GRAINS – Greening Agrifood in Social Economy
An EU funded project to promote the transition of enterprises in the agrifood sector to a more sustainable model.
About
The agri-food sector is both impacted by and contributes to climate change. It can help mitigate climate change by adopting several solutions, including sustainable farming practices, reducing food loss and waste, developing eco-packaging solutions, promoting local markets and sustainable diets and investing in innovative technology to reduce carbon energy and water footprint while ensuring biodiversity. Moreover, faced with growing global demand and resources competition, the EU’s agri-food activities need to be seen in a broader context, linked to energy, biodiversity, health diets and food security.
This sector is vital in achieving the European Green Deal and is supported by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) In the last years, accelerating the twin transition has become a transversal priority for the European Union, and the social economy plays a crucial role in this twin transition by helping to build a greener and more equitable agrifood sector, promoting inclusive and sustainable models.
In 2022, the European Commission published the Twin Transition Pathway for social economy ecosystem. Social economy players are developing alternative and sustainable food systems. Small and medium-sized agri-food enterprises can promote sustainability by reducing emissions, providing affordable and high-quality food, and generating employment opportunities. However, these SMEs face challenges such as skills gaps, policy restrictions, and funding constraints.
Objectives
GRAINS project aims to address these challenges by providing training on sustainable practices and on how to reduce their environmental footprint.
- Supporting the transition of social economy SMEs towards sustainable and environmentally friendly practices and production processes.
- Promoting the adoption of sustainable technologies and innovations in the agri-food
- Building the capacity and competitiveness of social economy SMEs through knowledge transfer and skills development in sustainable practices.
- Fostering transnational cooperation, best practice sharing, and promoting sustainable practices through awareness-raising efforts.
Outputs
European capacity building trainings
participants
Coaching and mentoring advice services to
SME's
Business advisory services to
SME's
Financial support to
SME's
Opportunity hub
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIST OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: Call for Proposals for Financial Support
Through the Call for Proposals for Financial Support for Social Economy SMEs in Agrifood Sector, 60 participants selected to support financially the implementation of their greening projects in their agrifood businesses in EU Members States and Ukraine.
Access here access the list of successful applicants and the details about the Call.
LIST OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: Final round of Call for Interest: Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
Through the Call for Interest for Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood, 40 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agri-food sector is to be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. The third and final round of the Call was open between from rom 12 November 2024 to 13 December 2024.
Access here the list of successful applicants and the details about the services provided.
LIST OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: Final round of Call for Interest: Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
Through the Call for Interest for Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood, 30 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agri-food sector are selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. The third and final round of the Call was open between from 12 November 2024 to 13 December 2024.
Access here access the list of successful applicants and the details about the services provided.
LIST OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: 2nd round of Call for Interest: Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
Through the Call for Interest for Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood, 40 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agri-food sector is to be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. The second round of the Call was open between from 26 August 2024 to 20 September 2024.
Acces here the list of successful applicants and the details about the services provided.
LIST OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: 2nd round of Call for Interest: Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
Through the Call for Interest for Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood, 30 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agri-food sector are selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. The first round of the Call was open between from 26 August 2024 to 20 September 2024.
Access here access the list of successful applicants and the details about the services provided.
LIST OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: 1st round of Call for Interest: Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
Through the Call for Interest for Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood, 30 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agri-food sector are selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. The first round of the Call was open between from 28 March 2024 to 15 June 2024.
Access here access the list of successful applicants and the details about the services provided.
LIST OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: 1st round of Call for Interest: Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
Through the Call for Interest for Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood, 40 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agri-food sector is to be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. The first round of the Call was open between from 28 March 2024 to 15 June 2024.
Access here the list of successful applicants and the details about the services provided.
GENERAL INFORMATION ON CAPACITY BUILDING TRAININGS
The trainings are organised between January 2024 and May 2025 online, in English and open to all free of charge but registration is needed. Materials used during the sessions are accessible through this website, in the Training Materials section.
Check all the information about the training session here.
The next online training is in September 2024 on branding and labeling.
Open Calls
COMING SOON
New call to participate in the upcoming capacity building will open in May 2025.
Closed Calls
(Final round) CALL FOR INTEREST: Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
30 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agrifood sector will be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. This support includes coaching and mentoring services designed to assist the beneficiaries in assessing their requirements and developing action plans to adopt sustainable practices within their operations.
Find updated information here and apply through this link by the 13 December 2024.
(Final round) CALL FOR INTEREST: Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
40 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agrifood sector will be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. This support includes advisory services designed to assist the beneficiaries to adopt sustainable practices within their operations.
Find the updated information here and apply through this link by the 13 December 2024.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
This Call for Proposals for Financial Support for Social Economy SMEs in Agrifood was open from 29 February 2024 to 28 June 2024 17:00 CET (final deadline). Financial support up to 8175 EUR to be granted for 60 Social Economy SMEs in the agrifood sector. Application process and more details were available in the European Cluster Collaboration Platform. You find the text of call also here.
