<< Objectives >>OBJ1: Design, pilot-test and roll-out a novel curriculum for dual VET on sustainable, smart viticulture. OBJ2: Introduce flexible training delivery methods to support self-paced skills acquisition and inclusivenessOBJ3: Foster the capitalisation of VITISKILLS results in VET practice through the recognition of skills requirementsOBJ4: Deliver best practices to promote fair working conditions for vineyard workers, and promote digital literacy & environmental awareness in rural communities.<< Implementation >>-Consultation with experts on curriculum structure & content-Joint design of a VET curriculum along with OERs on sustainable, smart viticulture-Pilot delivery and evaluation of curriculum’s learning effectiveness -Sectoral recognition of new occupational requirements -Delivery of a Blueprint for the establishment of an EU-wide vocational qualification-Delivery of recommendations to extend vineyard workers’ security and bridge the digital divide in in rural communities<< Results >>-A 2-semester curriculum with WBL components on sustainable, smart viticulture in 7 EU languages -A self-guided online course to promote flexibility in learning -Updated occupational profiles on ESCO-Blueprint for an EU-wide VET qualification for viticulture staff -4 on-site training seminars & 1 pilot session of the online course-720 workers trained & upskilled-A best practice guide & position paper for improved labour conditions, digital literacy & environmental awareness

<< Background >>The bioeconomy in Europe is moving from research niche to market norm as the European Commission is setting a course for a more resource-efficient and sustainable economy. The current economic size is significant as the corresponding sectors represent an annual turnover of 2.3 trillion €, making it one of the Union’s biggest and most important sectors. Moreover, it already employs around 8.2% of the EU workforce and has the potential to further increase it. The EU, with the Bioeconomy Strategy 2018, the Circular Economy Action Plan 2020 and the Farm to Fork Strategy (at the heart of the EU Green Deal), aims to increase the development, production and use of renewable resources to make food & feed, energy, materials and chemicals, paving the way to a more innovative, resource efficient and competitive society, based on the circular bioeconomy.However, in order to reap the benefits of this socio-economic model, both a well-trained workforce and correctly informed customers are essential. Indeed, one of the priorities of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy is to promote education, training and skills across the bioeconomy. Since the bioeconomy is a broad high-level concept, it requires the integration of a large number of scientific disciplines, but also a cohesive vision involving economy, society and lifelong learning. To help train and educate the new generation of bioeconomy professionals with the necessary hard and soft skills, we need to rethink and improve our current educational model for the bioeconomy. This is the long-term ambition of Circular Bricks. Across Europe, some initiatives have already been put in place. However, there seems to be a lack of generalized and consistent schemes, especially with regards to the VET field. In order to address these needs, Circular Bricks will train VET teachers from the agri-food sector in order to make them able to educate their students (i.e. the future generation of circular bioeconomy professionals) with the necessary green skills which are required by the current and future industries operating in the European circular bioeconomy. The project will develop innovative pedagogical material on circular bioeconomy related topics for VET teachers, keeping a train-the-trainer approach. Specifically, involved teachers will be provided with a thorough and practical approach to circular bioeconomy principles and their implementation in the agri-food sector, as well as with efficient tools for holding effective design thinking sessions and preparing learners to become true agents of change. At the end of the project, both teachers and students will have acquired new green skills and competencies, thus adding “circular bricks” to their knowhow.<< Objectives >>Circular Bricks’ will:- facilitate knowledge and experience sharing among institutes from different MS. This will allow: (i) rethinking & improving the current European educational model for the circular bioeconomy, providing green sectorial skills strategies and methodologies for VET teachers; and (ii) addressing the need to innovate VET by adapting it to labour market needs.- support VET teachers in the adaptation of their training offer to changing skills needs, green and digital transitions and economic cycles. This will make the circular bioeconomy more attractive for students and local stakeholders, hence stimulating local labour market and improving transnational networking activities. - develop tools and methodologies easily replicable in other MS.- contribute to tackle environmental issues by raising awareness on them and generating knowledge on a specific solution at hand: the circular bioeconomy. This will enable behavioral changes for individual preferences, consumption habits, and lifestyles.- provide students from VET institutes with the opportunity to enhance their entrepreneurial mindsets and skills, encouraging active citizenship and entrepreneurship and increasing awareness on circular bioeconomy.