The joint activity’s idea is to support the efforts of farmers and small and medium-size enterprises on both sides of the border to improve their competitiveness as well as to stimulate the establishment of connections and networks between the organizations and the individuals at regional and cross-border level by developing nature-friendly and natural resource protective agriculture. The border region largely shares common natural resources (waters, sustainable development of vulnerable/sensitive areas/habitats) as well as challenges related to prevention of environmental hazards and combating climate change, sustainable use of natural resources. The two countries face the challenge to implement the regulations and use the opportunities offered by the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU – Bulgaria as a new member state and Turkey as an candidate country which includes agricultural practices to protect the environment.
The main objective of the proposal is to focus the attention of farmers and SMEs, working in the area of processing of agricultural produce, on protecting the environment and nature-friendly behavior in order to protect soil, water and landscape in border regions. The project proposal aims to achieve the targets set under Priority Axis 2, with intervention area 2.2 capacity building for sustainable use of natural resources, cultural and historic heritage by conducting joint field visits and training campaigns focused on protecting the environment and nature-friendly behavior, preserving the vulnerable/sensitive areas/habitats, challenges related to prevention of environmental hazards and combating climate change, sustainable use of natural resources and distribution of rules for collecting of non-forest products, emergency preparedness, reducing of negative impact of economic activities on the environment and encouraging nature-friendly economic activities.
Increasing the capacity of farmers and SMEs from the processing industry in the region of Burgas, Yambol, and Haskovo from Bulgarian side as well as farmers and SMEs from the two Turkish provinces, Edrine and Kirklareli, to use agricultural practices to protect the environment and nature-friendly behavior of farmers in order to protect soil, landscape and water in the border regions. The aim is to encourage the use of new ecologic and nature-friendly practices, allowing the stakeholders acquire better professional competence and increase and intensify the relations among themselves. With the help of scientists specialists from the cross-border region, working in the sphere of agriculture and protection of the environment, the knowledge about the EU policy for development of agricultural regions will be improved by exchange of good practices and initiatives for preserving the environment and nature-friendly behavior of farmers in order to strengthen and increase the capacity for development of sustainable and ecological agriculture.
The planned activities will contribute to the effective achieving of the targets having in mind the upcoming changes in CAP, related to the preserving of natural potential and introducing of good agricultural practices. Network building for cross-border co-operation to apply agricultural practices protective of the environment, which contribute to the improvement of production quality of SMEs and farmers in the implementation fields of the project, will be actively stimulated. The specific goals of the project include: increasing the capacity of farmers and processing businesses for sustainable management of land and environmental elements in agriculture; establishment of network of representatives of target groups for experience and good agricultural practices exchange; formulating of an opportunity and working projects for popularizing of measures for preserving natural wealth by activities and initiatives protective of the environment.