Agri-Food Cultural Heritage Ambassadors Erasmus Project

Project Title

Agri-Food Cultural Heritage Ambassadors

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Youth (Participation, Youth Work, Youth Policy) ; Creativity and culture; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

For the last few years, more than half the world’s population has lived in cities; a turning point in society has been reached and humanity has changed its ancestral way of living especially in view of the general digital development. These epochal social, cultural and economic changes are under research and a cognitive framework, through which we can discover the cultural and gastronomic heritage of our own territories as trajectories for a creative future, should be outlined. A 2020 EU-wide #Eurobarometer survey on food & farming was conducted and 95% of people say agriculture is important for our future. The collection, survey and communication of the cultural data–in our case the traditional agri-food resources–can be a precious capital of knowledge, resource of memory, identity and heritage for the present which, now as never before, feels the need to digitally connect with its analogical past.
Our partnership for Creativity has engaged organizations in the fields of Agri-food, Youth, Non-formal Education & Digitalisation (GR), Agri-food & Entrepreneurship (BG), Agri-food & Tourism (SI), together with a Grass root Agri-food Cultural Association (IT) and has organized a vast, in-depth European youth project aiming to address the 2nd priority of the KA2 Erasmus+ Call, launched in light of the exceptional circumstances presented by Covid-19, whose objective is to enhance Creativity in the field of Youth. AHEAD, in total line with the EU Green Deal, is facing the challenges of Agri-food Cultural Heritage preservation in the age of digital technology we live nowadays, while raising awareness on the importance of promoting our agri-food traditions (traditional foods, techniques & methods of their preparation, acquaintance with local Agri-food organizations etc.) with the ultimate aim of enhancing the cultural tourism & agro-tourism sector of the regions involved.
AHEAD’s main aim is to enhance skills development and competences of young people (18-30) that reinforce creativity, as well as to boost quality, innovation and recognition of youth work, thus contributing to the recovery resilience of the Agri-food Cultural Heritage sector by making them Agri-food Cultural Heritage Ambassadors.
AHEAD will organize the following IOs, all included in the project’s Website, all in digital form addressing the needs of distancing given the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, using non-formal educational methods & game-based learning:
1.Methodological Handbook (e-Book) with all the necessary information on agri-food traditions for the research/promotion/preservation of the ivolved countries’ heritage.
2.Video Tutorials development for local agri-food products agricultural processes using innovative agricultural methods.
3.Digital Agri-food Serious Game design within which the participating youth can interact with each other and put into practice the Tutorials learned in IO2.
4.Online Seminar (e-Course) Curriculum development with the method of a living Lab for the selection of the Agri-food Cultural Heritage Ambassadors.
We aim to involve at least 150 young people (age 18-30), youth workers & youth leaders who are working directly with disadvantaged youth in underprivileged rural and urban areas, and representatives from the participating bodies, all with a source need for their local agri-food heritage preservation. The project will engage a variety of local stakeholders in all project stages to increase their understanding on the challenges faced and thus boost their motivation to participate in similar initiatives.
Objectives:
•identify the traditional agricultural & food resources of local areas
•raise awareness of youth on the significance of their preservation
•equip young people with the necessary tools & competences needed to come up with creative, innovative solutions to promote their local heritage
•acquisition of specific technical skills (cultivation, harvesting, management of an agricultural enterprise, marketing in a farm etc.)
•provide opportunities for disadvantaged youth to understand their cultural heritage as a driving force of local development
•fight back Agri-Food Cultural Heritage devaluation
Results:
•accessibility on cultural heritage knowledge
•improve creative skills on local heritage preservation
•raise awareness on its importance among youth of different origins
•make them advocates of their local agri-food heritage, active, healthy living in their local communities
Impact:
•visitors’ number in the countries involved increase through the agri-food value chain exploitation
•establish EU partnerships
•expand involved bodies’ networks
•participation of youth with fewer opportunities in international projects
Long-term effects:
•Covid-19 effects on cultural sector reduction
•cultural tourism & agro-tourism sector of the participating regions enrich
•digital agenda provision through which other cities all over the world can set up processes of capitalization of ther agri-food resources.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 100910 Eur

Project Coordinator

INSTITOUTO PROOTHISIS KAI PISTOPOIISIS PROIONTON AGRODIATROFIS & Country: EL

Project Partners

• INSTITOYTO KOINONIKIS KAINOTOMIAS KAI SYNOXIS
• Grm Novo mesto – center biotehnike in turizma
• ComeUnaMarea onlus
• REGIONAL CLUSTER NORTH-EAST