Title: Connecting consumers and producers to rebalance farmers' position through ambassadors training
Funding: EU H2020 project, Grant Agreement No. 101000573.
Total funding: EUR 2 999 250.00
Funding for BSC: EUR 328 875.00
Implementation period: 01.01.2021.–30.06.2024.
Coordinator: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium)
Latvian partner: Baltic Studies Centre
Aim: COCOREADO was a project designed to rebalance the position of the farmer as an individual actor, as a key player in innovative food supply chains and as a supplier for public procurement. Based on the multi-actor approach and a deep understanding of agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS), the project applied a three-fold approach to maximize impact, relying on ambassadorship, good practices, and a focus on youth. COCOREADO fostered opportunities for young people in rural areas to co-create innovative solutions that overcome current hurdles for farmers and respond to consumer needs, while simultaneously improving the conditions for sustainable public procurement of local and seasonal food. The consortium connected key youth actors including young farmers, college youth, youth movements in an environment that offered support and encouragement to undertake action. A key tool for creating such environment was the COCOREADO Ambassador Training Program. Furthermore, the project involved both academic and close-to-farmers partners across Europe, recognising regional differences and barriers in terms of replicability of good practices and regional opportunities in terms of solutions. Active youth engagement in co-creating solutions remained at the core of the well balanced consortium including three EU-level youth organisations, and was embedded within COCOREADO’s methodologies, thus ensuring that innovative supply chains remain future-proof. COCOREADO started with the collection of innovative initiatives that enhance the position of the farmers and improve their connection with consumers. Good practices were assessed for their replicability and translated into educational materials. Furthermore, user-friendly decision support tools with high potential have been made accessible. Communication and dissemination of good practices and tools focuses on farmers, rural communities, policy makers, actors in the food chain such as chefs and local food processors.
Deliverables:
D2.2 - Conceptual grounds and common understandings
D2.3 - Three frameworks for selection, evaluation and replicability of innovative initiatives
D5.3 - Report on policy workshop
Academic publications:
Stoeva S., Van Gompel R.,Van den Bossche L., Rogge E., Slavova P., Grivins M., Mileiko I. 2024. Understanding collaboration in short food supply chains: a focus on collaborative relationships, interaction mechanisms and relational benefits. Agric Econ 12, 49. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-024-00344-4
Outputs co-developed with BSC researchers:
The COCOREADO Ambassadors Community: https://cocoreado.eu/the-ambassadors-community/
Food System Innovator Toolkit: https://cocoreado.eu/food-system-innovator-toolkit/
Replicability Roadmaps: https://cocoreado.eu/roadmaps/
See project flyer in English and Latvian.
Additional information:
www.cocoreado.eu • Twitter/X @cocoreado • Facebook /Cocoreado Linkedin /cocoreado • Youtube /Cocoreado Project