Best Innovative Approach to Minimize Post Harvest Losses within Food Chain for VET Erasmus Project

Project Title

Best Innovative Approach to Minimize Post Harvest Losses within Food Chain for VET

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 : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

World population is expected to reach 9.8 billion by 2050 and in order to meet the food demand, food production must be increased by 70 percent. Food availability and accessibility can be ensured by increasing production, improving distribution and reducing the loss and waste. About 1.3 billion tons of food gets lost annually. In terms of economic value food losses and waste amounts roughly US$680 billion in industrialized countries and US$310 billion in developing countries. It is estimated that food losses can feed 870 million hungry people. Reducing food loss and waste is an important target of the Sustainable Development Goals. Reducing food loss and waste can generate economic benefits. It is essential to address the causes of food loss and waste.

Inadequate technology, poor transportation, poor storage, mis-packaging and improper preservation conditions in all food chains are some of the factors that cause food loss in postharvest sectors. These factors are mainly associated with target groups’ traditional processing methods, improper practices and also lack of any smart, innovative and free training materials. There is a need for qualified workers with knowledge and competence in the postharvest sectors to reduce postharvest losses and also developing VET business partnerships aimed at promoting work-based learning and creating innovative training materials for target groups is inevitable to increase employability and increase competences in labor market.

The goal of the Project is;
*to develop an educational package that meets the requirements of vocational education for employees in postharvest sectors (food supply chain) to reduce losses and improve the quality, safety and marketability of horticultural products.
*to develop VET business partnerships aimed at promoting work-based learning and to increase awareness of target group by using inclusive latest techniques.
*to create new innovative training materials from a wide range of disciplines and developing E-learning platform
The project consortium is formed by 8 experienced partners from 4 countries. The project coordinator is CRIFFC which is an experienced research and training center in the field of agricultural products, food research, food technologies, food quality and trainig activities. The other core partners are:
– General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (GDAR,Turkey),
– Gaziantep University(Turkey),
-ISEKI-Food Association (IFA, Austria),
-The National Technological Centre for the Food and Canning Industry (CTC, Spain),
-Dunerea De Jos University (UDJ, Romania),
-Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Tarım AS (TARIMAS, Turkey)
-Bursa Commodity Exchange (BCE, Turkey)

Within the scope of the project, Training Need Assesment & Country Survey Report and six training materials were prepared in Turkish, English, German, Romanian and Spanish languages in order to meet the vocational training needs of the people working in post-harvest sectors. The training materials focused on especially four products; fig, cherry, tomato and grape. The training materials prepared within the scope of the Project are;

-Best Harvesting Techniques Training Material
-Best Storage And Transportation Practises Trainin Material
-Packaging Opportunities Training Material
-Sales Conditions İn Retail And Wholesaler Market Training Material
-Food Losses Volarization Applications Training Material
-Marketing Opportunities Of Fruits Training Material

A curriculum was prepared which can be used by trainer and teachers in VET institutions and organisations. Economic analysis report was prepared which aims to draw attention to the importance of food losses and food wastes all over the world in terms of economy. In addition, a web-based E-learning module is available in five languages at https://elearning.postharvestproject.com/

During the project in order to increase awareness and to be able to disseminate project results different training and dissemination activities were performed; Opening Conference, short term joint staff training events, dissemination seminars in Austria, Romania and Spain, trainee trainings and on field trainings, workshop and Final Dissemination Conference were organized. Participation of mayor, governor and decision makers to the Project meetings helped to increase public awareness and maket he Project more visible in newspapers, TVs and social media platforms.

By the help of new innovative training materials, the target groups have increased their skills and competences at every stages of postharvest. New, innovative training materials met the requirements of vocational education in the field of postharvest sectors to reduce postharvest losses and improve the quality, safety and marketability of selected horticultural products. Training materials filled the gap in vocational education and
increased the skills of trainers and teachers in the universities and VET institutions.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 231109,75 Eur

Project Coordinator

CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND FEED CONTROL & Country: TR

Project Partners

• GAZIANTEP UNIVERSITESI
• MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
• UNIVERSITATEA DUNAREA DE JOS DIN GALATI
• BURSA TICARET BORSASI
• Bursa Buyuksehir Belediyesi Tarimas Bursa Hayvancilik Tarim Tic San AS
• ASOCIACION EMPRESARIAL DE INVESTIGACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO NACIONAL DE LA CONSERVA
• ISEKI-Food Association