The AGROSOCIAL project, co-financed by the Interreg VI-A Spain–Portugal (POCTEP) program, has published the Comprehensive Boost Plans for the cross-border social economy ecosystem in the agrifood sector, corresponding to the project's three cooperation areas.
These plans are the result of a collaborative work process involving the 11 project partners, along with a wide representation of experts, agrifood cooperatives, universities, and social economy entities from across the Spain–Portugal territory.
The plans constitute a strategic roadmap aimed at strengthening the role of cooperatives and social economy entities as a driver for rural development, providing solutions to key challenges such as generational renewal, depopulation, gender equality, the digitalization of the sector, and the improvement of its competitiveness.
In this sense, the Comprehensive Plans are structured around four major strategic axes: the enhancement of agrifood products, digitalization, sustainability, and the improvement of governance and training. These lines of action seek to boost innovation, facilitate access to new markets, foster sustainable practices, and strengthen cooperation between territories.
Likewise, the plans are not conceived as closed instruments, but as dynamic frameworks of reference that will help guide future initiatives, promote collaboration between entities, and facilitate coherent planning of projects and investments within the agrifood social economy field.
With this publication, AGROSOCIAL takes a decisive step in its objective to contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas, reinforcing the role of the social economy as a key element for territorial cohesion and the generation of opportunities in the cross-border space.
The Comprehensive Boost Plans are available for consultation on the project website https://campus.agrosocial.eu/ , in the Innovation lab section, accessible to entities, professionals, and sector agents interested in promoting initiatives aligned with this common strategy.
