AGROGEN: THE MOUNTAIN AGRICULTURE AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH

Background Thanks to the projects carried out previously by the Campoo de Yuso City Council, we are aware of the possibilities of traditional mountain agriculture in this area. We therefore have historical and current proof that it is "technically" viable. The investigations carried out by the different institutions of the Government of Cantabria also confirm this issue. However, we are losing that heritage both at a technical level (ways and manners) and at the level of local seed variants. To this we must add that young people in mountain areas have two labor problems: If they have a different training from the productive sector, they are forced to leave. If they want to dedicate themselves to the productive sector, they find themselves with a saturated market and some "ways and manners" that do not adapt to the demands of the current market or to their environmental, labor and human sensitivities. Objectives We cannot let it remain a scientific or historical exercise, which has value in itself but does not provide solutions to depopulation and job uncertainty in mountain areas. We have to overcome the idea that "enhance" or "disclose" is to do something. It is urgent that we assume the role that we have to play and be facilitators of action. Therefore, it is about going one step further and checking if it is possible to propose a work project and a life project for young people based on this activity and in this type of area. In this way we can propose a way to fix population and attract it from outside with a sustainable activity that works. Knowing that similar experiences are being carried out in other areas of the European Union, the framework of the Erasmus+ projects seemed perfect to verify this issue and to draw attention to this idea. Implementation The activities are grouped into four large areas: Collection of mountain agriculture experiences in the five participating countries to search for commonalities and differences and generate a database that can be consulted. Thus the partners with a more agricultural work will be able to train the partners more focused on youth. Creation of a manual of non-formal education techniques and workshops. With this manual, partners with experience in working with young people will be able to train more "technical" partners. Divulgation. Through the website and social networks it is intended to make the idea, actions and formal and informal partners of the project known. In the same way, the media has been intervened: radio, press and television throughout the project to publicize both the idea and the steps that have been taken. Learning days. The end of the project consisted of a 12-day meeting with young people from all the participating countries where information could be exchanged as well as visiting first-hand numerous projects that fulfill the central idea of the project. They also contacted entities and other Erasmus+ projects to insist on the need to collaborate and share resources. Achievements A manual of non-formal education techniques has been created. A document has been generated with experiences that demonstrate the feasibility of the idea. It has been confirmed that young people are willing to undertake this type of project. The reasons why they are interested are of various kinds. In the first place, it coincides with the environmental principles that all of them share. For some, staying in mountain areas is their preference since that is where they come from and for others it is a vital objective. Finally, they understand that the "current" way of managing agriculture is not sustainable and does not represent a job opportunity for them. The outbreak of the war in Ukraine has caused a "suspension" in the agricultural production sector for two reasons: Ukraine is the most important country in this sector in Europe and as everything happens in all armed conflicts this has caused it to rise much the price of fuel. At the end of the conflict, the European productive sector will have to be reorganized and this means that mountain agriculture has to be analyzed with a new perspective that we are not able to predict now.