ESSEDRA stands for “Environmentally Sustainable Socio-Economic Development of Rural Areas.” Co-funded by the European Union’s Directorate-General for Enlargement (DG Enlargement) and coordinated by Slow Food, the ESSEDRA Project aims to support the European Union accession process of the Balkan countries and Turkey.
With the Friends of the Kitchen Association serving as one of the project partners on behalf of Turkey, ESSEDRA—carried out under the leadership of Slow Food in collaboration with nine NGOs from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and the United Kingdom— aimed to strengthen local civil society organizations working on agriculture, rural development, and food quality, while also addressing related issues such as the protection of biodiversity, combating climate change, and the well-being of local communities. During the project’s implementation from 2012 to 2016, it was carried out at three interconnected main levels:
- Advocacy activities to promote the role of smallholder farmers in biodiversity conservation; analyses of policies related to the food system and rural development, as well as strategic advocacy and monitoring efforts; - Ensuring that NGOs in the Balkans and Turkey participate in public discussions on sustainable rural development and play a role in policy and decision-making processes;
- Supporting small-scale food producers, promoting robust models for biodiversity conservation, and conducting field research on agricultural products at risk of extinction.
- Conducting ongoing communication activities to reach more people, including workshops and training sessions; organizing responsible consumption campaigns; launching the European Citizens’ Initiative to support local food consumption, providing information in the Balkans and Turkey on the impact of policies on daily life, and engaging in policy-making and implementation processes.