Highlighting good practices in Poland and Lithuania
Some National Networks turn the collection and dissemination of CAP-funded projects into a celebration, organising or supporting good practice competitions. Episode 1: focus on Poland and Lithuania.
Here at the EU CAP Network, we have the annual Agricultural and Rural Inspiration Awards (ARIA) competition, which aims to highlight and reward inspirational projects co-funded through the CAP. Similar competitions are organised at the Member State level, turning the collection and dissemination of good practices - a key task of the National Networks (NNs) - into festive events for a wider audience.
Following the recent 5th NN meeting, which focused on the identification, collection, analysis and dissemination of good practices, some NNs agreed to share more details about their experience. In this edition of the EU CAP Network newsletter, we focus on Poland and Lithuania.
Poland
In 2024 alone, 46 competitions, where the Polish National Network was involved to various degrees, were organised in Poland to highlight agricultural and rural development good practices.
The Przyjazna Wieś (Friendly Village) competition, for example, was first organised in 2009 to highlight the use of EU funding in Poland’s rural areas and to inspire other beneficiaries as well as local and regional authorities when thinking of future projects. The 8th edition is currently underway, with a concluding gala event planned for May 2025. The National Network now uses this competition to identify projects to submit to the EU CAP Network for ARIA.
The Moja SMART Wieś (My SMART Village) competition (organised in 2019, 2020-21 and 2022-23 by the Institute for Rural Development and Agriculture of the Polish Academy of Science, a Network partner) has focused on identifying not only existing examples of Smart Village projects, but also ideas for future implementation to help the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development frame the scope of support to be provided under the CAP 2023-27.
Sposób na Sukces (The Way to Success) is a high-profile competition that has awarded examples of initiatives, principally involving agricultural businesses, that create jobs in rural areas and towns of up to 20 000 inhabitants. Since its first edition in 2000, the categories have remained constant: family businesses; individual businesses; companies; and social enterprises / community projects.
A separate award, Kobiety tworzą innowacje (Women create innovation), was first held in 2024. It aims to highlight the role of women in implementing innovation in agriculture and rural areas. The competition aims to identify completed projects, including scientific and research work and innovative solutions that have a practical impact on the development of agriculture and rural areas.
It also aims to inspire other women working for the development of agriculture and rural areas.
Lithuania
The Future Village Creators Awards is an annual event, organised by the Lithuanian CAP Network, first launched in 2021. This has already become an annual event, and over 200 projects have already participated in the competition.
After three online editions (2021, 2022 and 2023), in 2024, the awards became an in-person event for the first time - a decision that was 100 percent correct according to the organisers, who commend the “remarkable” atmosphere during the award ceremony, the emotions of the participants and the festive mood.
The categories of the last edition included: Smart Farm, Smart Business, Friendly with Nature, Creators of Well-being, and Initiatives of Young People and/or Women.
Also in 2024, a new ‘Public vote’ category was introduced, allowing network members and other stakeholders to vote for their favourite project.
Besides helping the NN collect good practices, in line with its official remit, the competition is helping them maintain and update a database of good practice examples, which contains information about successful CAP-funded projects in the country. These are included, for example, in field visits the NN organises for foreign guests.
Stay tuned!
In the next edition of the EU CAP Network newsletter, we will tell you more about good practice competitions in Spain and Slovenia, organised at the ministerial level with the active involvement of the respective NNs. Stay tuned, and make sure you are subscribed!