BRINGING BIODIVERSITY CLOSER TO PRIMARY SECTOR: NATURE HELPS US Erasmus Project

Project Title

BRINGING BIODIVERSITY CLOSER TO PRIMARY SECTOR: NATURE HELPS US

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; Environment and climate change; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

In Europe, agriculture and the agri-food industry account for 6% of EU GDP, 15 million companies and 46 million jobs. More than 77% of the territory of the EU is considered a rural area: 47% of agricultural land and 30% of forest land. In them resides approximately half of the population, who is dedicated to agriculture and other activities. On the other hand, the Biodiversity loss is one of the main environmental problems in the planet.

The current health (Covid19) and environmental crises highlight the urgency of adopting measures to curb the loss of Biodiversity, mitigate climate change and promote food security. At the same time, improving the training of professional adults in the primary sector to ensure their full development in the current situation and possible future situations, promoting preventive work in the socio-educational action of adults to improve their well-being in the rural world.

The EU, within the International Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted an ambitious strategy with 6 objectives and 20 actions to stop the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the EU by 2020. The mid-term review of the strategy evaluates progress in many areas, but highlights the failure in two: Objective 3: “Increase the contribution of agriculture to the maintenance and improvement of biodiversity” – there is no significant progress towards the goal; and for objective 4: “Ensure the sustainable use of fishery resources and achieve good environmental status” – there is progress but at an insufficient level.

NAT-Helpers is a project of strategic associations for adult education focused on the Mediterranean area (including Greece, France, Italy, Malta and Spain). It is an innovative project that focuses its work on non-formal training of farmers and fishermen to contribute to achieving objectives 3 and 4 of the European Strategy for Biodiversity 2020, and improve training to achive objectives of european Agriculture and Fishery policies.

NAT-Helpers has an innovative approach, whose main objective is to train the primary sector towards sustainable practices that allow them to achieve quality products and high marketvalue. That is to show how biodiversity and ecosystem services helps in primary production (agricultura, livestock and fisheries), turning the message of what to do to preservebiodiversity (regardless of its benefits).
Our combination of partners ensure our approach is sustainable and realistic for the current traininig adult non formal educational systems.
NAt-Helpers will be sharing resources through the partners existing networks. Including, local
administrations and sector trainers entities., and also the BirdLife International network which
consists of 120 partners globally with 27/28 European partners.
NAT-Helpers aims to engage the following audiences throughout and after the projects end:
1. End-users of the project activities and deliverables (Primary sector Stakeholders) and teachers.
2. Experts or practitioners in environmental education.
3. Organisations’ networks.
4. Farmers and fishermen.
4. General public.

The results expected on the individual participants and target groups due to the innovative outputs of the project are as follows: Firstly the impact on the participating organizations which will happen throughout the duration of the project. Participating organisations will enhance their knowledge, competences and skills regarding management and implementation of European projects and in the field of teaching. Secondly the project activities should have the following results on professionals and trainers attendees: – Strengthening professional development, profile and opportunities for participating attendees; – Increased motivation and rewarding educational experiences with their students.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 159294 Eur

Project Coordinator

SOCIEDAD ESPANOLA DE ORNITOLOGIA SEO & Country: ES

Project Partners

• Hellenic Ornithological Society
• BirdLife Malta
• LPO
• Lipu – Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli