
Agricultural and Rural Inspiration
Awards 2024:
Empowering young people
Discover the winners and all the finalists of #ARIAwards24

Meet ARIA 2024 winners!
The Agricultural and Rural Inspiration Awards (ARIA) 2024 celebrated the greenest, smartest, most socially inclusive, innovative and resilient Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) projects implemented at the local level. This 6th edition of the competition (previously RIA – Rural Inspiration Awards) spotlighted projects that empower young people and women in rural areas.
This year, 24 projects were selected by experts under four thematic categories aligned with the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). For the first time, the “Gender Equality Award” was introduced, recognising a project that makes significant strides in advancing gender equality in rural areas. As in previous years, the public also had the opportunity to vote for their favourite project via a Popular Vote which attracted over 14 000 votes, making this edition the most successful in the competition’s history.
During the ARIA ceremony on 4 December, held both in Brussels and online, representatives from the European Commission and European associations revealed the six winners of ARIA 2024: five thematic winners (one from each category, including the Gender Equality Award), chosen by the jury, and the winner of the Popular Vote.
Find out below who the winners are and browse the rest of the page to discover the other finalists!
Discover the winners
Iris: the true scent of Tuscany
Enhancing production, processing and transformation of a landmark product
The little conserve factory/La Petite Conservarie from France
Promoting social cohesion while tackling food insecurity


Authentic Honey Meets DNA Technology
Innovative methods promote fair competition in the honey market
ARIA Ceremony
Award categories
Discover the finalists of the ARIA 2024 competition in the four categories, which reflect on the priorities of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Smart & competitive agriculture
CAP-funded projects that contribute to a smart, competitive, resilient and diversified agricultural sector ensuring long-term food security.

Bananika
Giving bananas a happy ending

Boer2B (Farmer2Business)
Making farmers' direct sales more efficient and sustainable

DaLeA – permanent living mulch in arable farming
Using cover crops for soil health and climate action

Farm-to-face cosmetics – slow luxury
A new approach in the skincare industry

Environmental Protection
CAP-funded projects that strengthen environmental protection, including biodiversity, tackle climate change, demonstrate sustainability and/or contribute to the green recovery.

Farm Carbon E.I.P.
Sustainable solutions to reduce emissions from peatlands

Farming with, and for, biodiversity on lowland farms
Bird conservation measures help climate resilience

La Junquera regenerative farm and rural development initiative
Sustainable farming, education and entrepreneurship

Lapland shepherd holidays: authentic experiences and open landscapes
Promoting agricultural and cultural landscapes
Utopia Space
Technology meets agriculture for a sustainable future

Socio-Economic Fabric of Rural Areas
CAP-funded projects that demonstrate their contribution to strengthening the economic resilience of rural Europe, innovatively address social aspects, demonstrate a sustainable approach to advancing the benefits of digitalisation in farming and for rural communities, contribute to the inclusiveness and resilience of rural society, and/or support rural entrepreneurs and businesses in an innovative way.

Boosting mental well-being in rural workplaces
Breaking taboos and planting the seeds for change

Creation of an educational farm – Pszczelandia
Sharing the secrets of beekeeping and ecology with the community

Quinta da Moscadinha
A cider distillery driving the local economy

The Galway Wool Co-op
Restoring the value of a natural fibre

Rural Youth
CAP-funded projects that spotlight young people (under 40 years old), support the development of rural skills, help revitalise rural areas and develop sustainable and high-quality rural jobs accessible to young people.
CTAY youth centres – with young people, for young people
Promoting youth work and projects for the region's future

Food station
An innovative learning lab for sustainable food entrepreneurs

Mental well-being starts at school
Strengthening mental health literacy of future farmers

Mobile youth centre
A mobile youth centre promoting youth participation
Young entrepreneurs training course
Training young people to generate value for their regions