Green Growth Platform organized it`s second national capacity building workshop as part of the BioRural project. The workshop was focused on biomaterials and bio based industries. It was held at the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce and was attended by various relevant stakeholders form the field such as representatives from academia, governmental bodies, industry, NGOs and students of technology.

The BioRural project`s goals and activities were presented by the president of the Green Growth Platform – Natasha Ristovska PhD along with an overview of the local bioeconomy compared to the EU`s. This bioeconomy overview was derived from the results of a survey of actors from all bio-economy sectors that was part of previous working packages of the BioRural project.

The theoretical part of the workshop included three very insightful lectures by esteemed professors from the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy – Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje closely related to the theme of the workshop. Vesna Rafajlovska PhD presented the numerous possibilities emerging from bio-waste valorization and the bio-materials that can be produced from such technologies followed by a presentation of an existing project aimed at the reduction of plastic waste by producing green composite materials with valorization of lignin by Jadranka Blazevska Gilev PhD. Finally, Jana Klopchevska PhD gave a clear overview of the national-bio economy of biomaterials.

The workshop ended with a practical exercise targeted at the implementation of potential bio-based solutions in several different value chains such as forestry and wood industries and fertilizer production. The purpose of this activity was capturing grass-root level ideas and inventions for small scale bio-based solutions in the country`s rural areas.

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The Regional Food System Dialogue Event Digital Technologies in Sustainable Food Systems was held at Hotel Holiday Inn, Skopje, North Macedonia on the 14-15 November 2023. This event was organized by Green Growth Platform and AgFutura Technologies, supported by Cities2030 project and funded by EU Horizon 2020.

The objective of the event was to identify and understand how farmers, policymakers, academia, advisors and tech providers perceive the digital transition and its impact on sustainability in the food systems.

The discussions were organized in 2 round tables and multiple tech sessions.

The idea of the Round table 1: Readiness of the agri-food sector in the Balkan region to support technological (digital) transition for sustainability, was to understand the current state of the agro food sector and its capacity to comprehend, accept and implement new technologies that will contribute for compliance to the EU agriculture and improve the business results of the sector. In this round table different stakeholders’ representatives participated: government, tech providers, donors, research and academia. The main outcomes and findings of the discussion suggest that it is very important to understand the real situation in the eco system of the agro food sector in order to develop a reform or a measure to be successful. The solution for technological transition needs to be consistent to the real needs and the technological readiness of those that drive the sector and those that create the enabling environment for the sector.

The idea of the Round table 2: Transforming the Agri-Food Systems – EU vs Balkan (Multi stakeholder perception and approach) was to present the state and the perception of key stakeholders on the operational level of the agro food system. The main representatives from farmers, academia, tech providers, and policy makers as key operational actors in the digital transition participated in the discussion. Through the experience of progressive farmers that use digital technologies in agriculture combined with examples in regional countries such as Slovenia and Croatia, an insight of the level of awareness and the perceptions for the opportunities and challenges of those that are directly involved in the agro food system was generated. The gap between the actual users of modern technologies in agriculture and those that support this process has been definitely present since the transition in the region. Understanding those that implement or support implementation of modern technologies in agriculture, their specific socio economic and behavioral needs is essential for success in digital transition.

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The specific tech sessions were dedicated to Digital technologies for achieving sustainability principles. Relevant experts from Switzerland, England, Hungary, Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia presented their technological solutions. Digital technologies play a crucial role in achieving sustainability principles by enabling organizations and individuals to monitor, manage, and mitigate their environmental impact, increase resource efficiency, and make informed decisions. Through the implementation of monitoring (remote sensing technologies), decision support (variable-rate technologies (VRT), yield monitoring, DSS, GPS tractor navigation, cloud computing), and communication technologies it’s possible to achieve the cross-cutting agricultural sustainability principles: biomass production; climate change mitigation and adaptation; biodiversity conservation; soil protection and human health.

