Operating Grant

NGO Operating grants for 2011 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 – 2015 – 2016 – 2017 -2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021 under the Financial Instrument for the Environment (LIFE+) 

The Operating grant is a co-financing instrument that covers the costs that European environmental NGOs, such as Slow Food, have to bear in carrying out the activities provided for in their annual work programme in relation to EU countries. 

Slow Food receives it since 2011. The core issues of Slow Food’s work programmes (2011-2019) have been: agro-biodiversity conservation; agroecology; the efficient and equitable use of resources in food production and consumption; the fight against food loss and waste; the global dimension of food security; food safety and food sovereignty; food quality and animal welfare; climate change. 

The work programmes included activities both at grassroots and policy level, which can be grouped under the following broad categories: 

• Implementation of grassroots projects involving producers and facilitating communication and contact with consumers (Ark of Taste, Presidia, Earth Markets, etc.). 
• Production and dissemination of documents on food issues targeting policymakers, producers, consumers and diffusion through meetings, events, press and the internet; 
• Contribution to the international and European debate on food through participation in advisory committees, high-level forums and expert working groups of EU institutions and in the civil society consultation mechanism of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); 
• Organisation of training and meetings to transfer and exchange knowledge and experience among producers; 
• Development of large and small events to facilitate contact between producers and consumers; to raise consumers’ awareness to encourage them to make responsible food choices; and to reach decision makers at all levels (Salone del Gusto & Terra Madre, Cheese, Slow Fish, etc.).