• The European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) has selected three Spanish projects from the six applications submitted by the National Rural Network.
• The awards are divided into four categories: Bioeconomy, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, and Online Popular Vote.

The European Network for Rural Development has shortlisted three Spanish projects from among the six submitted by the National Rural Network. Two of them were selected in the Climate Change Adaptation category and one in the Climate Change Mitigation category. The three finalists, along with the other contestants, will compete in an online vote within a fourth category, the Online Popular Vote , conducted by the public in all EU member states. The voting deadline is June 25 .

The three selected Spanish projects are competing among the 15 finalists selected by the European Network for Rural Development across Europe for this latest edition of the awards.

Spanish finalists

In the "Climate Change Adaptation" category, two Spanish projects have been selected:

• Hedge Operational Group - Multifunctional hedges for agriculture and biodiversity in the Region of Murcia:

The project involves the design, implementation, and monitoring of multifunctional equipment in agricultural hedgerows to develop sustainable, low-impact agriculture. By planting perennial vegetation in these hedgerows, the agricultural systems capture more CO2, contributing to climate change mitigation.

The planting and diversification of these green infrastructures contribute to carbon sequestration and increase the resilience of agricultural systems.

•   ECOPIONET - Network of Ecological Pioneers:

Ecopionet works on a knowledge-sharing network in the field of organic dryland agriculture , extending from the scientific field to the farmers themselves to improve their knowledge of new technologies, land management, and marketing. This allows farmers to increase the profitability of their crops while promoting ecological practices for environmental conservation.

Ecopionet is operating in dryland cereal-producing areas of inland Spain (Salamanca, Toledo, and Guadalajara) where production has been largely abandoned due to various factors, including climate change.

And in the “Climate Change Mitigation” category, the selected project was:

• ENFOCC - Energy, Forests and Climate Change:

Through the transfer of knowledge related to energy, forestry, and climate, the project aims to contribute to sustainable forest management and improve capacities to mitigate and adapt to climate change in rural areas. To this end, the project promotes the construction of public biomass boilers in rural municipalities and the management of various energy accounting tools.

1st edition 2019

In the first edition of the Rural Inspiration Awards in 2019, each EU country could submit up to 10 projects in any of the different categories. The NRN received 21 projects to represent Spain, submitted 10, and 4 were nominated (Agroberry, Solar Energy, Cowocat Rural, and Pueblos Vivos).

Agroberry won the award for improving the competitiveness of rural areas.