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ECOPIONET: Innovación y Bioeconomía en el Medio Rural

Geographical location
Spain
Main geographical location (NUTS3)
Salamanca
Other geographical locations (NUTS3)
Guadalajara
Toledo
Keywords
Agricultural production system
Food quality / processing and nutrition
Farming / forestry competitiveness and diversification
Additional keywords
organic farming
producer group
knowledge exchange
network
Main funding source
Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of Art 56 of Reg.1305/2013)
Project type
Operational group
Starting date
2018
End date
2020
Project status
Ongoing
Website
Website of the project
Title (in English): 
ECOPIONET: Innovation and Bioeconomy in Rural Environment
Objective of the project (native language): 

La agricultura de secano es poco eficiente en gran
parte de la superficie cerealista de España. La producción ecológica se presenta como una oportunidad, pero la transferencia del conocimiento utilizada ha sido ineficaz y la falta de asociacionismo reduce su rentabilidad. Se pretende crear una red de agricultores pioneros en ecológico que estén apoyados por científicos y asesores técnicos que muestren en sus zonas los beneficios de la Agricultura ecológica sobre sus campos. Estos pioneros crearían una Organización de Productores para aumentar su posición negociadora, haciendo que la actividad agrícola genere una renta sostenible en el tiempo y reactivando el flujo económico en el mundo rural.

Objective of the project (in English): 

Dryland farming is quite inefficient in much of Spain's cereal area. Organic production presents itself as an opportunity, but the knowledge transfer used so far has been ineffective and the lack of
cooperation among producers reduces its profitability. The intention is to create a network of organic pioneer farmers who will be supported by scientists and technical consultants in different fields capable of showing the benefits that organic production will have in the formers' lands. These pioneers would create a Producers Organization to improve their negotiating position, allowing the
farming activity to generate time-sustainable profit and reactivating the economic flow in the rural world.

Description of activities (native language): 

Se creará una Red de intercambio de
conocimientos (ECOPIONET), con agricultores que inician el cambio a ecológico o están en conversión (pioneros), agricultores que ya producen en ecológico (tutores), asesores, técnicos, y
responsables de fincas experimentales. Se dará una formación específica a los asesores técnicos. Se realizará un asesoramiento personalizado e impartirán cursos a los pioneros sobre agroecología, comercialización y asociacionismo. Se realizarán talleres técnicos, ensayos demostrativos en fincas experimentales, talleres de campo y reuniones entre tutores y pioneros. Se
constituirá la Organización de Productores. Los resultados se divulgarán a distintos niveles.

Description of activities (in English): 

A Network of knowledge exchange (ECOPIONET) will be created. It will be formed by farmers (pioneers and tutors), advisors, technicians and researchers. Pioneers will receive training courses
on organic farming, commercialization and associationism as well as personalized and continuous advice by technical advisers
specially trained for the task. There will be technical workshops, demonstration trials in experimental farms, field workshops and meetings between tutors and pioneers. The Producer Organization will be established. The results will be disseminated at different levels.

Total budget: 
509019.2
Project coordinator
Contact person: 
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Address: 
C/ Cordel de Merinas 40-52, 37008 Salamanca (España/Spain)
E-mail: 
raquel.arroyo@irnasa.csic.es
Phone: 
+34 923219606
Partner category: 
Researcher
Further details
Links to other website(s): 
Website of the Spanish Rural Network
Audiovisual material: 
web page
news
broadcasting
broadcasting
workshops and training courses
broadcasting
news
news
Description of the context of the project: 

Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 Data gaps in the chain while primary producer prices are transparent. Imbalance in market power leads to unfair practices victimising the smaller party. Confusion about limits of collective action by e.g. POs. Financing gaps for farmers liable to lead to underinvestment. Consider the medium- and long-term effect of agricultural interventions on the agro-ecosystem. Producing food while establishing an ecological balance to prevent soil fertility or pest problems. Organic farming takes a proactive approach as opposed to treating problems after they emerge.

Additional information: 

FULL MEMBERSHIP
MAIN PARTNERS: Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/ Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecológica (SEAE)/ Fundación Cajamar de la Comunidad Valenciana/Asociación Agraria Jóvenes Agricultores de Salamanca (ASAJA Salamanca)/ Unión de Campesinos COAG Salamanca/ Coordinadora Agraria de Castilla-La Mancha (COAG CLM) /Unión de Pequeñas Agricultores y Ganaderos de Salamanca (UPA Salamanca) / Unión de Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos de Castilla-La Mancha (UPA CLM)
OTHER PARTNERS: Volterra Ecosystems S.L. / OFISET S.L. /Emilio Esteban S.A.