Developing a participatory agroecology curriculum to enhance green competences, employability, and sustainable practices among VET learners and institutions in the EU and Western Balkans.
Context
The agri-food systems of the EU and the Western Balkans, as well as those around the world with different local peculiarities, are increasingly vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation, which cause loss of biodiversity, alteration of ecosystems and threaten traditional agricultural practices. These changes result from multiple, interconnected factors, such as the overexploitation of natural resources, the dominance of industrial agriculture and the economic marginalisation of rural areas that cause their progressive abandonment. Moreover, reflecting the alarming reduction in agrobiodiversity and the increasing concentration of power within the global seed and fertiliser markets, today only nine plant species make up more than 66% of the world’s crop production.
In this context, agroecology offers a real alternative: by integrating ecological principles into agricultural practices, it promotes biodiversity, improves soil health and strengthens the resilience of agricultural landscapes and communities. It also seeks to regain control over seed systems, empowering local communities and promoting the conservation of traditional varieties adapted to the local climate. At the same time, the agroecological movement goes beyond the sphere of food production alone and emphasises the importance of food systems that are adapted to local culture and customs, in which the relationship between food producers and consumers is characterised by trust and proximity – spatial and/or in terms of values – and in which all actors involved, especially small-scale producers, can be guaranteed a fair and decent income, a possibility often denied due to overly competitive market mechanisms that restrict their space, leaving it only to large agricultural producers.
The SEEDS project aims to respond to these pressing environmental and social challenges by incorporating agroecological principles into vocational education and training (VET). Through a participatory approach, the project aims to promote the development of innovative tools and curricula that prepare VET teachers and students to lead a green and just transition in agriculture and, more broadly, in food systems, through agroecology. Furthermore, by providing future professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to promote sustainable food systems, SEEDs ultimately helps to improve the future employability of young people towards green economy sectors.
Objectives
- To promote agroecology in vocational training institutions.
- To equip teachers in VET institutes with appropriate tools, knowledge and methodologies for the development of a locally adapted participatory agroecological curriculum with the contribution of local stakeholders (farmers, farms representatives, local institutions, citizens).
- To transfer the new agroecology curriculum to VET students, incorporating the newly developed modules into the teaching programs (piloting) and involving students in experiential learning activities by applying agroecological practices in the VET institutes.
- To promote the exchange of knowledge between organizations and vocational training institutes in the EU and the Western Balkans and create a network of agroecological practices.
Activities
- Analysis of educational material and curricula on agroecology in the VET sector, participatory methodologies and the gaps in agroecological education in local contexts as a baseline to address the competence gap in the labour market and for the future co-development of agroecological curricula in each partner country.
- Mapping of relevant stakeholders (VET centers, rural and farmers associations, agroecological researchers, rural communities’ representatives) that can inform and support the development of the curriculum in the local context, resulting in a SEEDs stakeholders’ network.
- Developing of a training program aimed at improving the skills of VET teachers for the design of a curriculum on agroecology using a participatory approach to be integrated into teaching programs. For the module on practices, farmers and/or farmers’ organizations will provide their support by offering real examples of agroecological practices related, for example, to biodiversity conservation, seed exchange, or community resource management.
- A five-day training course (twenty-five hours) involving VET teachers, aimed at transferring the training program; the course will lead to the development of a joint draft curriculum on agroecology.
- Study visits (minimum two) to local farms, cooperatives, labs or circular economy enterprises relevant for their application of agroecological practices, dedicated to VET teachers participating in the training program.
- A two-day workshop in each country (SEEDs Labs) for the co-development and finalization of the agroecological curricula adapted to the local context, through participatory methodologies, involving local stakeholders such as representatives of farming communities, citizens, farms, and representatives of local and educational institutions.
- Piloting on the newly developed agroecological curricula with VET students; practical modules will guide the implementation of agroecological practices in the VET institutes (examples: alternative food production and consumption initiatives linked to traditional diets and food sovereignty, planning of school gardens).
Resources
- Manual of Agroecology – Educational needs and best practices.
- Roadmap for agroecology participatory curricula.
- SEEDs training programme. Main units: Framing agroecological theory (1), Agroecological practices (2), Participatory and community engagement methodologies (3).
- SEEDs participatory curricula in agroecology (one per country).
- SEEDs online platform including Agroecological Interactive Maps.
Impact
Strengthening VET teachers and VET learners’ agroecological skills:
- equipping VET teachers with theorical and practical competences in agroecology and with participatory methodologies for the co-development of context-relevant agroecological curricula resulting in the improvement of the relevance of VET curricula to current labor market needs.
- equipping VET learners with theoretical and practical skills in agroecology and improving their readiness for the green transition in the job market.
Promoting active participation of local stakeholders (farmers, cooperatives, local authorities, CSOs) in the design and development of locally-adapted agroecological curriculum (SEEDs Labs):
- active contribution in shaping participatory, context-relevant training materials.
- strengthened collaboration between VET providers and local actors, aligning training content with real-world needs.
Reaching policymakers and the wider public with targeted communication:
- an effective communication strategy, including public events, online articles, and direct outreach , will inform policymakers and raise community awareness on the importance of integrating agroecological principles in VET education, with the result of amplifying the project’s visibility and support policy uptake.
Fostering a lasting cultural shift toward agroecology by embedding agroecological and sustainability principles into VET systems and professional practice. This will help build resilient communities that are better prepared for environmental and economic change, while supporting sustainable development goals at the local and regional level.
In numbers
- At least 30 stakeholders (representatives of the VET sector, of the labour market, sector associations, and other relevant actors) contribute to the context analysis resulting in the Manual of Agroecology – 5 per country.
- At least 12 farmers/farmers’ associations support the development of the training programme by providing examples of agroecological practices and field-based learning activities – 2 per country.
- At least 36 VET teachers participate in training activities on co-developing a participatory curriculum on agroecology – 6 per country.
- At least 12 farmers, farmers associations, and other stakeholders actively contribute to the organization of the study visits – 2 per country.
- At least 18 VET teachers support the implementation and facilitation of local SEEDs Labs practicing the skills acquired during the training programme – 3 per country.
- At least 48 stakeholders (representatives of farming communities, citizens, farms, and representatives of local and educational institutions) involved in the SEEDS labs for the co-development of VET curriculum in agroecology – 8 per country.
- At least 60 VET learners test the newly developed curriculum in agroecology and implement an agroecological practice at school – 10 per country.
Partners
- CESIE ETS (Italy, Coordinator)
- Eurotraining (Greece)
- Syncnify (France)
- Albanian Network For Rural Development (Albania)
- Universum College (Kosovo)
- SSK Livno (Bosnia And Herzegovina)
- Sarajevo Meeting of Cultures (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
