• This year's theme is "Empowering Youth"
• The CAP Network has received 20 projects, from which it has assessed the 8 that will enter the competition based on the criteria established by Brussels. These criteria include being financed by the CAP through EAFRD or EAGF funds.
• In addition to the category award and the popular vote award, this year there will be a new award for projects that promote gender equality.

The European CAP Network has announced the second edition of the 2024 "Agricultural and Rural Inspiration Awards ," this year with the aim of encouraging the participation of agricultural and rural youth through projects under the motto of "empowering young people."

Applications could only be submitted through the national CAP networks, in this case through the Spanish CAP Network . Projects eligible for submission had to be funded by the CAP through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). and/or the European Agricultural Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) .

Finalists will be able to attend the awards ceremony in Brussels, the date of which has yet to be determined. This will serve as a networking opportunity for establishing contacts. The selected projects will also be publicized through the European CAP Network's "Good Practices" portal and through its social media channels.

Selected projects

Agropurin (Galicia) – “Environmental Protection”

The Agropurín project was created for the sustainable management of organic resources, specifically for the recovery of pig slurry , which is transformed into fertilizer and clean water for irrigation. The initiative has designed its own system that offers a sustainable and economical alternative for recovering pig slurry, with the potential to improve waste management and contribute to sustainability in the livestock sector.

La Junquera (Murcia) - “Environmental Protection”

An innovative project spanning 1,400 hectares of farmland, the project focuses on implementing regenerative and sustainable agricultural practices while providing educational and entrepreneurial opportunities for rural youth. Through the "Regeneration Academy," participants learn about agroecology, soil conservation, and organic farming practices, promoting the revitalization of rural communities. Since its inception, the project has restored 2,500 hectares, planted 30,000 trees, and trained more than 1,000 young farmers and professionals in regenerative agriculture techniques.

Program-Harimaguadas (Canary Islands) – “ Rural Youth”

An integrated program of activities related to the natural, rural, and agricultural environment of the Canary Islands, made available to island services serving victims of gender-based violence to promote recovery and reparation for the damage caused by the crime of gender-based violence against young women and their children. It also promotes rural development with a clear gender perspective and the defense of children's rights. All programs include activities to enjoy the natural environment, workshops, and activities related to the primary sector and Canarian traditions, as well as the consumption of local products.

Somnia (Valencian Community) - “ Rural Youth”

A company dedicated to supporting children, adolescents, and their families in rural areas. To this end, they bring basic services closer to the integral development of individuals through three areas of action: Psychoeducational Services, offering individual or group sessions focused on areas such as educational or psychological support; Family Play Sessions, in which the entire family can participate and experience play; and extracurricular and complementary activities, held after the school day or during vacation periods to promote a work-life balance.

Demofarm (Andalusia) – “ Competitive and intelligent agriculture”

This initiative is based on the implementation of digital technology solutions on real farms of collaborating farmers and ranchers, with the goal of sharing the benefits and advantages of agricultural digitalization with other farmers and ranchers. Through demonstration activities and dissemination, there is an opportunity for knowledge exchange, learning, and collaborative decision-making.

GO-DIXITEGA (Galicia) - “ Competitive and intelligent agriculture”

The DIXITEGA Operational Group (OG) is creating a platform (available from August 1, 2024) that will provide access to relevant data to different actors in the PGI Ternera Gallega (Galician Veal) value chain. To do so, it will explore the needs of different actors in terms of data access and use, and provide training to ensure that value chain actors are empowered to facilitate the adoption and better use not only of this platform, but also of ICTs in general.

The technological solution was developed through a joint design process involving GO partners and other relevant stakeholders. This participatory methodology promotes inclusive digitalization of the sector and prevents dominance by a few operators.

DO-Utiel-Requena (Valencian Community) – “ Socioeconomic fabric of rural areas”

This project aims to convey winemaking culture to young people in the nine municipalities that comprise this Designation of Origin. The lack of generational replacement and the need to improve the professionalization of the wine sector led the Regulatory Council to promote the training of young people, who are the future. From a comprehensive approach, they explore various career paths offered by the sector, such as viticulture, oenology, marketing, communications, commercialization, business management, research, engineering, etc., as an additional opportunity for their professional development. New generations can discover, become aware of, and develop an interest in the sector that surrounds them, actively participating in the preservation and development of its winemaking heritage.

Delicacies of the Earth (Aragon) - “ Socioeconomic fabric of rural areas”

The project involves the design and implementation of an industrial plant with new machinery to redefine the processing and handling process of this company, a leader in the truffle industry, with the goal of becoming more efficient, innovative, and competitive. Following the renovation, it has achieved job stability in an area at risk of depopulation and with a workforce composed primarily of young women.

Categories

The semi-finalists compete in 4 categories:

1. Competitive and smart agriculture : projects that contribute to a competitive, resilient, and diversified sector that guarantees long-term food security.
2. Environmental protection : for initiatives that protect biodiversity, address climate resilience, demonstrate sustainability, and/or contribute to a green recovery.
3. Socioeconomic fabric of rural areas : for projects focusing on social innovation in rural communities (inclusion, rural entrepreneurship, innovation) or that digitalize agriculture.
4. Rural Youth : New this year, this project aims to disseminate youth projects in rural areas so they can be applied in other areas.

Shortlisted projects are also eligible to receive two additional awards:

1. The Popular Vote Award: will be decided by a public online voting system.

The Gender Equality Award: for projects that promote equality in the agricultural and rural sector. All preselected projects that include women as participants in their activities are eligible for the award. The award will also be decided by the jury.