Sustainable agricultural practices

As reported today in a note by the Diputación de Almería, SoEClose seeks to enhance local economies through sustainable agricultural practices.

This project encompasses training actions in three major fields in which the province of Almería is a world leader: organic farming, labels, certification and social economy models in food production.

The first virtual meeting of this transnational project has already been held, whose European Funds for its development have been raised by the Provincial Institution thanks to the COSME call of the European Union.

Improve competitiveness

This program aims to improve the competitiveness of companies and SMEs. Its objectives include promoting the culture of entrepreneurship and creating a favorable environment for access to finance, internationalization, access to new markets and the competitiveness of small companies on the Continent.

May 25

At the inaugural SoEClose meeting, a workshop was set for May 25 to be held by the participants from Portugal, which will deal with KM0 food certifications. At that meeting, the Almería Provincial Council will provide a provincial example on this issue.

The project already has the commitment of eight leading entities in the province of Almería in agricultural matters: FAECTA (Andalusian Federation of Cooperative Work Companies), FADEMUR (Federation of Rural Women's Associations of Andalusia), UPA-Andalusia (Union of Small People Andalusian Farmers and Ranchers), University of Almería, Almería Agroecological Network, Alpujarra Sierra Nevada Almería Rural Development Association, Abla City Council and Cajamar Cooperative Group.

Models of social economy

'SoEClose' will run until February 2022. The Almería Provincial Council, in collaboration with local agents, will develop a workshop and an online seminar focused on social economy models in agricultural production.

In each workshop, 20 agents from the organizing entities will participate that will bring together actors from the social economy, such as cooperatives, associations or NGOs, from sustainable agriculture, certifying authorities, researchers or producers, institutions, consumers and the general public, always with adapted actions to the health situation.

At least twelve good practices will be collected (three from each region and three from the European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy Network of the European Union) and even beyond these territories, related to the social economy as a tool for chains of short-term supply of food and agriculture and sustainable, and will prepare an abbreviated document, manual type, with recommendations to apply in this area.