This deliverable focuses on 20 national case studies that shed light on 200 women who spearhead unique innovations in the realm of rural areas and farming across ten European countries. The innovations led by the women are centred around four pillars of sustainability: environmental, social, economic, and cultural. They span across three distinct rural typologies: rural areas close to a city, rural villages, and remote rural regions. This comprehensive study provides a rich tapestry of female-led ingenuity and resilience in rural Europe.

The case study reports on 100 women-led farming innovations revealing a diverse, unique, and dynamic set of innovations. However, the rural location’s impact on these innovations is debated, with some countries finding that the type of innovation or regional differences within a country are more significant than the rural typology. The women have introduced farming innovations that vary in scale, duration, and ownership structure, with many based on organic, biodynamic, and agroecological farming. Women engaged in farming innovation often face challenges due to patriarchal social norms, with many feeling that they are not being taken seriously, particularly those without a family farming background. Despite these challenges, which include motherhood, financial constraints, bureaucratic hurdles, and infrastructural issues, many women gain community respect and inspire others by successfully managing their farming projects. Despite challenges, women engaged in farming innovation are combining domestic and care work with business, and leveraging support from partners, family, and friends. They also benefit from financial grants, strong local and international networks, technology, visibility through media, and support from local governments, demonstrating resilience and adaptability in their endeavours.

The case study also reports on 100 female-led rural innovations, which vary greatly across and within countries, with many recent initiatives in the past four years. These innovators, ranging in age from 26 to 78 and often highly educated, lead these initiatives either individually or in groups, and operate through registered businesses, associations, or informally, demonstrating the diversity and adaptability of women in this sector. The innovations are mostly related to environmental activities, community engagement, rural job creation, tourism, and training and education initiatives. The impact of the rural location on these innovations varies, with some countries finding that the type of innovation or other characteristics like local culture and religiosity are more significant than the rural typology. Despite these challenges, women innovators leverage their rural environments, integrating community needs, utilizing local resources, and creating urban-rural connections, demonstrating adaptability across different rural typologies. Support from intimate social circles, including partners and family, is essential for women-led innovations in rural areas, though work-life balance can be a challenge, particularly in relation to childcare. Local communities can provide resources and support, but gaining trust can be difficult, and infrastructure constraints, such as public transport and broadband, can impact innovation. Financial constraints are common, with complex regulations and bureaucracy posing additional challenges, yet public funds and alternative funding routes can provide crucial support. Despite these challenges, favourable conditions such as technical and business support systems, passion for their innovations, supportive networks, and geographical circumstances can offer opportunities for innovative solutions.

Drawing together female-led farming and rural innovations we can see that they are both diverse and have a high degree of adaptability. The importance of local and international networks, financial grants, and support from local governments are emphasized in fostering these innovations. Also, the role of and support from partners, family, and friends in these innovations are significant in both female-led farming and rural innovations. The challenges the women face include patriarchal social norms, financial constraints, bureaucratic hurdles, and issues related to infrastructure. The impact of rural location varies, with some countries finding that factors other than the rural typology, such as the type of innovation or regional differences within a country, are more significant.@en

A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of people who share a common interest, collaborating and learning together about how to develop this interest and apply it in practice. In socio-ecological transition movements-such as permaculture, transition networks and eco-villages - CoPs have the potential to become systems and spaces that have real power and influence.

Over an 18-month period between May 2024 and December 2025, twenty innovative rural and farming women from ten European countries will play the central role as Innovation Ambassadors in the FLIARA CoP. Engagement in this EU-wide interchange platform for multi-actor exchanges will happen both offline and online, anchored around four CoP Networking Events in Ireland, Slovenia, Italy and Sweden.

These event locations have been determined based on a geographically spaced typology established in WP3 and WP4, considering four macro-regional hubs. The networking events will bring together relevant stakeholders, including 20 women Innovation Ambassadors. These 20 women are being selected from case studies conducted during WP3. The Innovation Ambassadors, who are women leading innovative practices in agriculture and rural areas, will play a central role in these events.

Building on the power of social networks, the CoP will be developed with these women ambassadors alongside key policy and governance stakeholders. The CoP Network will occur in conjunction with a Campaign of Visibility for women-led rural innovations, spotlighting women as key innovation actors for a sustainable rural future.

The FLIARA CoP Networking Events will serve as platforms for knowledge exchange, showcasing innovative practices, and fostering visibility for women in agriculture and rural innovation. The events will also facilitate engagement with key actors involved in rural and farming innovation, such as SCAR AKIS, EU and National AKIS Coordinating Bodies, EU and National CAP Networks, Policy Makers and the FLIARA Stakeholder Advisory Board. These events aim to promote collaboration, share best practices, and provide valuable insights for policy development and implementation. The CoP Network will also provide elements of the FLIARA Toolkit as an additional outcome of this practical user-centre interactive initiative.

This Strategic Action Plan (SAP) serves as roadmap to establish, organise, implement and monitor the FLIARA CoP. It provides a guide for partners to ensure that everyone understands what needs to be achieved. It identifies specific activities, assigns responsibilities and outlines specific actions. Links to all necessary support documents are provided. As the FLIARA CoP takes place over an 18-month timeframe, the SAP will be a living document and allow for adaptation to changing circumstances to ensure that the CoP stays relevant and responsive to the needs of the women.@en

The Netherlands is a decentralized unitary state with three layers of government. Many tasks regarding planning and policies for rural areas have been decentralized to provinces. Other important tasks have been decentralized to municipalities. There is a minister for emancipation who has a coordinating role.@en

Regional governance is coming to play an increasingly pivotal role in the planning of housing development. It has been argued that an absence of formal accountability lines in regional governance is beneficial because it makes inter-municipal coordination more flexible, without the need for territorial adjustments in local authorities. However, this view is based on a narrow interpretation of public accountability. In fact, regional governance becomes effective when hierarchical accountability arrangements are structured to reinforce horizontal accountability that strengthens self-organising capacity. This paper is based on a study of regional housing planning in the province of South Holland, the Netherlands, and analyses three types of governance modes (hierarchical, horizontal and market-oriented) and public accountability relationships. The measures undertaken in the case under review to ensure effective regional housing planning under changing market circumstances highlight the need to modify accountability arrangements when policy-makers choose a new set of governance modes in order to shape relational dynamics appropriately.@en