If you are a service provider, the opportunity to apply for admission to the service provider’s pool is also closed by now (see below).
(Second round) CALL FOR INTEREST: Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
30 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agrifood sector will be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. This support includes coaching and mentoring services designed to assist the beneficiaries in assessing their requirements and developing action plans to adopt sustainable practices within their operations.
Find updated information here and apply through this link before the 20 September 2024.
(Second round) CALL FOR INTEREST: Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
40 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agrifood sector will be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. This support includes advisory services designed to assist the beneficiaries to adopt sustainable practices within their operations.
Find the updated information here and apply through this link before the 20 September 2024.
(First round) CALL FOR INTEREST: Coaching and Mentoring Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
30 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agrifood sector will be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. This support includes coaching and mentoring services designed to assist the beneficiaries in assessing their requirements and developing action plans to adopt sustainable practices within their operations.
Find updated information here and apply through this link before the 15 June 2024.
(First round) CALL FOR INTEREST: Specialised Advisory Services for Social Economy SMEs on Greening Agrifood
40 participants from Social Economy SMEs in the agrifood sector will be selected to receive support for the implementation of their project. This support includes advisory services designed to assist the beneficiaries to adopt sustainable practices within their operations.
Find the updated information here and apply through this link before the 15 June 2024.
CALL FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS
Selected Social Economy SMEs will contract verified service providers financed through the grant provided to them by the Financial Facility Program. Read all the information about the call here.
Find here the most recent Service Providers List.
FIRST CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS TO CAPACITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES
Registration for next trainings will be announced individually. Read all the information about the call here.
Training materials
Full training package for business needs and innovation
Financial tools for the green transition of small and medium sized enterprises in Social Economy (25 January 2024)
The following materials are available to download:
Agenda
Training material
Presentations
- About the Grains Project
- Community Cooperative of «Vivo Petrolio»
by Pina Sodano, Consorzio Ruini Impresa Sociale - Crowdinvest for CSA – Ackerilla
by Nils Haubner - Examples of Financial Instruments’ Beneficiaries & Operators in the Rural SE Sector in Poland
by Urszula Fila-Kicman, FISE Expert - Financial instruments for greening agrifood in social economy
by Center for Not-for-profit Law - Financial tools for greening agri-food sector in Slovenia
by Štefan Bojnec - Green as a process
by Oana Zglobiu, Patria Credit - Greening the Agrifood in Social Economy
by DIESIS - Public & private procurement: Procurement Corn and Milk Program, Brasov City Hall, Romania
by Center for Not-for-profit Law
Access to technology and digitalisation for the green transition of Social Economy Small and Medium Enterprises (26 March 2024)
The following materials are available to download:
Agenda
Training material
Presentations
-
GRAINS project presentation by Melinda Kelemen
-
Digital Empowerment for Sustainable Growth: Navigating the Green Transition of AgriFood SMEs by Yevhenii Predchenko
-
Increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of enterprises through the implementation of renewable energy sources by Anton Kaspirovych and Promavtomatyka Vinnytsia
-
The Open Food Network by Julian Plagemann
-
Orto magico by Pina Sodano
Clusters of Social and Ecological Innovation (CSEIs) and European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) (27 June 2024)
The following materials are available to download:
Agenda
Training material
Presentations
- About the GRAINS project by Melinda Kelemen (Diesis Network)
- Partnership and local green deal by Anastasia Costantini (Diesis Network)
- Clusters of Social and Ecological Innovation (CSEIs) by Francesco De Rosa (Diesis Network)
- European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) and the PAI case by Alice Zanasi (University of Torino)
Case studies
Branding and Green Labeling (17 September 2024)
The following materials are available to download:
Agenda
Training material
Presentations
- Introduction by Massimo D’Andrea
- Certification ISO by Carlotta D’Orsi
- Brand Identity by Barbara Pancino
- Certifications for agri-food enhancement by Francisco Martinez
Case studies
Eco packaging and unpacking (27 November 2024)
The following materials are available to download:
Agenda
Training material
Presentations
- Reducing packaging and unpacking and new alternatives by Emilio Bianco
- Unpackaging and Zero Waste Strategies by Barbara Pancino
- Certification of eco packaging by Francisco Martinez
Case studies
- Cantine Hermes (Italy) by Alessandro Costantini
- CUIB (Romania) by Anca Gheorghică
- Eco Packaging and Unpacking (Ukraine) by Marta-Anna Tynna
Taste the waste (29 January 2025)
The following materials are available to download:
Agenda
Training material
- Taste the waste -how does food waste occur; how can we preventit and what is its ecological footprint? – Training material
Presentations
- The incidence of food waste in agri-food chains and tools for their reduction by Barbara Pancino
- GRAINS project by Marta Bruschi
- Understanding food waste by Melike Akkus
Case studies
- Community Supported Agriculture by Anne Czaplinski
- Tarilka food bank by Anzehelika Dubinenko
- EuroCoop by Fabrizio Fabbri
- Foodsharing by Kristina Bayer
Hands-On: Biodiversity (27 March 2025)
The following materials are available to download:
Agenda
Training material
Presentations
- Getting an overview on the topic: understanding biodiversity and current issues by Nils Haubner
- EU funding modalities for agroecological practices by Francisco Martínez
Case studies
- Agroturism and biodiversity- Agrotourismo su sati podere Valbella by Antonio Cardia
- Hof vErde -Biodiversity in syntropic agroforestry by Lilly Schmidtlein
- Organic farming during the war: biodiversity issues by Yevhen Milovanov
- Agroforesty: Fostering biodiversity & resilient agroecosystems with agroforestry by Leon Bessert
Info Day Webinar
Watch again the GRAINS Info Day hosted 11 April 2024. In this webinar the project activities and the opportunities it offers to SMEs is explained. You can access here the presentation in pdf.
