“Harmonization & Certification of “superfoods” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“Harmonization & Certification of “superfoods”

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: Agriculture, forestry and fisheries; Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The cultivation of super-foods & medicinal herbs is characterized as alternative, as the fruits & herbs,are highly nutritious food for humans. Their cultivation meets many uses-other than the consumption of the fruits- to pharmaceutical & plants-pharmaceutical industry which are used for preparation of herbal medicines and nutritional supplements. Greece, Italy and Spain combine all the conditions required for high volume / performance production producing a satisfactory fructification. As today globalized certification standards constitute a common policy, the trend is to make focus on certification standards & process, an agent which requires the cultivation & production process to go alongside. Harmonization introduces labor exclusions which always have to taken into consideration. This emphasis on quality within the agro-foods sphere comes also in response to evolving forms of consumption, in which product demand is tied to shared, socially construed values. The entire project’s idea was to provide innovative methodologies to directly involved persons with the cultivation, collection, production, packaging and promotion of super-foods, aromatic-medicinal herbs and forest fruits, aiming to enhance their basic professional skills as their ICT skills, via vocational training activities in order to be more competitive themselves & their products. Main objectives of “SuperGREENLabelFoods” were the preparation & development of innovative activities for agriculturists/ agricultural workers/ producers/ working on the superfoods & aromatic-medicinal herbs production, in 4 key-actions:1) The know-how knowledge transfer to new adults agricultures. 2) Outdoor Training activities in agriculture areas which were Video-recorded, in order to be used as an e-learning tool. 3) Enhancing the ICT skills of agriculturists in order to better promoting their products as well as always get informed for issues related to their cultivations. 4) Agricultural certification of the potential agriculturists. Especially the use of real-time training sessions recorded by video-camera in outside activities gives an innovative impact while enhancing the VET teaching & learning methodologies & pedagogical approaches via the use of ICT. The inspiration of this project is to propose a different model of development with main focus in the primary production sector. The innovation character of this project is that was focused on agriculture entrepreneurship on agro-food sector, inviting existing agricultures, to be trained to the functioning of value chains & the diversity of stakeholders as well as to cover the existing gap between the new and the old agro-food production & processing generation because of the use of new technologies & ICT. However, the project was focusing to create the circumstances, making the right information & consultation to interested parties (Breeding farm processors, food machines manufacturers, agro-food systems producers, logistics & trade professionals) regarding the certification of their agro-food products production, processing and packaging. The innovation was the real-time video-recording of the training process regarding the stages of planting, cultivating and maturation of the seeds & herbs. Among the final outputs and result of the project is included: a)a Scientific desk research on skills and regulation framework of cultivators of super foods and aromatic-medicinal herbs as well as b) a “Statistical analysis the skills & training capacity of agriculturists & food processors” with the use of questionnaires. Additionally, virtual session to “Identify the frequency of ICT skills during the agriculturists professional development” was organized. These practices reinforced transfer of knowledge, formed a platform of dialogue & an opportunity for further elaboration of practical solutions in education. Moreover, a “Guidebook on Fundamental Principles of vertical integration production of super-foods & aromatic herbs” was generated aiming to gather and present the principles of cultivation, processing and quality assurance of production of products. In parallel, common certification policies on production, processing & packaging of these products were presented, to define the aspects of the certification procedure has to be used in this professional sector. Participants, trained to use certified methodologies while cultivating, collecting, processing or packaging of them.The establishment of a common certification framework will achieve the development instruments for the European-level certification and recognition of knowledge and skills, that help to generate more jobs and better working conditions in the agro-food industry. Finally, special training planned activities enhanced the vocational training capacity of agriculturists in the field of ICT.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 191155 Eur

Project Coordinator

ELLINIKOS GEORGIKOS ORGANISMOS – DIMITRA & Country: EL

Project Partners

• CENTRO PER LO SVILUPPO CREATIVO DANILO DOLCI
• ERGASIA EKPAIDEFTIKI ANONYMI ETAIRIA
• FUNDACION EMPRESA UNIVERSIDAD GALLEGA
• UAGN – Unión de Agricultores y Ganaderos de Navarra
• REZOS BRANDS ANONYMI EMPORIKI ETERIA IDON DIATROFIS