New Agriculture New Generation Non Profit Civil Law Company

Our Mission

"New Agriculture New Generation" is a non-profit organization, which aims to create career and entrepreneurship opportunities for youth in the Agrifood sector in Greece. The organization was founded in 2018 under the initiative and with the founding support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) as part of its "Recharging The Youth" program.

The initiative started in 2018, led by Rutgers University (the state university of New Jersey), in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens and the American College of Agriculture.

In October 2020, the initiative evolved into a Non-profit Civil Law Company based in Greece, expanding its activities and partner network while maintaining close collaboration with Rutgers University which is our strategic and technical advisor.

We are a catalyst for innovation in the Agrifood ecosystem in Greece. We enable empowerment of youth and support the revitalization of the sector through. We build capacity, expand advisory networks, nurture innovation, support business development, and encourage collaboration and dialogue through programs and initiatives which focus on four major pillars: 1. Workforce Development, 2. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support, 3. Rural Development (Programs restarting agricultural economy in disaster-stricken areas and stimulating regional development), 4. Strategic Initiatives (Initiatives addressing and mitigating climate change effects on the agrifood sector).

We have built a wide network of partners, embracing the entire ecosystem of knowledge, entrepreneurship, and innovation across the agrifood sector in Greece. Furthermore, we work closely with all the Greek Academic Institutions and Research Centers, institutional, public, and private bodies. Our dynamic role in the agrifood ecosystem is acknowledged through our participation in several advisory groups to the Greek Ministry of Rural Development and Food, as well as in relevant working groups and committees of the Hellenic-American and the Hellenic-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Since 2018, we have empowered more than 29.600 young farmers, producers, entrepreneurs, graduates and other professionals, through our capacity building, entrepreneurship, and regional development programs as well as through natural disaster relief initiatives (Fire relief initiative for Northern Evia, Initiative to support the stock farmers of Karditsa, affected by Cyclone Ianos).

We have implemented more than 50 capacity building programs and we have supported more than 100 SMEs, family and start - up businesses and cottage industries, and over 300 professional trainers, mentors and advisors. Our socioeconomic and environmental impact: 94% of our beneficiaries have improved their existing farming and technical processes, more than 44% of our beneficiaries have invested in the development of new products and services, more than 36% of businessowners/self-employed beneficiaries reduced their environmental footprint, 16.8 million is the total value created from our operations and 10.9 million created from our beneficiaries in the Greek economy. Our estimated economic leverage effect in the real economy is x3.6 (for each 1 euro spent by the organization, 3.6 is generated in the Greek economy).

Furthermore, our organization has adopted 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while our activities are aligned with ESG criteria.

We offer unique value to the ecosystem and we are a trusted and effective ecosystem builder: 1. Transferring knowledge from the best. Capacity to mobilize the best scientific and professional resources from Greece, Rutgers University and other international institutions. 2. Building communities of dynamic young farmers and agrifood entrepreneurs Developing sector- and location-based synergies across Greece. Goodwill and capacity for collaboration with our alumni. 3. Developing and implementing in-house expertise and unique Methodologies Supporting rural development by empowering the agrifood economy in business and entrepreneurship support. 4. Extensive, active network of knowledge providers. Impactful current collaborations with all academic and research institutions in Greece, top industry professionals and consultants, and thriving businesses and cooperatives. 5. Credibility. Trust and support from renowned and respected international organizations, such as the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Folloe Foundation, ActionAid. 6. Flexibility. Capacity to respond to the sector's needs in an agile, transparent and effective way. 7. Competent team. Combining different disciplines and knowhow, ability to work well in collaboration with other organizations, domestic and international. 8. Positive reputation. Good awareness of the organization across the sector and positive reputation

In 2022, NANG has been: 1. Acknowledged as best practice by the European Commission DG Agri and invited in the "Vocational Education and Training for Agriculture in Transition" event in Brussels. Also, NANG was represented in the "Workshop on Young entrepreneurs - Engines of innovation in rural areas" in Dublin. 2. Selected among the top 30 non-profit organizations in 10 countries to collaborate with 3M / PYXERA Global within the 3M Global Impact Program, for "Integrating ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) principles with the strategic vision and operational sustainability of NANG"; 3. Selected for collaboration in 2023 with the Iraq-based, newly established MERG Foundation, implementing women empowerment programs focused in rural areas of Iraqi Kurdistan; 4. Acknowledged for its impactful work in Greece by the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean (GFCM), Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations (FAO), and invited to attend the International Workshop on Algae Cultivation and Innovation in Saudi Arabia; 5. Exploring synergies with GFCM, regarding developing programs in the Mediterranean, locally adapting NANG methodologies on knowledge transfer and community building, collaborating and empowering local stakeholders.