Between 2007 and 2013, more than 20,000 stakeholders received funding from Wallonia and Europe to improve their practices, modernise their work tools or roll out initiatives in the fields of training, tourism development and social cohesion. These are farmers and forest owners, rural collectivities, businesses, tourism operators, people who have thus seen their living environment change and take on a new lease of life.
This brochure, for the attention of the general public, puts the spotlight on forty projects that give a concrete picture of the measures financed by the Rural Development Programme (RDP). The four major measures of this Programme have various repercussions for the people in question: sometimes, through the production of high-quality food, at other times by giving a boost to a large territory through the LEADER initiative; or again when young farmers undergo training and take over farms.
Discover their stories as you browse through the brochure. Learn how Europe and Wallonia, through their investment, help to strengthen the existing potential of rural areas and secure better living conditions for their inhabitants. To find out even more about them and see these project carriers for yourself, do not hesitate to visit the site www.ruralites.be. Fascinating first-hand insights!
The next programming for the period 2014-2020 is underway! Let us hope that Wallonia and Europe continue to invest in the Walloon rural areas to guarantee them a bright future and sustain the momentum that has now been successfully built up.
Happy reading!