Rural Opportunities through Organic Training and Sustainability
KA210-YOU – Small-scale partnerships in youth
ROOTS, Rural Opportunities through Organic Training and Sustainability, is a European Erasmus+ project in the youth field, coordinated by AEPGA – Associação para o Estudo e Protecção do Gado Asinino, Portugal. The project will run from 1 January 2026 to 30 June 2027.
ROOTS was created to respond to a clear need: many young people living in rural areas do not have sufficient access to practical training, participation opportunities, or tools to develop green skills linked to sustainability, agroecology, regenerative agriculture, and community development.
The project is especially aimed at rural young people aged 18 to 30 from Portugal, Italy, and Spain, with particular attention to young women, young farmers, and people with fewer opportunities. Its objective is to support them in becoming active agents of change in their territories, helping to build more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient rural communities.
Project objectives
ROOTS has three main objectives:
-To strengthen the competences of rural young people in agroecology and regenerative agriculture; sustainability, biodiversity, and climate action; and ecofeminism, gender equality, and community leadership.
-To create innovative training resources that support young people, educators, and youth workers in the development of green and social competences.
-To foster the active participation of rural youth in the transition towards more sustainable and inclusive development models connected to their local communities.
How is ROOTS implemented?
The project combines online training, practical learning, international cooperation, and the dissemination of good practices.
During its implementation, ROOTS will create a Good Practice Manual entitled “ROOTS of Change: Ecofeminist and Agroecological Practices for Rural Youth Empowerment”, which will collect methodologies, real case studies, and practical tools related to agroecology, ecofeminism, and youth participation in rural areas.
In addition, online courses for young people will be developed under the title “ROOTS Talks: Online Pathways for Rural Youth in Sustainability and Inclusion”. These courses will focus on topics such as regenerative agriculture, community-based climate resilience, participatory leadership, rural sustainability, and social innovation models.
The project will also include an international exchange and learning week in Italy, where young people from the participating countries will be able to share experiences, visit rural initiatives, take part in practical workshops, and design action plans linked to their own communities.
Participants and expected results
ROOTS will involve rural young people, young farmers, young women, youth workers, educators, social organisations, and local communities from Portugal, Italy, and Spain.
The main expected results include the creation of a Good Practice Manual on agroecology, ecofeminism, and rural youth empowerment; the development of multilingual online courses for rural young people; the organisation of an international exchange and learning week in Italy; the implementation of final national events in Portugal, Italy, and Spain; and the creation of a transnational network of young people and organisations committed to rural sustainability, equality, and the ecological transition.
Impact
ROOTS combines sustainability, social inclusion, and youth participation in a single training model focused on rural development.
The project not only strengthens the green competences of young people, but also provides them with tools to improve their employability, develop local leadership, and actively participate in the transformation of their communities.
ROOTS also incorporates an ecofeminist approach that recognises the essential role of women in agriculture, land care, community innovation, and the construction of fairer rural models.
ROOTS represents a new way of understanding the rural future: bringing together youth, sustainability, equality, and European cooperation to build more vibrant, inclusive, and resilient territories.
