The Importance of Local and Natural Growing Products in the Development of Rural Areas: Role Model of Ankara Armudu (Pyrus communis) Erasmus Project

Project Title

The Importance of Local and Natural Growing Products in the Development of Rural Areas: Role Model of Ankara Armudu (Pyrus communis)

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Regional dimension and cooperation; Rural development and urbanisation; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

One of the most important pear species in terms of fruit technique is P. communis L. This kind of Middle East has spread throughout Europe from Anatolia, Caucasia and Turkistan to a wide region and has played an important role in the development of our culture pear varieties. The Ankara Pear (Pyrus communis L.) is one of our native, standard, winter varieties, which has attracted the attention of pear growers since ancient times due to its superior fruit quality and long-term storage properties. Ankara Armudu (Pyrus communis L.) grows naturally in Akyurt province has fallen over time. The most basic reason for this is the decrease in the yield of the trees naturally located in the region.

The use of non-natural inputs such as drugs, synthetic fertilizers, etc. in pear production has begun to attract attention to the effects on the degradation of natural balance and to the vital danger that can reach all living things as well as man through the food chain. In this context, it has emerged as a need to increase the productivity of the naturally grown Ankara Pear and to bring the professional competencies of those working in the field to EU standards. In this content, farmers engaged in agriculture and farm activates in the region don’t have enough knowledge, skills and competencies how to boost the economic value of locally and naturally grown Pyrus communis L.

NatFruit project aims at the exchange of good practices and organic fruit products in terms of sustainable agriculture in Europe and Turkey and on the identification of current market needs in order to take into account in agricultural training programs in line with the priorities of the Erasmus+ program. It also aims to support participants training and other related activities aiming at the acquisition and the use of knowledge, skills and qualifications to facilitate personal development, employability and participation in the European labour market.

The primary target group of the project are farmers involved in production, marketing and sales of local and organic fruit products. The project has helped to significantly increase their access to training, improve their qualifications in the area of marketing and increase competitiveness.

NatFruit project Project methodology based on Work Packages

WP1 – Project Management and Coordination
WP2 – Inventory analysis and reports
2.1. Summary of key elements for transfer
2.2. Summary of key needs identified
2.3. Planned approach
2.4. Questionnaire
2.5. Country reports based on best practices
2.6. Synthesis report
WP3 – Methodological Training Tool for Naturally grown product-Pear
3.1. Training course outline
3.2. Competences and define entire course outline
3.4. e-learning platform
3.5. Final course produced
3.6. Hard copy and electronic version of training pack; user guide for trainer and learner
3.7. Translated versions in partner languages
3.8 Amendments to training pack following pilot evaluation
WP4 – Pilot Applications
4.1. Pruning and budding
4.2. Sapling planting

Staffs/farmers/agriculture engineers in already working enterprises, involved organization and farms not sufficiently educated guides in rural development and locally/naturally fruits production, especially in rural areas villagers and farmers will become qualified and with the competences and skills they gained from Methodological Training Tool for Naturally grown product-Pear and project activates such as pilot application and short time learning activities in Hungary.

NATFruit project partners from universities to non-governmental organizations, from public bodies and organizations to organization providing jobs, will expand their institutional and professional capacity by “Methodological Training Tool for Naturally grown product-Pear” which is not included in the existing curriculum of Turkish vocational educational system and EU member countries.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 51663,75 Eur

Project Coordinator

akyurt belediyesi & Country: TR

Project Partners

• Fundación de la Comunitat Valenciana para una Economía Baja en Carbón
• Akyurt Halk Egitimi Merkezi Mudurlugu
• CENTER ZA TRAJNOSTNI RAZVOJ PODEZELJA KRANJ
• ANKARA UNIVERSITESI
• TREBAG SZELLEMI TULAJDON- ES PROJEKTMENEDZSER KORLATOLT FELELOSSEGU TARSASAG