The Atlas project
Through Atlas, the transnational consortium will carry out analysis and launch pilot projects to, firstly, highlight the role of shared spaces (known in France as third places) in the agri-food sector in the economic development and labour market inclusiveness of rural areas, and secondly, to establish a set of recommendations for public administrations to efficiently support this type of initiative with the aim of increasing its impact.
What is an agri-food ‘third place’ or ‘shared space’?
Agri-food shared spaces are democratically managed spaces for meeting, exchange, experimentation and production, intended for sustainable agricultural production and/or processing, which have gained considerable influence in France over the last decade. Examples of these spaces include organic farms managed by a cooperative or association, old oil mills that have been restored and now serve as training and experience-sharing centres, and workshops shared by producers and entrepreneurs in rural areas.
What is SUDOE?
The South-West European Territorial Cooperation Programme (SUDOE) supports regional development through the co-financing of transnational projects carried out jointly in Spain, France and Portugal.
Who makes up the Atlas consortium?
The Atlas project consortium is made up of the Repoblación Foundation, the Regional Government of Extremadura (through the Directorate-General for Rural Development), the ACTYVA S. COOP cooperative and the CSIC on behalf of Spain; the government of the New Aquitaine region, the Coopérative Tiers-Lieux and Le Labo des Territoires Alimentaires Méditerranéens on behalf of France; and the Comunidade Intermunicipal do Baixo Alentejo and the Cooperativa Regenerativa on behalf of Portugal.
Atlas has been ranked third in Specific Objective 4.1 of Priority 3.