AGRIFOOD4FUTURE: Centers of Vocational Excellence in Smart Farming and Sustainable Food Systems

ongoing

AGRIFOOD4FUTURE is a world-class ERASMUS+ initiative aimed at building VET skills and educational programs addressing the needs of the “agriculture of the future”. By bringing together European leading actors from VET-academia-research-business across regions with tradition in the agri-food (yet lagging in new practices adoption), we aim at building centers of vocational excellence able to respond to existing and emerging needs in the sector, while targeting the key priorities of the sector: digitalization, decarbonization and sustainability. Scientists, policymakers, and open visioned agrifood players have noted the transformative potential of new and emerging agriculture practices, such as climate-smart agriculture, smart farming, precision agriculture, regenerative and organic practices, NEXUS based approach to agri-food, etc., but found difficulties to implement it at large scales. Barriers such as the insufficient level of awareness, soft and technical skills, and limited entrepreneurial mindset of, usually, more conservative farming professionals have been inhibitors of change. Aligned with the need of writing new narratives for the “agriculture of the future” we aim to implement and develop vocational training and educational system from low-to-higher EQF levels, including lifelong learning tools for farmer advisors, SMEs, and agro-food players. AGRIFOOD4FUTURE will provide them with exemplary best practices and advances in the sector. It will equip them with technical, soft, and entrepreneurial skills towards new ventures and innovative mindset. It will foster perception change and acceptance of agro-food sector as a “bright” vocational career option, while preparing the sector for adoption of smart, advanced, and sustainable practices.