Project Name
Empowering women associations as drivers for agro-ecological transformation to generate income for Mountain farming communities.

MountainHER wants to put rural women front and center as the true drivers for social and economic progress in remote mountain communities of Algeria, Croatia, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Barley and durum wheat are the target crops, and traditional foods and malt products the target value chains. The project will promote sustainable business models that better distribute profits along super-short value chains - and involve women’s associations. Existing governance system of the women’s associations will be revised to unlock their full economic potential, and to offer equal and advantageous conditions for all their members.

The role of women’s associations in converting farm harvests into high-value food and malt products will be supported to generate 10 to 100 times more income than the simple harvest. Adequate connection with physical retailers and digital markets will be ensured, while in parallel, preliminary consumer appreciation studies will be conducted to assess the potential for gaining market shares.

MountainHER provides training and tools to favor the purchase of local harvests at higher prices by the women associations. In exchange, farmers are prompted to produce following agro-ecological practices, which are on one hand more respectful of the environment, and on the other, can generate higher prices for the food produced.