Rural Entrepreneurship course at La Junquera

One of the challenges of these times is that farms can no longer rely on agriculture alone to earn their income. As climate change increasingly affects yields, farmers must diversify their farming practices to survive. Therefore, young people are looking for options in addition to managing their farms that can provide the additional income needed to have a decent life in the field.

In La Junquera, Murcia, Spain, we organized the first sustainable entrepreneurship course for young and future agribusinesses that seek to professionalize and diversify their income. To start a sustainable agro-business in the countryside of southern Spain many obstacles have to be overcome.

Challenges in the agricultural system such as the depopulation of rural areas, population aging, lack of young people, and little entrepreneurial spirit make it hard to start a business. The young entrepreneurs face an uncertain future and therefore the Regeneration Academy is looking for ways to support them and to give them the tools and confidence that is needed to push their business ideas through.

The course was organized together with the RockGroup, a sustainable consultancy firm from the Netherlands and was inspired by the 4 Returns of Commonland and the Spanish AlVelAl Association.

During the course the entrepreneurs learned about the importance of organizing and giving value to their business idea and creating strategic alliances in the territory that can create positive synergies that are vital to take the business forward in this territory.

We had 9 participants from all over the territory who have been developing their business (idea) and were looking for feedback and a network to work with. The Academy will keep supporting these 9 people and their businesses the coming year with more training days and one on one coaching sessions.

(Agrolavia, La Ninja de las Uvas, La Catalana, Bodega Balcona, Ixora Chocolat and more)