The recently published paper by the OECD on social innovation in rural areas sheds light on an often overlooked aspect of rural innovation: the unique challenges and opportunities that rural contexts present. Social innovation seeks new answers to social and environmental problems, using novel solutions… Read More »Rural innovation: Unlocking the power of social innovation in rural areas
The European Commission’s report on the long-term vision for EU’s rural areas, adopted on March 27, 2024, provides insights into the progress made and outlines ways forward. Key points include:
New Indicators and Data: The report introduces new indicators and data related to rural areas.
30 Months of Implementation: It reflects on 30 months of implementing the rural vision, including stocktaking of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and cohesion policy contributions.
EU Rural Action Plan: The report suggests possible ways forward for the EU rural action plan and rural pact, with opportunities for debate after the 2024 European elections.
The vision aims to create stronger, connected, resilient, and prosperous rural communities by leveraging green and digital transitions.
Feel free to explore the full report for more detailed information! 😊🌾🏡
A number of Horizon projects are underway in rural areas of Europe with the goal of fostering resilience and innovation. Each has its own focus and approach to empowering local communities. Among these projects are SMART ERA, FUTURAL, and RURACTIVE, each targeting pressing socio-economic and… Read More »Empowering Rural Communities: Horizon Projects for Smart Rural Development
Rural communities across Europe are set to witness a transformative shift as policymakers and stakeholders come together to unveil the much-anticipated Rural Pact. This groundbreaking initiative, aimed at fostering sustainable innovations and development in rural areas, has the potential to revitalize economies, preserve local heritage,… Read More »The Rural Pact: Empowering sustainable innovations and progress in rural Europe
Source: European Commission The European Commission (DG AGRI) has just released the latest podcast on the long term vision for rural areas with a focus on how to attract young people through innovation. As Europe’s rural population ages and diminishes in size, Food for Europe… Read More »New Podcast of DG AGRI – Rurality: Working for a more attractive and prosperous countryside in Europe
Source: European Commission The Commission launched on the 16 November the Start-up Village Forum to gather insights on challenges for and potential of rural start-up companies. As part of the EU’s June 2021 long-term vision for rural areas and the Commission Action Plan for Rural areas, the annual… Read More »Launch of the Start-up Village Forum: delivering the vision for EU’s rural areas
Source: DESIRA Horizon 2020 project – https://desira2020.eu/2021/09/27/article-how-can-we-boost-sustainable-digitalisation-in-agriculture-forestry-and-rural-areas/ On 30 June 2021, DESIRA organised a webinar on ‘Boosting sustainable digitalisation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas by 2040’ under the scope of the Rural Digitalisation Forum (RDF). The aim was to get a common understanding of the envisaged role of digitalisation in the communication on… Read More »How can we boost sustainable digitalisation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas?
Source: The state Council the People’s Republic of China Chinese authorities have issued a circular on executing a pilot project on digital villages to promote the application of digital technologies in rural areas to boost rural modernization. The circular was jointly issued by seven departments,… Read More »China to pilot ‘digital villages’ to boost smart rural development in the country
Source: European Commission The European Innovation Council (EIC) Prize on Blockchains for Social Good has awarded €5 million to six winners selected in a call to identify scalable, deployable and high-impact blockchain solutions for societal challenges. The winning solutions propose blockchain applications for fair trade… Read More »The European Innovation Council awards €5 million to blockchain solutions for social innovation
Source: OECD This note focuses on the implications of COVID-19 on rural development and the policy responses that OECD member countries are adopting. It first discusses the economic effects on rural regions followed by an identification of opportunities and associated challenges. The note then summarises… Read More »Policy implications of coronavirus crisis for rural development | Interesting results presented in the latest OECD policy note