<< Implementation >>To ensure an efficient implementation of project's activities, Circular Bricks' partners will jointly define, right at the beginning of the project, a stable management structure to guarantee the proper implementation of the work-plan. Specifically, Circular Bricks will implement the following activities (which will lead to the delivery of the three project's results):- Over the period M1-M7, UnitelmaSapienza, Area Europa and La Uniò will work on the development of a Pedagogical Guide on circular bioeconomy, in order to provide VET teachers with a thorough and practical approach to circular bioeconomy principles and their implementation in the agri-food sector (knowledge, best practices, ideas, entrepreneurial skills, etc.), as well as with efficient tools for holding effective design thinking sessions and prepare learners to become true agents of change. - After the completion of the Pedagogical Guide on circular bioeconomy (project's result n. 1), working sessions with local stakeholders (at least 10) will be organized by VET institutes. This will allow accounting for their view and knowhow while developing the second project’s result (Circular Bricks' Open Online Platform and Toolkit). With the aim of co-creating the Toolkit and identifying the best performing tools to implement participatory learning activities, selected teachers from each VET institute and two representatives from UnitelmaSapienza, Area Europa and La Uniò will conduct a three-day working session, which will consist in the LTTA1. Day 1 will introduce teachers to the emerging topic of the circular bioeconomy, providing them with successful examples and best practices at international level. Day 2 will provide teachers with the needed information on entrepreneurial skills and competencies in the agri-food sector, together with examples and best practices on entrepreneurship. Day 3 will provide teachers participating with the needed information on design thinking processes, as well as with competencies in the facilitation of processes. Examples and best practices at international level, especially in the education field, will be provided. - Circular Bricks knowledge will then be transferred to (at least) 100 students, who will be involved, together with their teachers, in a design thinking session aimed at making them able to develop innovative projects to boost local circular bioeconomy. 25 students from each VET institute will be involved (5 groups of 5 students). All projects will be cross-evaluated by students coming from a different VET institute through a peer-review process. As a result of the peer review process, a winning project from each participating country will be awarded with a mobility that will also be an opportunity for disseminating project’s results. Winning groups (4 groups, respectively from IT, ES, RO and GR) will present their projects at an international event on circular bioeconomy (Maker Faire Rome, European Edition). The award will consist of a 5-day mobility that will provide students with an opportunity to present their projects to an international audience. This will allow students to assess the business feasibility of their projects, get some hints on the possible implementation of their ideas, and exchange knowledge on similar experiences with fellow students involved in the other projects. Students and accompanying teachers will be involved in two sessions: (1) participation in Maker Faire Rome, with a stand, for presenting their projects (3 days); and (2) a two-day session with UnitelmaSapienza, Area Europa and La Uniò to discuss together students’ projects.- Multiplier Events: each VET institute will organize a local event for teachers, local stakeholders and governments representatives (at M14), while 2 national conferences (IT and ES) and 2 local conferences (RO and GR) will be organised at M24 in order to disseminate project’s results to local and national stakeholders and the general public.<< Results >>Circular Bricks will deliver the following three project's results:- Project result n. 1 (to be delivered by M7): Pedagogical guide on circular bioeconomy (Leader: La Uniò)The Pedagogical guide on circular bioeconomy will be the first output of the project and will include the following three modules: Module n. 1 This module will include a comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the circular bioeconomy, starting from few basic questions, such as: What is the circular bioeconomy? Why is the circular bioeconomy important? How do I get a circular bioeconomy? The module will take in due account regional differences across Europe (e.g. pertaining to different specializations sectors). The three pillars of sustainability (i.e. environmental, economic and social) will also be addressed, focusing in particular on issues concerning ecodesign, end-of-life options, as well as waste management and European and national regulations. European best practices and case studies will be presented.Module n. 2 This module will include up-to-date knowledge in the development of entrepreneurial skills. Tacking stock of existing documents and available success stories, the module will propose an innovative methodology tailored for the circular bioeconomy sector.Module n. 3This module will include several tools for participative processes and for the setting up of design thinking sessions. These elements will facilitate students’ active participation to project activities, involving them in a creative problem-solving process aimed at creating new products/projects entailing circular bioeconomy and entrepreneurial skills.Project result n. 2 (to be delivered by M12)Circular Bricks Open Online Platform and Toolkit for training teachers and supporting them easily transfer the acquired know-how to their students (Leader: UnitelmaSapienza)Project result n. 2 will consist in the development of the Circular Bricks Open Online Platform and the Circular Bricks Toolkit. The Open Online Platform will be aimed at training teachers from VET institutes on circular bioeconomy related topics. It will include: (i) video lessons on circular bioeconomy related topics (building on the project result n. 1); and (ii) knowledge-sharing webinars for teachers from VET institutes (at least 3 webinars will be organised during the lifetime of the project and a document encompassing best practices, problems and solutions, as well as tips and suggestions aroused during the knowledge-sharing activities will be compiled and uploaded to the platform at the end of each webinar). The Circular Bricks Toolkit will be co-created by VET teachers within the LTTA1 and will be aimed at supporting them easily transfer the acquired know-how to their students. ENAIP Veneto will be responsible for this task.Project result n. 3 (to be delivered by M22)Design thinking sessions with students and peer-review of projects (Leader: DIEK IOANNINON)Students from agri-food VET institutes will be involved, together with their teachers, in design thinking sessions aimed at making them able to develop innovative projects to promote local circular bioeconomy. 