FLIARA, or Female-Led Innovation in Agriculture and Rural Areas, is a groundbreaking Horizon Europe project focused on empowering women as leaders in shaping a sustainable rural future. Launched in 2023, FLIARA tackles the under-recognition of women’s contributions in agriculture by building a powerful network and launching a high-impact visibility campaign.
The FLIARA Community of Practice: A Collaborative Hub
At the heart of FLIARA’s lies the creation of a dynamic Community of Practice (CoP). This network brings together individuals with a shared passion: supporting and accelerating women-led innovation in rural areas. The CoP features 20 FLIARA Ambassadors, exceptional women innovators chosen from across the project’s case study countries.
FLIARA Ambassadors: Shining a Light on Women’s Achievements
These ambassadors are more than just participants; they are the driving force behind the FLIARA visibility campaign. Here’s how the project champions women in rural innovation:
- Advocacy Powerhouse: FLIARA Ambassadors become vocal advocates for women-led innovations. They’ll raise awareness, inspire others, and demonstrate the power of women’s leadership in rural development.
- Sharing Success Stories: Through a compelling FLIARA Campaign of Visibility, the ambassadors will share their journeys. They’ll showcase their innovative practices, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the pathways to their success. This will serve as a powerful source of inspiration for aspiring and established female innovators.
- Building Connections: The CoP network fosters collaboration with key stakeholders like policymakers and agricultural knowledge networks. This allows ambassadors to exchange ideas, gain valuable insights, and build connections that can provide essential support and resources for their ventures.
Meet the FLIARA Ambassadors
| Country | Ambassador | Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland |  | Name: Blatnaid Gallager Innovation: Galway Wool Co-op Website: https://galwaywool.ie/ |
| Ireland |  | Name: Ursula Kelly Innovation: Cormac tagging Website: https://www.cormactagging.ie/ |
| Spain |  | Name: Isabel Sánchez Tejado Innovation: Escuela De Turismo Generativo Website: https://www.isabelsancheztejado.com/la-escuela-de-turismo-generativo/ |
| Spain |  | Name: Natalia Díaz Innovation: Ecoalpispa Website: https://ecoalpispa.com/ |
| Slovenia |  | Name: Petra Matos Innovation: Park Istra Website: https://parkistra.com/en/ |
| Slovenia |  | Name: Saša Kržič Innovation: Mikrozelenje Šebenik Website: https://www.mikrozelenje.si/ |
| Czechia |  | Name: Iva Zadražilová Innovation: Kyprův mlýn Farm Website: https://www.kypruvmlyn.cz/ |
| Czechia |  | Name: Alžbeta Nagyová Innovation: Farma Bezdinek Website: https://www.farmabezdinek.cz/ |
| Romania |  | Name: Patricia Marina Toma Innovation: MarinArt – Cultural, Educational and Artistic Centre Website: https://marinart.ro/ |
| Romania |  | Name: Anca Veronica Marcu Innovation: Deputy Mahor Cojocna Commune Website: https://comunacojocna.ro/ |
| Italy |  | Name: Sarah Khoudja Innovation: Cucilento Website: https://cucilento.com/funnel/cucilento-fa |
| Italy |  | Name: Sofia De Matteis Innovation: Avamposto Agricolo Autonomo |
| Finland |  | Name: Rita Porkka Innovation: Naturest Website: https://naturest.fi/en/naturest-home/ |
| Finland |  | Name: Sonja Jokiranta Innovation: Luovuuden lakeus Website: https://www.luovuudenlakeus.com |
| Sweden |  | Name: Malin Axelsson Innovation: Odevata Gard Hotel Website: https://www.odevatagardshotell.se/ |
| Sweden |  | Name: Alexandra Larsson Innovation: Rosa Kortett Website: https://www.rosakortettrafikskola.se/ |
| Germany |  | Name: Anja Frey Innovation: Bruderkalb Website: https://dorfkaeserei.de/heumilch/bruderkalb |
| Germany |  | Name: Dörte Wolfgramm-Stühmeyer Innovation: Landwirtschaftbetrieb Website: https://lwb-wolfgramm.de/ |
| Netherlands |  | Name: Mieke Elzenga Innovation: LiberTerra Geestmerambacht Website: https://geestmerambacht.liberterra.eu/ |
| Netherlands |  | Name: Annette Harberink Innovation: Warmonderhof Website: https://stichtingwarmonderhof.nl/ |
Beyond Individual Success: A Lasting Impact
FLIARA’s vision extends far beyond individual success stories. The project is actively evaluating existing policies impacting women in agriculture across 10 European countries. This analysis will pave the way for proposing more effective policy changes that directly address the needs and challenges faced by women in rural areas.
The FLIARA CoP and Visibility Campaign are designed for long-term impact. The CoP network aspires to become a platform for training, knowledge exchange, and driving innovation in the rural sector. Combined with the practical toolkit being developed for women innovators, FLIARA empowers women to not only be leaders but to build a network that will shape a more sustainable and equitable future for rural communities across Europe.