ADEPT won top EU prize three years in succession for bringing benefits to small-scale farmers

2014: Top EU DG Environment prize for bringing benefits to small-scale farmers

ADEPT won Award for the best project in the EU for delivering socio-economic benefits to farmers in a protected area. Romania leads Europe again in bringing benefits through sustainable farming. The results of the first year of the EU’s Natura 2000 awards were announced on 21 May. The winners received trophies from the European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik, and members of the award Jury.

Fundatia ADEPT’ s work in the Târnava Mare area won the prize for the best project in Europe for bringing Socio-Economic Benefits to farmers in protected Areas (Natura 2000 sites). The Award declaration from the Commission described Fundatia ADEPT’s project as ‘an impressive example of Natura 2000 providing economic growth and sustainable livelihoods in rural areas. The project enables farmers to make a better living by working sustainably on High Nature Value farmland, while also preserving a unique landscape with rich biodiversity. Thanks to the project, 2300 farming families in the region generate income of more than €2.5 million annually, and similar ideas are now being applied in other parts of Romania’.

This was the third year in succession that Fundatia ADEPT has won a top EU award: in 2012 and 2013, ADEPT won prizes fro DG Agriculture and Rural Development for its effective and innovative communication with farmers. This demonstrates how Fundatia ADEPT’s effectively bridges the gap between Agriculture and Environment, bringing benefits to local farming communities and to landscape-scale nature conservation. Orange Romanian and Fundatia Orange has been supporting Fundatia ADEPT’s innovative approach to rural development for 12 years.

Natura 2000 is a network of over 27 000 protected sites that covers 18 % of the EU landmass and 4 % of marine areas, protecting and enhancing Europe’s natural heritage. These Awards recognise excellence in Natura 2000 site management, showcasing the value of the network for local communities and economies. Reflecting the wide range of work carried out across the Natura 2000 network, they include five categories: Conservation, Socio-Economic Benefits, Communication, Reconciling Interests/Perceptions, and Networking & Cross-Border Cooperation.