• SIMRA publishes a manual of good practices in rural areas to contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal
• The adoption of innovative measures in rural areas offers great results in environmental care.

SIMRA , The "Social Innovation in Marginalized Rural Areas" project, which operates under the umbrella of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, has published a catalog of good practices adopted by various European rural communities . These practices—translated into social innovation measures in rural areas—yield significant results in terms of environmental sustainability and the achievement of the agreements outlined in the European Green Deal .

Social innovation in European rural areas

Some of the good practices included in the manual for environmental protection are as follows:

1.- Smart carbon practices (Slovakia)

In Slovakia's Nizke Tatry National Park, a self-organized local community has begun implementing innovative carbon management practices in forestry. consisting of the cultivation of a greater diversity of tree species, natural forest regeneration, selective logging, etc., with the aim of increasing forest resilience and making management practices more profitable.

These techniques have increased forest resilience through increased biodiversity, greater natural regeneration density, and reduced pests. This has had positive economic impacts, as they can sell wood at a better price in markets with their own marketing system.

2.- Sustainable electricity sources (United Kingdom)

Almost 60% of the land area of ​​Scotland, United Kingdom, The island has limited electricity supply. Hence, the need to lay the groundwork for a local power generation platform to meet local demand. The solution has come with the Garmony Hydroelectric Scheme . The 400 kW Garmony turbine is estimated to generate over 1,136 MWh of green electricity each year. This could provide enough electricity to power over 280 homes annually and reduce the island's carbon footprint.

3.-Furniture from nature (Belgium)

Pro Natura is a Belgian social employment company and a pioneer in the design and maintenance of natural landscapes . Their work? They convert green waste (edge ​​clippings, invasive species, ivy, nettle, etc.) into raw materials for bio-based materials, such as:

• Q'bo: high-quality, 100% plant-based material
• Touch of Nature biomaterials: for seamless flooring, paneling, and furniture finishing
• Fungalogic: material for insulation and designer furniture (mycelium, the dense root of fungi, which acts as a natural glue between fibers)

4.- Economountain (Portugal)

Vila Pouca de Aguiar is a county located north of the Douro Valley, in northern Portugal. In this region, land abandonment has led to an increased risk of forest fires. The EconoMountain initiative aims to create new economic activities and utilize resources in ways that reduce forest fuel and control forest fires. How? With a new selective grazing technique that uses goats to clear mountain pastures. The intensity, period, and timing of grazing are carefully controlled. Grazing contributes to revitalizing abandoned lands, provides environmental benefits, and reduces costs by 50% compared to mechanical forest clearing techniques. The usual pattern is for farmers to intensively graze their livestock in areas at risk of fires and, in return, receive monetary or in-kind compensation.

5.- A biodynamic farm (Austria)

At the Fermentarium biodynamic farm, 40 different types of vegetables and more than 100 varieties are grown on an area of ​​less than 2 hectares. The Fermentarium farm is organized as a farmer-consumer partnership known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The farm provides vegetables and fermented products. Biodynamic agriculture is a form of farming that treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically related tasks. The farmer places considerable importance on low-input farming practices. For example, they utilize innovative cultivation methods to avoid irrigation and improve resilience to extreme weather events, with versatile use of agricultural machinery.

6.- To improve rural mobility (France)

Rezo Pouce is a flexible ridesharing network focused on commutes in rural areas , making it possible to find a ride or passengers through an app or at any of the thousands of meeting points where a network member can spontaneously show up and pick up another member. What makes Rezo Pouce stand out from other ridesharing platforms is that it focuses on rural areas that often lack public transportation, and it's free to use. System expenses (mainly staff and web development costs) are covered by registered municipalities, supported by LEADER in some areas, who pay an annual membership fee to access the app's services .