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Executing Agency: Association of Conscious Consumers (www.tudatosvasarlo.hu) Swiss partner: AGRIDEA (www.agridea.ch) Project title: Consumer-farmer cooperation: consumption practices Special allocations: Twinning and Partnership Block Grant / Partnership Spreading sustainable food Summary/context: Both family-run, small-scale farmers and consumers throughout Europe face a similar set of challenges. As most European countries, Hungary also faces rural exodus, caused mostly by weakening rural economies. Traditional rural communities are ageing and diminishing because of the economic problems of small-scale producers, especially in relation to competition and marketing. These phenomena lead to various social, environmental and cultural problems that should be solved in a sustainable manner. Although consumers could contribute to the preservation of local and rural economy through their shopping habits, the rural exodus contributes to the loss of knowledge, rich diversity and cultural traditions. Goals: The project aims to raise awareness about Community supported agriculture (CSA) and about buying groups, and to help to implement them in Hungary and Switzerland. For this purpose, practical support will be provided to farmers and consumers to organise CSAs or buying groups in their local area. Consequently, the project will help farmers to be able to better understand consumers’ expectations, while consumers will gain an in-depth knowledge on the advantages of buying local food and the economic and social issues farmers face today. Activities: - - - - Expected results: - Exchange of experience and transfer of methodology during a field visit in Switzerland which will provide knowledge about Swiss CSAs and buying groups Elaboration of workshop and online methodology for consumers and famers to provide information on what CSAs and buying groups are, how to start CSAs or buying groups, how to develop appropriate communication and administration tools and how to solve the typical problems that may arise Presentation and pilot workshop to test the developed methodology, the workshop outline and the presentation Organisation of four roll-out workshops and presentations throughout Hungary (one each in the Northern, North Great Plain, South Great Plain and South Transdanubia Regions) Volunteer training in order to enable the volunteers to hold such workshops throughout the country Consumers have access to high quality, healthy and local food which reduces the environmental burden Local food systems are created which support small-scale farmers and thus contribute to the subsistence of rural areas Reducing economic and social disparities between the dynamic urban centre and structurally weak urban regions in Hungary through promoting and empowering active urban consumer and rural producer partnerships and cooperation Target Groups: Participating partners, farmers and consumers of disadvantaged regions (ca. 250’000 persons will be reached through the project) Total budget (CHF/HUF): 100’275.50 CHF / 21’490’040 HUF Amount of Swiss Grant: 90’247.90 CHF Planned date of completion: 31.07.2013 Intermediate Body: Széchenyi Programiroda Nonprofit Ltd. (www.szpi.hu)