#GRAINSforaGreenerFuture campaign
We are spreading awareness about how social economy economy organistions are reshaping the agrifood sector. Prioritising people, they forge direct connections between producers, consumers, and communities for a more sustainable future.
BEES Coop, a cooperative supermarket in Brussels offering an alternative to mass food distribution with quality products at affordable prices.
BEES Coop’s unique “triple commitment” model empowers members as owners, workers, and customers, fostering an inclusive, sustainable community.
Their mission is to make sustainable food accessible to all, support local economies, and build a transparent, socially responsible model. They prioritise local, fair-trade products and promotes bulk food sales to reduce waste.
L[ag]UM, an initiative that cultivates not only vegetables but also citizens’ awareness.
Located in the heart of Brussels, L[ag]UM serves as a showcase for urban agriculture. This rooftop farm is dedicated to cultivating over 50 varieties of vegetables, 25 types of aromatic plants, as well as small fruits and edible flowers.
The farm supplies a nearby restaurant just 300 meters away, while local residents benefit from weekly self-pick opportunities. Surplus produce is distributed to recipients of the Ixelles CPAS program. This participatory research project is a collaboration between Refresh Brussels, the Ixelles Commune, and the Agroecology Laboratory at ULB.
Orto del Sorriso, a Social Agricultural Cooperative operating in the territories of Jesi and Ancona in Italy.
Through social agriculture, they restore dignity and create job opportunities for those often excluded from society. It is an agriculture and social inclusion project offering opportunities for work and participation to people who find themselves in situations of disadvantage or difficulty.
Their goal is to create an inclusive environment, providing opportunities to actively participate in community life and learning new skills through both fieldwork and their professional food processing laboratory.
Nod Verde: Bridging the Gap Between Local Farmers and Consumers.
Launched by Civitas Foundation for Civil Society Cluj and supported by the Romanian American Foundation, this initiative empowers small farmers in Romania to integrate their products into the agri-food market.
Through innovative practices, creates a stronger, more sustainable food network while supporting rural livelihoods, transforming Romania’s food systems to be more inclusive and sustainable.
Read their presentation for more details.
In the agrifood sector, social economy is pivotal in promoting sustainability and fostering social cohesion through food. It serves as a catalyst for employment, addressing social challenges, and driving local economic growth.
Explore initiatives leveraging food for dual benefits—environmental and societal. Here, we showcase inspiring SMEs in the agrifood sector, illustrating their transformative impact on society and providing insights for replication.
Discover how these initiatives aligned with the 14 action areas defined in the Transition Pathway for Proximity and #socialeconomy by the European Commission.
Do you want to highlight your SMEs through our campaign?
Contact us at grainsproject@diesis.coop
Partnership
To achieve the project objectives, a strong and synergical consortium has been set up, composed of 6 organisations in 5 countries: Belgium, Germany, Romania, Italy and Ukraine.
Diesis - Coordinator
www.diesis.coop
Associazione Generale Cooperative Italiane
www.agci.it
Consorzio Ruini Societa' Cooperativa Consortile Impresa Sociale
www.consorziomeuccioruini.it
innova eG
www.innova-eg.de
Charitable Organization Platform for Social Change
www.social-change.com.ua/ukrainian-social-academys-en
Asociatia Centrul Pentru Legislatie Nonprofit
www.clnr.ro
The consortium partners are directly supported by 3 associated partners: EURO COOP that brings together 20 national movements of consumer co-operatives in Europe, plus PRACTICO, a part of Smart People business school in Ukraine, and Leaders International ASBL
Newsletter
Contact
Diesis Network
Boulevard Charlemagne 74
1000 Brussels – Belgium
TVA BE 0460304689
Tel: +32.2.543.10.43
diesis@diesis.coop
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Project number 101127575