25 students from each VET institute will be involved (5 groups of up to 5 students per VET institute). All projects will be cross-evaluated by students coming from different VET institutes through a peer-review process. As a result of the peer review process, a winning project from each participating country will be awarded with a mobility (LTTA2) that will also be an opportunity for disseminating project’s results.

The loss of biodiversity is one of the largest and most important challenges worldwide. The current rate of species extinction, due to human influences, is up to 1000 times higher than the natural extinction rate. Agriculture is the most important land use in Europe, with around 50% of the surface used for agricultural production. In the past, agriculture significantly contributed to increasing the diversity of landscapes and species in Europe. Today, intensive agriculture is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss in the cultural landscape. Sound knowledge is available regarding food production and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems. But that knowledge is still not sufficiently considered and production methods not sufficiently adapted. One important reason for that is that biodiversity is still not enough considered in a farmer´s professional education or further training nor do they receive consulting directly on the farm. In addition, vine growers do not carry out systematic analyses of their impacts on biodiversity on their whole farm. The EU is a leading producer of wine. Spain, Portugal and Turkey belong to the top ten countries in Europe with the largest vineyards. The main target group of the project was the organic vine growers - farmers producing grapes in the vineyards - either for viticulture as for sultana production. As organic vine-growers work constantly on improving biodiversity in their fields, because vivid ecosystems and a high diversity in the soil and between vine rows are a prerequisite for healthy grapes and a good quality. However, the results are also interesting and applicable for conventional vine-growers. The project aimed at adapting vine-growing practices to protect, enhance and promote biodiversity in vineyards. This was achieved with a transfer of knowledge between the partners, to train each other and to develop high quality training materials for vine-growers. The training materials and the implementation of training courses contribute to specify the professional education of a vine-grower and to high quality VET. The partnership consisted of eight partners; of tandems between nature conservation organizations and farmer/wine grower associations in Germany, Spain and Portugal and of an organic agriculture company in Turkey. The partners are experienced in the topic of viticulture and/or biodiversity and while developing each output the exchange of those experiences and the training of each other was the first achievement. The training material support vine-growers to integrate biodiversity into their work. They consist of information materials where knowledge was made more accessible to vine-growers and of specific biodiversity training modules with a focus on systematic analyses of their impacts. All results are available in 5 languages: • Biodiversity Fact Sheet for vine-growers: explains biodiversity, shows links between viticulture and biodiversity and names best practices• Biodiversity Guide in viticulture: introduces on approx. 60 pages typical species in vineyards and gives some interesting facts. Icons were explicitly developed for that purpose indicates areas in the vineyards and measures to promote these species. • Educational videos: a number of videos introduce important measures for biodiversity in viticulture and outlines advantages of biodiversity for making good vines and sultanas. • Biodiversity Check: with this output, comprehensive individual training with external expertise is facilitated to assess potential negative impacts and give recommendations for improvement where necessary. • Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP): a catalogue of possible measures for all viticulture/grape growing relevant areas. It enables vine-growers to manage their biodiversity activities Due to the project, project partners could sharpen their profile in all aspects of biodiversity and viticulture and became national specialists in carrying out both biodiversity training modules. In addition all partner organizations implemented the outputs into their training programs and continue to work in this area. Vine-growers having already received individual trainings could specify their professional education and increase competitiveness. The outputs can be used in different scenarios: in training courses in agrarian schools/universities; advisors or technicians giving advice directly on the field or it can be used by the vine-growers directly. Due to this approach time expenditure for additional time-demanding schooling activities can be reduced. But vine growers still receive the needed knowledge to adapt production methods and to specify their professional education. Most of the outputs can be use directly or with the easy adaptations in other vine-growing regions or countries. The concept of the training materials can be used and adapted to other (agricultural) sectors. This already happened for example for banana production in Central America.

