Rural pilot 4: Apulia (Italy)
Rural district description
Apulia is a southern region that forms the 'heel' of the Italian boot. It is characterised by hilly villages, countryside with an ancient character and hundreds of kilometres of Mediterranean coastline. Rural areas are a fundamental part of the Apulian way of life and their role, as well as their importance, is often underestimated. In Apulia, as in the rest of Europe, agritourism, educational masserie, social farms, as well as short supply chains, have been so helpful to producers during economic crises.
Challenge description
The aim is to deepen the context of short supply chains and other tools 'connected' (e.g. educational farms, social farms, agrotourism, educational forests) to the primary sector, to attract citizens, especially young people, to rural agriculture, to promote the digitisation of this sector, to strengthen links with research and innovation and to foster learning and vocational training of existing and new farmers, thanks to the constant interaction between technology experts, regional and local policy-makers.
Anticipated result
Better territorial strategies and models of governance that foster synergetic development and the right transition of rural and urban areas; better opportunities of innovation through better valorisation of cultural and natural resources, stronger innovation ecosystems and a renewed vitality of rural places with increased access opportunities; improved social capital, resilience and a better understanding of cultural connections between rural and urban communities with a strengthened sense of territorial identity.
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