The project addresses two major issues related to rural areas: unemployment of young people and high amounts of segregated and mixed bio-waste that are not properly managed. In line with the general objectives, these challenges will be addressed through developing capacities of youth workers in recovering valuable nutrients from bio-waste (food waste, manure, sewage sludge, municipal waste etc.) and adapting them for reuse in agriculture, as a fundamental part of shifting WB agriculture away from its current linear model and an integral part of the New Circular Economy Action plan.

The specific objectives of the project:

• Development of a new form of training scheme with the purpose of empowering youth workers to become circular economy coaches, and to support rural youth in the adoption of circular conversion techniques and methods towards bio-waste streams generated from agriculture in rural areas.
• Engaging rural youths to develop knowledge, skills and competences in CE and green entrepreneurship with the purpose of starting pilot actions in conversion of growing agricultural bio-waste and by-products into eco-efficient bio-based products viable for setting up green businesses.
• Designing a Virtual Incubator for the rural youth start-up development, integrating the training path of the pilot actions with didactic resources for viral training based on new circular business models and marketing concepts for cross-sectorial valorization of agricultural by products in compliance with the relevant stakeholder’s demand.