• The 13th Rural Women's Excellence Awards for Innovation recognize 13 different initiatives to highlight the work of rural women.
• The support is provided to showcase the diversification of economic activity and entrepreneurial actions resulting from the work of the award-winning rural women.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food selects the winners of the Excellence Awards for Innovation for Rural Women

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food (MAPA) has announced the winners of its "Excellence Awards for Innovation for Rural Women." Now in its thirteenth year, the awards are presented to 13 different initiatives in which women play a key role.

The MAPA annually convenes these awards to highlight the work of rural women in diversifying economic activity and entrepreneurial endeavors.

In this 2022 edition, initiatives to enhance the value of women in rural areas have been recognized, and three prizes have been awarded for each of the four categories: "Excellence for Innovation in Agricultural Activity" , "Excellence for Innovation in Fishing or Aquaculture Activity" , "Excellence for Innovation in the Diversification of Economic Activity in Rural Areas" , and "Excellence for Communication".

Awarded

The winners, who will receive their recognition firsthand at an event on October 13 , are:

SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR A CAREER RELATED TO SUPPORTING WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS AND RURAL FISHING AREAS

The honorary award was given to film director and screenwriter Carla Simón Pipó . Her most famous films include "Summer 1993" and "Alcarràs," a film that will represent Spain at the upcoming Oscars.

EXCELLENCE FOR INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY

The first prize went to María José Serrano Arnau , a farmer from Alcaudete (Jaén), for her use of technological innovations to combat water stress in olive groves and the transfer of knowledge about these techniques.

Second place went to La Caperuza Sociedad Civil for its goat farm and cheese factory, located in Bustarviejo (Madrid), which stands out for the project's environmental sustainability by combining traditional extensive management with the use of modern electronic livestock devices such as GPS.

Third prize went to María Dolores Monge Jurado for her project "Shiit-Astur/Caprichos de shiitake," which involves certified organic cultivation of shiitake mushrooms on chestnut and oak trunks in the forest, using the ancient Japanese cultivation technique in Belmonte de Miranda (Asturias). In addition to her high-quality mushrooms, she sells fresh, organic, gluten-free pasta, which she makes in her workshop.

EXCELLENCE FOR INNOVATION IN FISHING OR AQUACULTURE ACTIVITY

First prize went to AiguaNatura dels Ports SL for the conversion of a virtually abandoned intensive trout farm into a new space for environmental education and sustainable aquaculture, based on closed-circuit aquaponics within the Dels Ports Natural Park (Tarragona).

The second prize went to the family business Frigoríficos SL , dedicated to the sale of frozen and cooked Galician octopus, which has developed a new line of business through the marketing of its cooking water (octopus fumet), which until then was discarded as waste.

Third prize went to Kombu del Cantábrico SL , a company located in Cambados (Pontevedra), which is dedicated to the conservation and sale of organic seaweed, both its own harvest and purchased from local fishermen's associations, and which will soon begin its own production.

EXCELLENCE FOR INNOVATION IN DIVERSIFICATION OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IN RURAL AREAS

The first prize went to the Kikiricoop Asturian Cooperative Society , located in Cabranes (Asturias), a cooperative dedicated to agroecology and the social and solidarity economy. It produces food from local raw materials, a task it combines with caring for people. Examples of its activities include the "Asturcilla" cocoa hazelnut spread and the vegetarian catering service "Confusión Comidas."

Second prize went to Quesería Jaramera , promoted by Quesopia SL , for its outstanding use of innovative techniques in its production processes and products. The dairy products from this Madrid-based cheese factory are of high quality, handcrafted, and have innovative organoleptic properties based on the trust inherent in local consumption.

Third place went to Izaskun Montori for her interdisciplinary pediatric and neurological center in the municipality of Peralta (Navarra), which specializes in providing physiotherapy, rehabilitation, speech therapy, and early intervention services in an area far from large urban centers.

EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATION

The first prize went to EFEAGRO SA for its news service specializing in the agri-food sector and rural areas, and to its professionals. This news agency offers 130 daily news stories in different formats and platforms.

The second prize went to Spain's first rural podcast focused on women, "Dalle Mio Nena ." Produced by Marta Pérez Pérez on behalf of Ruralismo Ilustrado SLL, this monthly radio program is filled with unseen stories, unique interviews, alternative news, and independent humor that seeks to address current events in rural areas in a relaxed tone, while also serving as a platform for women in these communities in Asturias.

Third prize went to the program "El Campo" on the regional television channel of Castilla-La Mancha . This daily news program, primarily aimed at agricultural professionals, is dedicated to agriculture, livestock, and the rural environment of the region.