The Rural Development Association of Andalusia (ARA) and the Asturian Network for Rural Development (READER) have jointly requested in Montilla (Córdoba) that continuous and stable funding be guaranteed for the Leader program in the European budget negotiations for the 2028-2034 period.
Both organizations have defended the crucial role of Rural Development Groups (GDR) as drivers of economic diversification and population retention in rural areas, a task that the Leader program has carried out for over three decades.
During the cooperation day, the president of ARA, Rafael Llamas, highlighted that GDRs act as a bridge between the administration and rural needs, serving as essential tools for the future of these territories. He emphasized the mark of innovation, modernization, and sustainability that Leader has left on rural areas.
The event facilitated the sharing of knowledge and learnings on administrative simplification, cooperation, and the advancements planned for the 2028-2034 budgetary framework. READER was pointed out as a model of innovation in territorial dynamization.
For its part, the Director General of Agriculture, Agri-food Industry, and Rural Development of the Principality of Asturias, Begoña López, described Leader funds as a "treasure" that has shaped the current rural environment. She stressed the importance of GDR implementation and their over 30 years of experience collaborating with the Administration.
López also mentioned the presentation of the Rural Pact of Asturias, which includes Leader as a flagship measure, allocating 25% of FEADER funds, compared to the national average of 8%. The Asturian government has contributed its own funds due to the exhaustion of European allocations, emphasizing the importance of joint work for rural diversification and dynamization.
The president of the Asturian Network for Rural Development, Belarmino Fernández Fervienza, emphasized the "diversity of rural areas" as a national asset and the need for cooperation to defend these funds. He noted that job creation and the maintenance of public services are the best fight against depopulation.
The territorial delegate for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development in Córdoba, Raquel López, valued the work of the province's seven GDRs, which have a budget of 12.4 million euros until 2028, and highlighted that Leader aid is doubled thanks to the mobilization of private initiative.
The interventions addressed administrative simplification in Leader. The manager of GDR Alto Nalón, Mª Jesús Alonso, and the manager of GDR Comarca de Guadix, Juan José Manrique, presented the Tique and Pase Rural.
Experiences on cooperation in Andalusia and Asturias were shared in areas such as sustainable food, food sovereignty, Artificial Intelligence applied to aid processing, and carbon footprint reduction in the primary and agri-food sector.
The manager of READER, Juan A. Lázaro, and the project coordinator of ARA, Pedro Menéndez, closed the event looking towards the new Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034. Menéndez warned that the future of LEADER depends on securing a double financial window and defending an autonomous budgetary allocation to avoid drastic cuts in the 48 GDRs.
The event, organized by ARA and READER with the collaboration of the GDR Campiña Sur Cordobesa and funding from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, brought together GDRs from both autonomous communities and administration representatives, including Fernando García Prieto (Head of Rural Dynamization Service of the Junta de Andalucía) and Marina Celada Carmona (Directorate General for Rural Dynamization of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food).
This initiative is part of the Asturian Network's visit to the Campiña Sur Cordobesa and Guadajoz y Campiña Este de Córdoba to learn about LEADER projects focused on innovation in the agri-food sector, crafts, and energy transition.
