Why?

Within the European Union, people with disabilities are still largely excluded from the labor market. Working structures for people with disabilities, which promote their socio-professional inclusion, are subject to increased competition and often seek to develop new economic activities. 

Moreover, despite the growing European focus on sustainable development - as evidenced by the Green Deal proposed for the new European Commission - food waste remains a central European issue for a successful ecological transition. Indeed, 88 million tons of food are wasted every year in the European Union. 

The CirculAbility project meets these two fundamental challenges and pursues the objective of training specialized work structures to seize opportunities for the inclusion of people with disabilities through training on the circular valorization of unsold food. 

How?

To achieve these objectives, the CirculAbility project includes 4 intellectual outputs:

1. A gallery of inspiring role models, enabling and enhancing the opportunities for inclusion of people with disabilities while demystifying the circular economy by highlighting structures working in the circular valuation of unsold food; 
2. A training course on the economic management of unsold food valorization activities to acquire the skills necessary to initiate such an activity;
3. A technical training course on the operational implementation of circular unsold food valorization activities, to develop the essential skills to ensure the operation of such an activity; 
4. A White Paper aimed at policy makers, specialized working structures and all relevant stakeholders, to raise awareness, promote interest and knowledge and establish concrete recommendations to promote the development of these inclusive and sustainable activities.

By whom?

This European project brings together 7 partner organizations with complementary expertise from 5 Member States: 

• In Belgium, POUR LA SOLIDARITÉ-PLS and ARFIE (Association for Research and Training on Integration in Europe)
• In France, HANDICAP TRAVAIL SOLIDARITÉ-HTS and APF-France Handicap (and more specifically the ESAT Hauts-De-France cluster)
• In Luxembourg, LE TRICENTENAIRE
• In Italy, ENAIP LOMBARDIA
• In Spain, AMPANS