The European project EVA+ has completed its cycle of co-creation workshops after holding its third session in an online format. With this final meeting, the consortium closes a phase focused on shared analysis and begins to shift its work towards the implementation of solutions on the ground.
Representatives from Portugal, Spain, and France took part in the three workshops, together with local stakeholders, academic institutions, public administrations, social organisations, and companies. The sessions provided an opportunity to compare perspectives and work on the challenges affecting rural areas, particularly in territories marked by depopulation and ageing populations.
The exchange helped identify opportunities linked to green entrepreneurship, detect training needs, and gather ideas rooted in the reality of each territory. All this input has been progressively structured with the aim of preparing the transition to a more practical phase.
The next step will be the EVA+ Living Labs, where the proposals developed so far will be further refined and tested. These spaces will involve direct participation from actors across the agroforestry value chain and will operate as working environments closely connected to the territory.
Boosting rural territories
The EVA+ project addresses the challenge of promoting a more socially cohesive and territorially balanced SUDOE area by fostering a green and social economy in rural regions affected by ageing and depopulation. To this end, it proposes an integrated approach based on the valorisation of endogenous resources, territory-adapted innovation, and the promotion of environmentally friendly activities.
Planned actions include territorial diagnostics, micro-training sessions, advisory programmes, and the development of a shared strategic plan among participating countries. In addition, three Living Labs will be launched to bring the co-created proposals into real-world contexts.
The project also focuses on strengthening entrepreneurial skills, aiming to create new job opportunities and reinforce existing initiatives. At the same time, it works on business models linked to agroforestry resources and organisational forms such as cooperatives and associations.
EVA+ brings together 15 organisations from Portugal, Spain, and France in a project that will run until 2028.