Additionally, exhibition and synergy was organized for presentation of specific technology, equipment, innovations and EU projects. It was an excellent opportunity for networking, exchange of knowledge and experiences for all interested parties.

2nd BioRural project meeting took place in Rome!

Partners discussed progress and periodic achievements in the process of developing a transition framework towards a sustainable, regenerative, inclusive and just circular Bioeconomy across all Europe at local and regional scale.

BioRural team is dedicated in supporting innovators to scale-up inclusive and small-scale bio-based solutions in rural areas.

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On the 13 th of June 2023, Green Growth Platform in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture, University Goce Delchev – Stip, organized a workshop dedicated to the Application of digital technologies for sustainable food systems and sustainable agriculture.

The event was also supported by AGFutura Technologies.

During the sessions, the current status of food loss and food waste in EU and North Macedonia was presented and the need of systematic institutional approach and legal regulation of these important issues was highlighted.

The digital solution for supporting the redistribution of surplus food from producers, retailers and farmers to the potential food recipient developed within Ploutos project in Serbia and North Macedonia was promoted.

Proactive discussion and valuable ideas were generated from different key stakeholders, researchers, policy makers, primary agricultural production and industry representatives related to technological aspects of the platform and the food donation process.

This workshop presented a great opportunity to communicate the Ploutos ideology, exchange experiences, ideas and build networks around significant topics in sustainable food production and sustainable agri-food value chains.

The Faculty of Agriculture – Stip, Goce Delcev University – Stip, has been actively engaged in educational, research, and practical activities in the agriculture sector for the past sixteen years, contributing to its development not only in the country but also in the broader region. As part of its efforts to promote knowledge sharing and collaboration among various agricultural stakeholders, the Faculty is organizing the 3rd International Meeting Agriscience & Practice (ASP 2023). The event gave a chance to participants to present and discuss original scientific and practical findings in different areas of agriculture.

The 3rd International Meeting Agriscience & Practice (ASP 2023) aims to connect and promote scientific achievements and practical knowledge in various thematic areas. The event is intended to bring together stakeholders from the agriculture sector to share their knowledge, experiences, and challenges. The ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between research and fieldwork, both in the country and the broader international context.

We are pleased to announce that the Green Growth Platform took part in this event, joining other stakeholders in the agriculture sector. The participation of the Green Growth Platform underscores the importance of sustainable agriculture practices and the need to integrate research and practical knowledge to achieve green growth.

Green Growth Platform is an innovative organization that is committed to promoting sustainable growth and development through its various projects. One of its flagship initiatives is the use of renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change. Another key focus of the organization is the promotion of sustainable agriculture practices that improve soil health and conserve water resources, while also increasing food security and promoting economic development in rural communities. Other participants had a lot to hear from our colleagues that were present at the opening day of the Agriscience & Practice (ASP 2023) Meeting.

Green Growth Platform in collaboration with Macedonian Chambers of Commerce organized a stakeholders’ event on the 11^th of April 2023. Ploutos project goals and the social, economic and environmental benefits of the SIP9 FoodSHare platform for redistribution of surplus food were presented in front of members from different chambers, agro-business sector (producers, distributors, retailers), and representatives from the universities. The president, Mr. Trajan Angeloski and all vice-presidents from the Macedonian Chambers of Commerce expressed their support for the project activities in North Macedonia.

FoodSHare web platform facilitates the process of donating surplus food, efficiently connecting food donors with humanitarian organizations.

The FoodSHare milestones and results were highlighted with proactive engagment from the participants.  The important issues of excess food, food loss and food waste were initiated, sparking valuable discussions and insights. The need of tax incentives and adequate regulation for food donations were especially pointed with a joint agreement that a systematic approach to properly manage these issues in the country is very important. Participants demonstrated active interest for the project activities, sharing their views and providing thoughtful pointers for future reference and involvement.

The event served as a platform for networking, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and disseminating results with key stakeholders from the agro-food sector, policy makers, researchers and other organizations, thus increasing the impact of the Ploutos project.