There is an urgent need to move towards sustainable weed management strategies. Agroecology offers a unique approach & seeks to transform food & agriculture systems, providing long-term solutions. Challenge 1: Agroecological practices are already applied to different degrees. However, wide adoption of agroecological weed management has lagged behind our understanding of its benefits and way to optimally apply it in different cases. Challenge 2: Even with simple agroecological practices, uptake by farmers has been limited. Impediments to employing such practices include inadequate policy instruments, a lack of market mechanisms, and a paucity of social infrastructure with which to influence learning & decision-making by farmers. Challenge 3: Weeds are expected to become more difficult to reliably control with herbicides under increasing CO2 and climate change (CC). Nevertheless, practical implications of climate change for the many non-chemical tactics integral to agroecological weeding have not been thoroughly addressed yet. CONSERWA will address the aforementioned challenges by: a) compiling a portfolio of agroecological farming practices, studying their optimal combinations & transferability, including suitability under CC scenarios, b) supporting the implementation of these combinations and the measurement of their performance & impacts using novel tools, c) supporting knowledge management & communication between stakeholders with the ultimate goal of practical decision-making and impact assessment through an open DSS, d) studying factors influencing farmers’ decision-making in applying agroecological farming, working together with the value chain, such as the food processors & consultancy services. The study will be facilitated by case studies covering all European biogeographical/pedo-climatic regions and involving a wide range of crops & farming systems. CONSERWA focuses also on training of farmers, as well as on policy making (through policy recommendations).

LIVESEEDING contributes to the upscaling of organic production in Europe through (i) improving availability of organic plant reproductive material of organic cultivars (Organic Heterogeneous Material, Organic Varieties, landraces) of a large range of crops, bred for improved diversity and adaptation to local conditions, and (ii) strengthening and diversifying the organic seed sector informed by market demands. LIVESEEDING contributes to the transition towards environmentally-friendly, climate-neutral, healthy and fair food systems through further developing (i) cultivars suited for organic and low external input production, (ii) novel governance models linking breeders with value chain actors and citizens with local food production, and (iii) awareness around the importance of biodiversity for our food and health. LIVESEEDING focuses on the main drivers for (i) the supply and demand of organic seed and cultivars, (ii) the supply and demand of food products derived from them, and (iii) enabling frameworks and roadmaps through active policy dialogue with national and European authorities and policymakers by providing science-based evidence and best practice solutions to achieve 100% organic seed. LIVESEEDING addresses the topics in a holistic multi-actor, multi-stakeholder participatory approach involving organic and public research institutes (with proven competencies in breeding, seed multiplication and health, socio-economics, extension and outreach), variety examination offices, private breeders and seed companies, organic production and civil society associations. Additional stakeholders along the value chain are involved in the local Living Labs (LLs) and the established networks of organic breeders (ECO-PB), seed savers (ECLLD) and Milan Urban Food Policy Pact (MUFPP). 15 European countries cover the different pedoclimatic zones and socio-economic contexts, including countries with a low level of development in organic seed and breeding in East and South Europe