Activating agricultural and tourism specializations through Center of Taste Erasmus Project

Project Title

Activating agricultural and tourism specializations through Center of Taste

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Regional dimension and cooperation; Social entrepreneurship / social innovation

Project Summary

Rural area is often seen as an opposite to the city, urban space. In a rural country changes are constantly taking place and these are caused by groups of factors that make up the rural country – natural, cultural and anthropogenic components. The great importance of rural areas is that the rural landscape forms part of our heritage and is an important witness to the past, and current relationships between man and the natural environment are building the rural environment.
Not only in Slovakia, or in Visegrad countries, but across Europe we can observe that rural areas are facing a decline in the importance of agriculture and outflow of population, and it is therefore necessary to address the revival of the countryside through its diversification.
Rural areas, in general, have a big tourist potential, but very often lacking in strategy and complementary planning. Local food and wine can certainly be a vehicle for promoting the area – for each territory can be found some typical products: traditional food products and biodiverse products, local wines, handmade products etc.
Considering above mentioned facts, AGATA project aims to establish the set of tools to help people from rural areas, decision makers and entrepreneurs jump-start early-stage services which includes the methodology, decision-making tools, learning materials and other strategic-planned kits. The overall aim of this set of tools is to help grow the local agrotourist economy by creating a community of support for entrepreneurs and cultivating an environment where emerging startups can learn, test, create, scale and thrive.
Intellectual Outputs and linked specific objectives are follows:
IO1 – AGATA Regional Network and Toolkit: The Essential Toolkit to developing a Centre of Taste:
– To establish a Network of local actors that can contribute to the development of a region
IO2 – AGATA Actions Plans to develop the Centre of Taste: An innovative methodology for the enhancement of the characterization of the enogastronomy in selected areas:
– To discover of productions linked to territorial agricultural vocations, aiming at quality agriculture and to promote typical crops, food and wine and obtaining brands
– To adapt Centre of Taste to local vocations by activating Agricultural and Tourism Specializations and enhance services for the local population.
IO3 – AGATA online course: Multimedia open education resources

Our efforts are focused on three clear target groups:
a) Community leaders, Chambers of Commerce , SMEs and agri-food groups who need VET resources & tools and strategic support from AGATA Partnerships to help them develop Centre of Taste
b) HEIs and business development organizations that provide VET for the rural/agri-food sector.
c) Local authorities and public sector agencies that can support Centre of Taste (financially and logistically in terms of providing land, buildings and other resources) to drive rural region economic and growth.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 264230 Eur

Project Coordinator

New Edu,n.o & Country: SK

Project Partners

• Börzsöny-Duna-Ipoly Vidékfejlesztési Egyesület
• MERIDAUNIA
• STOWARZYSZENIE ARID
• Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze
• Obcianske zdruzenie Vidiecky parlament na Slovensku