The third edition of the Forum En Primera Persona del Rural, an initiative promoted by Ence Terra to make visible and strengthen development opportunities in the territory, was held in Asturias, following on from the first two editions on Galician soil. The meeting brought together experts, institutional representatives and agents of the territory to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of rural Asturias.
Moderated by Manuel Calvo Rey, the forum counted with the outstanding interventions of Luis García, director of the EFA Fonteboa Rural Promotion Center, and Ana María Acevedo, from Fabas La Estela, in Coaña. Both offered their vision about the challenges and opportunities of the Asturian rural environment, highlighting the need to dignify the primary sector and promote training appropriate to the needs of agricultural enterprises.
Luis García, for his part, underlined the importance of training as a strategic tool to face the demographic challenge. García defended a training adapted to the territory, connected with local resources and capable of promoting rooting. “In the past, in order to progress, it was necessary to leave; today we can also build the future from here, from the rural areas”, he said.
For her part, Ana María Acevedo addressed the transformation that the countryside has undergone in the last generation, through professionalization and mechanization, highlighting how these have improved the quality of life compared to previous stages. Acevedo mentioned the low social esteem that still weighs on agricultural professions and advocated dignifying them through education. “It is essential that boys and girls, both urban and rural, learn about and value the rural environment from an early age,” he said.
During the day, personal stories were shared that reflect the rootedness, motivation and learning of those who live and work in rural areas. Key issues such as entrepreneurship, employment, generational change and the need for schools to be more open to the environment were discussed.
Structural challenges such as the lack of services, the lack of visibility of the rural environment and the need to change the social perception of urban society were also addressed. The speakers agreed on the urgency of implementing concrete and sustained solutions over time.
The event was attended by representatives of agricultural entities and associations and local institutions, consolidating this forum as a space of reference to make rural voices visible.
With this third edition, the First Person Rural Forum reaffirms Ence Terra’s commitment to the sustainable development of the rural environment, recognizing the value of the people who, with effort and vision, build a more prosperous future for their communities.
