SAGA - Social And GAstronomic entreprenuership in empty Europe

Central to Europe's future is reducing inequality, ensuring economic recovery and inclusive and sustainable long-term growth, by engaging citizens, social partners, public authorities, businesses, including SMEs, as well as social entrepreneurs.

SAGA aims to contribute to the reduction of inequality, ensure economic recovery as well as inclusive and sustainable long-term growth through co-creation and co-focusing, engaging all relevant stakeholders, developing and validating a training program for the population living in " Empty Europe' but at the same time having a rich culinary heritage and/or food production. SAGA develops and evaluates an innovative training program for those living in these types of rural areas, addressing their pressing issues such as unemployment and economic and social revitalization, giving them knowledge, competencies, and skills to develop social enterprises in the gastronomic, food, and culinary fields. Specifically, it is aimed at:

• (Potential) Individual social entrepreneurs belonging to disadvantaged groups (due to social, economic or geographical reasons);
• (Potential) Individual entrepreneurs from the food, gastronomic, and culinary heritage sectors who want to align their business ideas with the established social challenges.

Special attention and efforts will be made to address women in these areas (directly or through NGOs), as they are underrepresented in employment or economic activity, have higher unemployment rates, and often have additional barriers to the labor market due to their caregiving role (for example for young children or for elderly family members).

The creation of (joint) social enterprises provides an opportunity for professional and economic development. Through the use of training and e-learning methodologies for co-creation and entrepreneurship, SAGA improves the skills needed to create socially innovative and impactful social enterprises. The emphasis of the program is on co-creation, co-sharing, and collaboration as a basis for the survival of the intended enterprise, as well as on the specifics related to the idea, creation, and management of a social enterprise within the specific field of gastronomy and food production.

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