The core motivation driving EVECSA is rooted in Europe’s commitment to fostering a green transition in agriculture, as outlined in the European Green Deal. To realize these goals, proactive engagement is essential from key stakeholders within agriculture, especially farmers and farm employees, who must implement changes at the farm level. Daily decisions on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate change, and sustaining agricultural productivity and biodiversity require proficiency in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), an approach that helps guide actions to transform agri-food systems towards green and climate resilient practices. Vocational Education and Training institutions play a crucial role in providing education and training for farmers across Europe, yet transitioning to green farming poses challenges for both farmers and vocational education and training providers.
EVECSA addresses these challenges by developing and delivering attractive and relevant learning opportunities for CSA, aiming to attract more learners to this field and foster strong cooperation between stakeholders to facilitate the green transition at the farm level in Europe. The project aims to establish new mindsets and models for education, training, and lifelong learning targeted at farmers engaged in CSA.
The EVECSA project aligns with Climate Smart Agriculture objectives, including sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes, adapting and building resilience to climate change, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through collaboration among 22 partners across six countries, EVECSA will establish six Centers of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) to strengthen the quality, relevance, and attractiveness of vocational learning offers for CSA. These CoVEs will cooperate via an international Platform of Vocational Excellence (PoVE) to deliver the European Vocational Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (EVACSA), shaping education policies and practices that foster sustainable food production, job opportunities, and well-being for all.
The project aims to build strong skills ecosystems through Communities of Practice (CoP), fostering stronger relations and more systematic cooperation among key stakeholders in the agricultural skills ecosystem. By ensuring that agro-VET providers are updated on and work with the newest trends in the sector, EVECSA will empower them to become central participants in Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), ultimately meeting the evolving needs of the agricultural sector.
Objectives
- Develop and offer innovative learning opportunities for Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), attracting more learners and promoting cooperation among stakeholders for the green transition in Europe.
- Establish Centers of Professional Excellence (CoVE) in six countries to improve professional learning offerings farmers and farm employees, promoting sustainable agriculture through cooperation via a Platform of Professional Excellence (PoVE).
- Strengthen relationships and cooperation between key stakeholders in the agricultural skills ecosystem through Communities of Practice (CoPs), enabling agro-VET providers to meaningfully contribute to agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS).
- Enabling current and future employees of the European agricultural sector to take climate-friendly actions, in line with the European Green Deal commitment to promote a green transition in agriculture.
- Establish educational policies and practices to promote sustainable food production, employment opportunities and well-being for all stakeholders involved in agriculture, influencing climate-friendly agricultural education policies and practices at both national and transnational levels.
Project number: 101144013
Implementation date: 01/03/2024 – 29/02/2028
Project partners:
- BYGHOLM LANDBRUGSSKOLE (Bygholm) Denmark – Coordinator
- ASMILDKLOSTER LANDBRUGSSKOLE (Asmildkloster), Denmark
- JORDBRUGETS UDDANNELSESCENTER ARHUS (Green Academy), Denmark
- VIDEN DJURS (Kalo Organic), Denmark
- FBCD AS (FBCD), Denmark
- AARHUS UNIVERSITET (AU), Denmark
- Departament d’Acció Climàtica, Alimentació i Agenda Rural (EAMANRESA), Spain
- BOSCAT FUSTA SL (BOSCAT), Spain
- BETA Technological Center (UVic-UCC), Spain
- CESIE ENTE DEL TERZO SETTORE (CESIE), Italy
- LAND IMPRESA SOCIALE SRL (LAND), Italy
- CONSORZIO REGIONALE PER LA RICERCA APPLICATA E LA SPERIMENTAZIONE (CORERAS), Italy
- STICHTING AERES GROEP (Aeres), Netherlands
- STICHTING AGROFOODCLUSTER (AFC), Netherlands
- STICHTING PLATFORM TALENT VOOR TECHNOLOGIE (KATAPULT), Netherlands
- PROAGRIA KESKI-POHJANMAA RY (ProAgria), Finland
- KESKI-POHJANMAAN KOULUTUSYHTYMA (KPEDU), Finland
- SEINAJOEN KOULUTUSKUNTAYHTYMA (SEDU), Finland
- LAPLAND UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES (LUAS), Finland
- Zespół Szkół Centrum Kształcenia Ustawicznego w Wojsławicach (ZSCKU), Poland
- UNIWERSYTET PRZYRODNICZY WE WROCLAWIU (UPWr), Poland
- ENERGIA OZ SP ZOO (Energia), Poland