ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT, THE AGRO4SDGS PROJECT IS MAKING A STRONG STATEMENT. THIS INNOVATIVE PROJECT AIMS TO STRENGTHEN THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE WHILE SUPPORTING RURAL AREAS ACROSS EUROPE.
THE VISION OF AGRO4SDGS
Agro4SDGs is based on the recognition of how important women are for the prosperity of rural communities. The project contributes to the EU’s long-term vision for rural areas and supports the EU Green Deal strategy. Through targeted actions and outcomes, Agro4SDGs promotes gender equality in agriculture and empowers women interested in this field.
OBJECTIVES AND MEASURES
The project pursues several main objectives:
- Training Women: Women are trained to become entrepreneurs in the agroecological sector and empowered in their role as agents of change. This includes training sessions and workshops that impart practical skills and theoretical knowledge.
- Promoting Learning Opportunities: Agro4SDGs fosters informal learning and participation opportunities for all citizens and generations. This includes the development of educational resources and the organization of community events.
- Supporting the Green Transition: The project supports a participatory and inclusive green transition in rural areas across Europe. This involves promoting sustainable agricultural practices and supporting initiatives that reduce the ecological footprint.
TARGET GROUPS
Agro4SDGs addresses various target groups, including:
- Women who want to become entrepreneurs in sustainable agriculture: These women receive support and resources to realize their business ideas.
- Women who are already farmers and want to build an additional business: The project offers these women the opportunity to diversify their existing farms and tap into new sources of income.
- Young women planning to start a business in the future: Agro4SDGs provides mentoring and educational programs to prepare young women for their future entrepreneurial challenges.
- Interested citizens and stakeholders: The project raises awareness and encourages the participation of the wider public in the topics of sustainable agriculture and gender equality.
ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES
The project includes a variety of activities and delivers concrete results that contribute to achieving the project’s objectives:
- Toolkit and Video: A toolkit with tips for businesses, 5 local awareness videos in the respective languages and regions, as well as an EU awareness video. These resources provide practical guidance and inspiring real-life examples.
- Digital Flipbooks: High-quality self-learning content for rural women entrepreneurs in agroecology. These flipbooks offer valuable information and methods to support sustainable succession processes on farms.
- Guideline: A guideline for public administrations and stakeholders to support local businesses along the agroecological value chain. This guideline contains recommendations and best practices for promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
- Sprints: Awareness-raising and engagement activities in five partner countries to improve knowledge about the challenges in the regions and to develop solutions. These sprints include workshops, discussion rounds, and other participatory activities.
- Learning Paths: Pilot projects aimed at ensuring high-quality content and experiences that meet the expectations of women in the field of agroecology. These learning paths offer hands-on training and enable the exchange of knowledge and experiences.
- Multiplier, Pitching, and Marketplace Events: Each partner has organized awareness-raising events in their region to reach additional stakeholders.
- EU Online Conference: The EU online conference took place on November 19 2024.
PARTNER COUNTRIES INVOLVED
The project includes partners from five European countries: Spain, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, and Italy. These countries are working together to achieve the project’s objectives and to strengthen the role of women in agriculture.
CONCLUSION
Agro4SDGs is a pioneering project that not only strengthens the role of women in agriculture but also contributes to the sustainable development of rural areas in Europe. By promoting gender equality and supporting the green transition, Agro4SDGs makes an important contribution to the future of European agriculture. The cooperation of the partner countries and the support of the European Commission are crucial for the success of the project and the realization of its objectives.
Funding: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The responsibility for the content of this website lies solely with the author; the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. Project number: 2022-1-ES01-KA220-ADU-000089303.
PROJECT MANAGER
Alexandra Unger is a sustainability economist and business economist with intercultural expertise. Her core topics at the Terra Institute are sustainability strategy and reporting.
Thanks to her international experience, she always keeps an eye on the global dimension and is convinced that companies have enormous potential to actively drive the socio-ecological transformation. Her aim is to support organisations in fully exploiting this potential and promoting sustainable change.
