EU FOODPACT: Accelerating Sustainability in the Agri-Food Sector through Community Food Education Hubs

forthcoming

EU FOODPACT is a cross-sectoral alliance of educational centres, innovation hubs, chambers of commerce, MSMEs, public and certification authorities, to accelerate the green, digital, and social transitions within the EU agri-food sector. In the domain central to food security but challenged by skills gaps, policy fragmentation, low digital uptake among MSMEs, the project delivers a comprehensive response aligned with the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the EU’s goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. It places an emphasis on enhancing adult guidance, esp. for MSMEs, aligned with the European Skills Agenda; targets C-suite executives and employees, enabling them to meet sustainability standards: ISO 14001, ISO 26000, CSRD, etc.; designs and pilots career guidance/mentoring, skills assessment tools tailored to the needs of the agri-food sector. The project promotes regenerative business practices, data-driven sustainability strategies, inclusive eco-schemes. Through micro-credential-based learning solutions based on systems thinking and regenerative leadership, it strengthens career management skills for adults across all organisational levels, enabling them to make informed decisions in areas such as ESG compliance, digital innovation, sustainable resource management. EU FOODPACT enhances the professional development of career guidance counsellors, to better support workers and managers in sustainability certification processes; tests innovative guidance models—blending digital tools, skills intelligence, in-person support; build employers’ capacity to respond to future skills needs. Integrating real-time labour market intelligence and industry-led mentorship within its Community Food Education Hubs, it contributes to an EU strategy for upskilling and certifying the agri-food workforce. This approach—anchored in the quadruple helix innovation model—positions EU FOODPACT as a strategic enabler of the triple transition in the agri-