AMPLE Culminates Courses with a Food Networking Event in Madrid

Many people, especially in vulnerable communities, lack reliable access to enough nutritious food. Factors like poverty, political instability, and climate change limit food availability and affordability, leading to hunger, malnutrition, and long-term health and economic problems.

The AMPLE programme has been created by EIT Food with funding from the Citi Foundation’s Global Innovation Challenge, which provides philanthropic support to community organizations that are developing innovative solutions to address food security globally.The programme brings together NGOs, experts, and vulnerable communities in workshops aimed at overcoming food security barriers. So far, the program has trained 30 at-risk individuals in healthy eating, regenerative agriculture, and agrifood entrepreneurship.

On June 12, 2024, EIT Food and Action Against Hunger (ACH) hosted the final session of the Agrifood Entrepreneurship course at the NGO's offices. The course was designed for people from vulnerable communities who had business ideas and aimed to help them develop these ideas.

In addition to the organisers, experts like Anaïs Iglesias, PhD in economics and business administration, and Citi volunteers Sancho Guibert, Guillermo Carné, and Israel Rasero played crucial roles in the workshop, contributing their knowledge and experience in business development and finance.

The last session focused on building self-esteem and preventing burnout. Participants learned techniques for better time management and introspection. The course culminated with a networking event where five entrepreneurs and two former participants showcased their business ideas, including haute cuisine for all budgets, quinoa in various forms, tequeños from around the world, and innovative berry mojitos.

Throughout its course offerings, AMPLE has tackled regenerative agriculture in a course comprising nine intensive sessions. Participants benefited from the expertise of Germinando and Mario Gonzalez-Mohino Palacios, agricultural engineer and CEO at Agromarketing.Online. They engaged in hands-on learning about urban gardening, visiting urban crops, creating hotbeds, and mastering soil care techniques.

The program's first workshop, Cooking & Food Handling course, organised by Entreculturas, addressed healthy eating and sustainability, educating participants on nutrition, zero waste, and traditional Spanish recipes. These sessions also covered food handling practices, equipping attendees with the skills needed to enter the food market confidently. The workshop was supported by experienced volunteers and the nutritionist Ana Victoria Espinosa del Pozo.

As AMPLE's initial phase continues to generate positive outcomes, anticipation builds for the second round of courses. These courses will continue to focus on healthy eating and cooking, regenerative agriculture in urban gardens, and agrifood entrepreneurship to foster new businesses. Stay tuned for opportunities to engage with this impactful program funded by Citi Foundation. For more information, visit: https://www.eitfood.eu/projects/ample