Inventory of the skills needed for a transition to more sustainable agriculture, forestry and associated bio-value chains

Lead Partner: Roskilde University

In WP1 NextFOOD will develop an inventory of skills that will be needed in the transition to more resilient agrifood and forestry systems. Partners will review how current science, education and training systems in a wide and varied range of EU Member States, as well as countries in Africa, Asia and the USA, cater for these needs, seeking to draft roadmaps for the improvement of curricula, learning methods and long-term interaction between education, science and actors in the agrifood system. To realize this, NextFOOD will map cases and best practices for being able to assess the variety, depth and width of skills that have been applied to actual training and advisory work. The information gathered through the case analyses will be supplemented with data from former stocktaking and previous curriculum evaluations.

Towards these ends NextFOOD will:

Produce a challenge- and foresight-based inventory of skills needed in future agriculture and food value chains to be sustainable (ecologically, socially, and economically) based on scenario and foresight techniques, including scientific, technological, environmental, and political practices.

Identify previous mapping initiatives and relevant industry research projects and practices through desk research, case studies and by surveying organisations in the knowledge chain.

Assess and translate academic knowledge on innovative and interdisciplinary programs as for example “Food Studies” and “Sustainable agriculture”.

Task 1.1. Inventory of skills

Task 1.2. Analysing gaps in research and education

Task 1.3. Roadmapping and improvement

D1.1 : Inventory of skills and competencies

D1.2 : Audit tool for research and education

D1.3 : A framework for assessing quality in education