The project consists of the organization of a conference to publicize the knowledge, experiences and ideas that can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, the promotion of food quality and the prosperity of the Asturian rural environment.

The project consists of the organization of a conference to publicize the knowledge, experiences and ideas that can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, the promotion of food quality and the prosperity of the Asturian rural environment.

The central activity consisted of the celebration of the conference “Biodiversity as a seal of quality for food”, which took place on September 14 in Oviedo, and whose inauguration was attended by the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock and Indigenous Resources of the Principality of Asturias, María Jesús Álvarez.

The initiative was attended by various speakers who presented real cases in which the environment and the conservation of biodiversity have served to improve food quality and as a driving force for the rural environment.

The session was aimed at all those people linked to the rural environment, either because this is their place of residence or because they are interested in starting small agri-food activities in it.

The overall objective of the project is to present and promote actions for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and, in turn, that these serve as a dynamic element of rural areas through quality agri-food production.

The specific objectives have been:

• To discuss and define the guidelines and action plans that are necessary to achieve the objectives of conservation and improvement of biodiversity, their links with food quality and their integration with the socio-economic development of rural areas.
• To analyse the new employment alternatives in the green economy, the new training needs associated with this reality and the opportunities that these represent for the development of rural areas and the conservation of biodiversity in them.
• To show public and private initiatives linked to the conservation of biodiversity and the quality of food from rural areas, which are key to giving added value to agricultural products produced in these areas.