This competition aims to highlight successful projects supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) in rural Europe. This year, the competition focuses on projects that empower young people and women in rural areas.
The competition was open to projects that received support from EAFRD for the period 2014–2020. Projects could only be submitted through the national rural networks (in Estonia, the METK's Rural Network Service).
A jury of European experts selected 24 projects for the final, which will now compete for the awards in their respective categories: Gender Equality and Audience Favourite. In total, nearly 100 projects from most EU Member States were submitted. Six Estonian projects were among them, two of which were selected as finalists.
- Development of a mobile youth centre in Toila municipality – in the category "Rural" – with the help of LEADER support, a 20-foot sea container has been converted into a mobile youth centre located in different areas of Toila municipality during the summer periods. The youth centre concept has been developed in cooperation with young people based on their wishes, needs and interests. The sea container can be moved to different areas where young people congregate, involving those who would otherwise not be able to reach or who have moved away from youth work services. The attractive appearance of the Sea Container Youth Centre also adds to its attractiveness.
- Development of a DNA-based method to determine the composition and origin of honey (Honey Meets DNA Technology) – in the category "Smart & Competitive Agriculture." The new method makes it possible to identify from which plants the honey comes, which other organisms (e.g., insects) have DNA traces in the honey, the geographical origin of the honey, and whether it is genuine honey produced by bees.
Everyone will have the chance to vote for an audience favourite. We invite everyone to vote for the Estonian project to make us more visible internationally and spread the word about this exciting event!
Voting for the Public's Favourite will be open until 1 December 2024!
The best projects will be announced at the awards ceremony in Brussels on 4 December. The Awards Gala will also be broadcast live.
