EAFRD Supports the Growth of the Bioeconomy

The European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) has published a projects brochure detailing how The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) is supporting the growth of the Bioeconomy.  EAFRD is part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and supports rural economic growth and community development and will invest €96 billion across EU member states between 2014-2020.

EAFRD is delivered through national Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) which support rural development directly by investing in farms and other rural companies and through supporting skills development, knowledge exchange and innovation projects led by farmers (in Operational Groups).  It also includes funding for local community-led regeneration plans through the LEADER Programme. 

Support from EAFRD for farms to invest in the Bioeconomy compliments the work ENABLING is doing to identify and promote best practices in the development of bio-based products, by identifying how EAFRD grants can support farmers to take up these ideas.

The new ENRD brochure identifies how investments from EAFRD have supported local projects to commercialise new types of food and feed products, bio-energy and bio-based products.  In relation to bio-based products the brochure specifically features case studies on developing hemp-based construction materials in Latvia, a Finnish bio-composites project and a project reviving the traditional cork value chain in rural Spain. 

ENABLING is delighted to see these types of projects being supported by EU funding, thus facilitating investment by farmers and rural entrepreneurs in bio-based products.

The ENRD brochure is available at: https://enrd.ec.europa.eu/publications/eafrd-projects-brochure-bioeconomy_en