• The Spanish candidate has been awarded in the "Resilient Future" category.
• The 3rd edition of the "Rural Inspiration Awards 2021" - organized by the European Network for Rural Development - reveals the projects that have received support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) for the period 2014-2020.

Of the four categories established in the competition (plus a fifth by popular vote), the "Local-Scale Circular Bioeconomy Pilot Project" by Josenea and the Public University of Navarra has been recognized within the " Resilient Future" category, for being a project that contributes to strengthening the resilience of rural Europe.

The winner

The “ Pilot project for a circular bioeconomy on a local scale with a social and educational dimension ” (Bordablanca, Navarra) or also known commercially as Josenea , is a circular economy company dedicated to the cultivation of biomass : it collects bio-waste from its neighbors and transforms it into compost for the fertilization of its own crops, regenerating the soil and the climate.

At the same time, the project contributes to the creation of green social jobs while integrating research , as the Public University of Navarra studies the composting process in experimental plots installed on the farm. And even provides training : the company and the University of Navarra train composting technicians. This completes a perfect circle in which training, employment, recycling, and agriculture go hand in hand in a cooperative chain.

Spanish finalists 2021

The European Network for Rural Development selected two projects from the eight submitted by the National Rural Network. Thus, the "Local-Scale Circular Bioeconomy Pilot Project" competed alongside another Spanish project, the Andalusian Shepherds' School , in the "Socially Inclusive Future" category, for carrying out a project that contributes to the inclusion of rural society.

Specifically, the Andalusian Shepherds' School is a training project that includes teaching traditional and rural knowledge, along with environmental aspects related to livestock farming, both theoretically and practically. The main objective is to support generational renewal in rural areas. With nine editions already held, this project has a student recruitment rate of between 60% and 90% in livestock farming.

European Rural Inspiration Awards

The European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) holds its annual Rural Inspiration Awards to showcase projects receiving support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) for the 2014-2020 period.

The theme of this call is "Our Rural Future," in line with the "Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas" strategy promoted by the European Commission.

This third edition consolidates the awards launched in 2018, which both years have had a Spanish flavor. In its first edition, the Spanish initiative Agroberry won the award for improving the competitiveness of rural areas. In the previous edition, the Spanish project Ecopionet came in second place in the popular vote category.