Preparing for the Future – European E-Learning Training on the "Code of Good Organic Retailing Practice"

Project summary

The Transnational Strategic Partnership aims to develop the European “Code of Good Organic Retailing Practice” and to create and provide an e-learning course and platform in order to integrate the Code’s principles in the formal training of managers and personnel in the organic retail sector. Another objective is the transfer and promotion of Code’s principles and personnel training in the non-organic retail sector. “Preparing for the future” means in this context a provision of an innovative and EQF compatible learning offer for the integration of ethical and sustainable principles in the daily practice of organic and conventional retail. Facing all the problems caused by the globalization, the financial crises and economical and social deregulations, ethical principles of doing business have become more and more important. The organic trade sector recognized that organic regulations and certification alone are not sufficient to assure the authenticity of organic products and integrity of the organic supply chain. With the fast growth of the organic sector, more and more profiteers are entering the business, which can compromise the whole sector. This insight was the cause for development of principles on other aspects of authenticity and integrity of the organic business and its stakeholders. Important stakeholders of the organic trade sector started to develop and promote a “Code of Good Organic Retail Practice” to establish 8 principles in business and employee contexts: Social Aspects, Involvement in the Organic Sector, Product Quality, Sustainability in the Shop, Sustainable Relationships, Transparency, Open Communication, and Quality Management. The most important actors and carriers of the ethical principles are the employees of the organic shops. The shop managers and personnel are the key factors for the implementation of ethical principles in the daily practice, which concerns decisions about and handling of economical, environmental and social business aspects as well as the relationship and communication with customers, business partners, other stakeholders and amongst the shop’s employees themselves. Therefore a successful implementation of the “Code of Good Organic Retail Practice” requires a learning tool for involving shop managers and personnel in the daily realization of these principles. However, it is not only the organic business sector that is affected by critical views of consumer, staff, business partners and the public regarding their authenticity and integrity. Also the “conventional” business sector is struggling with developing an overall ethical code of conduct. Therefore also in this sector the idea of ethical principles for business becomes more relevant and corresponding activities are increasing. The proposed project is based on former activities of a LdV Partnership project carried out from 2011 to 2013. Institutions and enterprises of the organic retail sector from five European countries developed a first draft of the European “Code of Good Organic Retailing Practice” (see the brochure with the draft in EST under No. 2011-1-DE2-LEO04-07934 at results). The final assessment of the Partnership’s results by the National Agencies in partner countries was a “very good”! This positive response of the external evaluators was a further argument to transfer the innovative approach and concept into an e-learning offer and platform and to widen the partnership to enable new partner countries to participate. New training tool to cover all relevant aspects of ethical retail practice will help the staff and managers of shops to meet the new requirements of the soon-to-be revised EU organic regulation and assist in introducing a comprehensive approach towards retailing ethics in daily business practice. In the organic sector the idea of ethical principles for business becomes more and more relevant and activities in this area are increasing. The target groups of the new e-learning course are representatives and managers in organic retail sector, employees of organic shops and supermarkets, institutions of adult education, trainers/instructors, and decision-makers in public administration. They will profit from the activities and the project’s results in the form of adequate training offers, higher quality of skills, knowledge and competences of the retailers staff as well as improved ethical image of the whole business sector. The results and Intellectual Outputs of the project will be the European concept of the “Code of Good Organic Retail Practice“, a curriculum with Learning Outcomes for training on the "Code" defined according to EQF and NQF requirements, an English pilot e-learning course and 7 adapted national versions of the e-learning course in all partner countries and languages. The partnerships consists of 9 partners from 7 countries – Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Turkey.