News

• The “Terraalimenta” program, promoted by the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation, has selected nine Local Action Groups (LAGs) to strengthen its state network in 2026

• The program, active since 2021 and now in its third edition, focuses on the capacity of LAGs to drive a transition towards more sustainable, territorial and collaborative food models.

The “Terraalimenta” program , promoted by the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation , has selected nine Local Action Groups ( LAGs ) to strengthen its state network in 2026, an initiative that underlines the importance of LAGs as an engine of participatory local development in Spain.

“Terraalimenta” is a program conceived with the idea of linking food with rural areas and truly placing rural territories at the heart of the agricultural production system. Hence the importance of the Local Action Groups (LAGs) in this initiative—as key players in the development of the region—to reinforce the objective of a transition to more sustainable food production systems.

Territorialized agri-food systems

The “Terraalimenta” program, active since 2021 and about to develop its third edition, seeks to promote the transition towards more sustainable food models through a systemic, territorial and collaborative approach that encompasses production, transformation, distribution, consumption and territorial governance.

In short, the initiative seeks a transition towards "Territorialized Agri-food Systems" ( SATs ). This model represents an evolution towards systems closely linked to their agri-food production and with the following functionalities:

• Agricultural diversity.

• Sustainable production that respects its rural surroundings and its environment.

• Production that guarantees universal access to food.

• With a strong link between the inhabitants of the rural environment and their production systems.

The role of the GAL

The nine LAGs were chosen after a selection process that included 17 applications, 12 of which reached a final stage evaluated by an expert jury. This expansion brings the total number of groups participating in “Terraalimenta” to 30 in each of its calls for proposals, representing approximately 12% of the LAGs in Spain .

The nine GALs selected in the third edition are:

1. Donostialdea‑ Bidasoa Rural Development Association BEHEMENDI   (Gipuzkoa)

2. Urremendi Rural Development Association (Busturialdea‑Urdaibai, Bizkaia)

3. Island Association for Rural Development of La Gomera – AIDER La Gomera (La Gomera)

4. Rural Development Centre Cáparra (Cáceres)

5. Rural Development Centre La Siberia (Badajoz)

6. Consorci Grup d'Acció Local Alt Urgell‑Cerdanya (Lleida)

7. Local Action Group Bajo Aragón-Matarraña – OMEZYMA (Teruel)

8. Local Action Group Sierra Espuña Territory (Region of Murcia)

9. Guadix Rural Development Group   (Grenade)

These Local Action Groups (LAGs) will receive support to identify key stakeholders in their territories and develop a joint roadmap for strategic positioning. This includes a training program accompanied by expert technical advice to design, develop, and implement projects related to sustainable food. “Terraliforma” aims for the working group to become a benchmark in sustainable food and local development. Thanks to the territorial ties of its LAGs, the group has the potential to foster direct cooperation among those involved in the food chain (producers, consumers, and intermediaries).