AGRIFOOD4FUTURE

Objectives of the project

Objective 1: Create a permanent link and collaboration between the education and labour market to detect employers’ needs and satisfy the requests of employers.

A skills intelligence system will allow VET programmes to adapt to labour market changes and maintain operators’ skills up to date as smart farming evolves.

Objective 2: Empower farmers and operators of the agri-food business in smart farming and sustainable food systems.

The project will develop creative courses to help novice and experienced farmers and agri-food professionals understand, promote, communicate, and embrace smart farming and sustainable food systems practices. The learning courses will include in-person classes, MOOC-style e-learning, work-based learning, and excursions to smart, sustainable farms.

Objective 3: Stimulate the exchange of educational and professional practices in the field of smart farming and sustainable food systems between VET providers, research organisations and businesses throughout Europe.

This goal will harmonise practices across countries and create similar educational and business structures to improve field professionals’ capacity.

Objective 4: Ensure support to new entrepreneurs through business incubators and innovation hubs.

A top business incubator and innovation consultancy will help farmers start, manage, and grow smart and sustainable farming companies. This goal will increase local firms and promote smart farming and sustainable food systems.

Objective 5: Greening agriculture and improving the health of soils.

Professionals’ increased skills and expected growth of SMEs using smart farming and other sustainable production methods would be beneficial to soil and lands, society, the environment, and the climate.

Objective 6: Develop technical support services for SMEs and farmers regarding the decarbonization and digitalization of their farms.

Capacity building, open innovation, and technical assistance services will help farmers and SMEs become more efficient, green, and sustainable.

Objective 7: Develop a skills ecosystem and means to attract and fully use investments.

Widespread cooperation between private and public stakeholders in employment, education, and finance will create new synergies to improve the global skills ecosystem and identify new private and public funds to support innovative education and professional initiatives.

Expected Results

• 9 VET programmes activated (EQF3-5, EQF6-9, lifelong programme)
• 600 to 900 Farmers and agri-food workers trained
• 20-25 Study visits in mobility abroad organised
• 25 Lighthouse Farms network
• 250 Stakeholders consulted and that replied to questionnaires & interviews in regards to market needs and skills gaps (including agrofood SMEs, cooperative members, etc)
• 250 additional organisations that will join the CoVEs network during the project (including VET providers, agrifood SMEs, agriculture cooperatives, innovation hubs, agriculture associations)
• 20-25 Test farm pilots for farmers/VET learners/startups organised
• 20 VET providers or businesses outside the project that adopt the learning programmes
• Best practices exchanged in the network: >30 (European) + 5 (International mission)
• 30-40 partners agreements signed between VET and business for mobility cooperation
• 50 Mobility exchange opportunities added to the platform
• 250 Teachers/trainers upskilled
• 50-80 Directly supported SMEs/startups
• 50-75 Memorandum of Understanding signed to transfer the results
• 5-10 New policy proposals or legislation that reform the VET ecosystems in line with the project results
• More than 500 new jobs created in Europe in the agrifood sector (over 5 years after the project)
• 100 New agri-food SMEs/smart farms created in Europe (over 3 years after the project)

Project Activities

• Activity 1 (Preparatory actions): Skills gaps intelligence & assessment of market needs in smart farming and sustainable food systems (WP2)
• Activity 2 (Cluster 1: teaching, education, and training programme): Design of a training  programme for technicians in smart farming and environmental sustainability in the food system (EQF level 3-5) (WP4)
• Activity 3 (Cluster 1 teaching, education, and training programme): Development of a transnational joint Master of Science, and Master and PhD training courses (EQF level 6-9) (WP4)
• Activity 4 (Cluster 1: teaching, education, and training programme): Design of a farmers advisors training programme (lifelong learning level) (WP4)
• Activity 5 (Cluster 1: teaching, education, and training programme): Develop a capacity-building program for agrifood SMEs and farmers (WP4)
• Activity 6 (Cluster 2: cooperation, networking, and partnership building): Establish a network of lighthouse farms on regenerative farming practices as an instrument for peer-to-peer learning and internships (WP3)
• Activity 7 : Application & practical demonstration of smart farming tools, including living labs, demo days and COVE site/farm visits (WP3)
• Activity 8 (Cluster 2: cooperation, networking, and partnership building): Develop an open innovation test farm program for startups, farmers, and VET students (WP3)
• Activity 9 (Cluster 2: cooperation, networking, and partnership building): Design and delivery of an international summer school (Students training and VET promotion) (WP6)
• Activity 10 (Cluster 2: cooperation, networking, and partnership building): Design and delivery of an international summer school (Students training and VET promotion) (WP6)