Privacy Policy

Strength2Farm – Strengthening Farmers’ Position in EU Food Value Chains

Last updated: [Insert date]

1. Who we are

Strength2Farm is a research and innovation project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101295971). The project aims to strengthen farmers’ bargaining power and improve their position within European food value chains through research, stakeholder engagement and the development of innovative business, policy and digital solutions.

The project is coordinated by Wageningen University & Research (the Netherlands), with communication and dissemination activities led by the European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL), based in Brussels, Belgium.

Website: https://strength2farm.eu

For enquiries concerning this privacy policy or the processing of personal data, please contact:

Email: strength2farm@aeidl.eu

Data controller(s): AEIDL; Wageningen University and Research

2. What personal data we collect

Strength2Farm collects a limited amount of personal information through its website, communication activities and stakeholder engagement events.

Depending on how you interact with the project, this may include:

Newsletter subscriptions: Email address and any additional information voluntarily provided when subscribing to project updates.
Event registrations: Name, email address, stakeholder category and gender, as provided through registration forms for workshops, conferences, webinars and other project activities.
Stakeholder engagement: Professional contact details, organisational affiliation and stakeholder category where individuals voluntarily provide this information for participation in project activities.
Website usage: Limited technical information, such as IP addresses, browser information and cookies, where collected through the website’s hosting, security or analytics services.

We aim to collect only the personal information necessary for the relevant activity.

3. How we use your personal data

Personal data collected by Strength2Farm will be used for the following purposes:

Sending project newsletters, updates and information to individuals who have subscribed.
Managing registrations and participation in project events, workshops and stakeholder engagement activities.
Communicating with registered participants about event arrangements, programmes, materials and follow-up activities.
Understanding the composition of stakeholder audiences and supporting inclusive participation across different stakeholder groups.
Monitoring and reporting on project communication, dissemination and stakeholder engagement activities.
Meeting relevant reporting obligations associated with the project’s Horizon Europe funding.

Information on stakeholder category and gender may be used to assess the diversity and representation of participants in project activities. Where possible, this information will be analysed and reported in aggregated form rather than identifying individual participants.

We will not sell personal data or use it for unrelated commercial marketing purposes.

4. Legal basis for processing

Strength2Farm processes personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Where personal data is collected for newsletter subscriptions, stakeholder contact lists and other opt-in communications, processing is based on the individual’s consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.

Where appropriate, personal data required to administer project events or meet applicable reporting obligations may be processed on another lawful basis, such as legitimate interests or a legal obligation, where the relevant conditions are satisfied.

Individuals may withdraw their consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Providing gender information is voluntary and individuals may choose not to disclose it. Gender information is used only for participation monitoring and related project reporting.

5. Newsletter subscriptions and communications

Individuals may subscribe to the Strength2Farm newsletter to receive information about project activities, research findings, publications, events and other relevant developments.

Newsletter subscriptions are voluntary. Subscribers may unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in each newsletter or by contacting the project.

Personal information provided for event registration will not automatically be used to subscribe individuals to the newsletter. Where participants are offered the opportunity to receive ongoing communications, their consent will be requested separately.

6. Event registration and stakeholder engagement

Strength2Farm organises workshops, webinars, conferences and other activities involving farmers, researchers, policymakers, agricultural advisors and other stakeholders.

When registering for an event, participants may be asked to provide their name, email address, stakeholder category and gender.

This information is used to manage event participation, communicate with participants and assess the reach and diversity of project activities.

Personal information may be accessible to authorised project partners involved in organising or delivering the relevant activity, where necessary for that purpose.

Aggregated participation information, such as the number of attendees, stakeholder categories and gender distribution, may be included in project reports and other outputs.

7. Who we share your data with

Personal data may be shared with authorised Strength2Farm consortium partners where necessary for project communication, event management, stakeholder engagement or reporting.

We may also use third-party service providers to support website hosting, email distribution, event registration and related technical functions. These providers will process personal data only under appropriate data protection arrangements.

Personal information will not be shared with unrelated third parties for commercial purposes.

Where information is shared with the European Commission, the European Research Executive Agency or other authorised bodies for project reporting, this will be limited to what is necessary and required.

8. How long we retain your data

Personal data will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, subject to applicable legal, contractual and reporting requirements.

Newsletter subscriptions: Email addresses will be retained until an individual unsubscribes or withdraws consent, subject to any limited records needed to respect that request.
Event registrations: Personal information will be retained for the period necessary to administer the event, complete relevant project reporting and meet applicable record-keeping obligations.
Stakeholder contact information: Contact details will be reviewed periodically and deleted or anonymised when no longer required for project activities or where consent is withdrawn, unless another lawful basis requires retention.

Strength2Farm is scheduled to run until 31 May 2030. Certain project records may need to be retained beyond this date in accordance with Horizon Europe requirements. Personal data will not be retained for longer than necessary solely because the project records are subject to a longer retention period.

9. Cookies and website technologies

The Strength2Farm website may use cookies and similar technologies to support essential website functions, security and, where enabled, website analytics.

Essential cookies may be used where necessary for the operation of the website.

Where non-essential cookies or tracking technologies are used, visitors will be provided with appropriate information and consent options in accordance with applicable legislation.

Further information about cookies and their purposes will be made available through the website’s cookie notice or consent management tool.

10. Embedded content and external websites

The Strength2Farm website may contain links to external websites or embedded content, such as videos, publications and social media content.

Embedded content from third-party websites may collect information about visitors or use cookies in accordance with the privacy policies of the relevant providers.

Strength2Farm is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites. Visitors are encouraged to consult the relevant privacy notices when accessing third-party services.

11. How we protect your data

Strength2Farm and its authorised partners will take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure.

Access to personal data will be restricted to individuals who require it for legitimate project purposes.

Personal data will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and relevant project data management arrangements.

12. International data transfers

Strength2Farm involves partners and stakeholders based in several European and non-European countries.

Where personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area, appropriate safeguards will be applied in accordance with GDPR requirements, including adequacy decisions or other legally recognised transfer mechanisms where applicable.

13. Your data protection rights

Under the GDPR, individuals have rights concerning their personal data, subject to applicable conditions and exceptions. These include:

The right to access personal data held about them.
The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to request deletion of personal data.
The right to restrict or object to certain processing activities.
The right to data portability where applicable.
The right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

To exercise these rights, please contact:

[Insert project privacy contact email]

Individuals also have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent data protection supervisory authority.

14. Changes to this privacy policy

This privacy policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in project activities, website functionality, data processing arrangements or applicable legal requirements.

The latest version will be published on the Strength2Farm website, together with the date of the most recent update.

15. Contact

For questions about this privacy policy or the processing of personal information in connection with Strength2Farm, please contact:

Strength2Farm Project

Communication and Dissemination: AEIDL

Website: https://strength2farm.eu

Email: [Insert project privacy contact email]

Funded by the European Union under Horizon Europe Grant Agreement No. 101295971.