Empowering women associations as drivers for agroecological transformation to generate income for Mountain farming communities
The European Commission has identified mountain areas as among the most vulnerable to climate change. Agriculture here is extremely challenging due to harsh climates resulting in low productivity, relative isolation from major markets and the existence of a negative demographic trend, with young people migrating to urban areas. The PRIMA MountainHER project aims to restore farm productivity, diversify income opportunities and increase social inclusion in six mountain community (pilot projects) in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Croatia and Italy. The fields of these farming communities will be used as living laboratories in a participatory approach to assess the productivity and sustainability gains of growing barley and durum wheat cultivars (WP2) derived from heritage grains, under agro-ecological management (WP3). These results will be used to promote circular economies also with the production of community-based fertilisers / soil improvers. Income opportunities will be created by integrating women’s associations in the continuum from farm to table, transforming crops into value-added food, and exploring and proposing market opportunities. To this end, cereals will be transformed into traditional food and malt products (WP4) which will be analysed from a nutritional and organoleptic point of view (WP5), evaluated by consumers and in market tests, and made the subject of business plans for marketing.
Partner:
- Open Fields srl, Italy
- Birrificio Emiliano, Italy
- Fundaciòn Oxfam Intermòn, Spain / Morocco
- ICARDA (International Center for the Agricultural Research in the Dry Area), Lebanon / Morocco
- INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique), Morocco – INRA-T, Tunisia
- ITGC (Institut Techniques de Grandes Cultures), Algeria
- LARI (Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute), Lebanon
- PINS (Local Development Agency), Croatia
Duration: 3 years (1 July 2022 – 30 June 2025)
Budget: euro 3.066.428,57
Website:
Role of Open Fields: partner and responsible of WP6 (marketing – business planning)