Good teaching practices in experiential learning for effective education in embedded food systems (GOODFOOD) The GOODFOOD project aims at building a network of EU higher education institutions and rural food communities and territories, to develop, test and implement experiential learning activities and outcomes allowing university teachers and students to learn, explore and exchange knowledge about embedded food systems and best practices of their future development and implementation. It will increase students and teachers skills and capacity to contribute towards the resilience and sustainability of embedded food systems in rural communities and territories. For this not only scientific, but especially local and traditional knowledge of food systems stakeholders plays a crucial role, as an indispensable basis for permanent adaptation of embedded food systems to current global challenges such as improvement of food production and quality, marketing practices, market fluctuations and competition, inclusiveness of stakeholders, consumer choices, food sovereignty, rural development and climate change adaptation. To tackle this, the project envisages development of a broad spectrum of teaching actions and contents with the organization of 2 Intensive Study Programmes ‘Embedded food systems in territories’ where students from 6 EU universities will analyse various aspects of sustainability of the local food systems (in Münsterland and Piedmont regions) and their embeddedness in the territories. The Intensive Study Programmes will be preceded by e-learning modules, to offer students specific background knowledge needed for further embedded food system exploration. The outputs of the project include the analysis of students understanding of Embedded food systems and expectations towards education within this subject area, e-learning courses on ‘Embedded food systems in territories’, syllabus and educational materials for 2 Intensive Study Programmes, collection of embedded food systems case studies from Europe as basis for educational tools, and a catalogue of innovative teaching practices and best teaching tips for embedded food systems education. All outputs will be disseminated during 6 project Multiplier Events and other project dissemination activities.
The primary objective of GOODFOOD was to establish a network comprising European universities and rural food communities and territories, and – in this collaborative endeavor – to develop, test, and implement experiential learning activities and approaches. Through these initiatives, both students and lecturers were empowered to delve into embedded food systems, exploring best practices for their development and implementation. Transnationality of the project with partners from six different countries and different regions of Europe allowed the biggest strengths of teaching approaches and strategies of the participating universities to be extracted, analyzed and put together in a number of project activities and outputs. The project strongly addressed many of the key issues of the renewed EU Agenda for higher education, the priority ‘Learning Objectives’ set by UNESCO, global need for a shift towards sustainable food consumption and production as stated in Sustainable Food Systems Programme of UNEP and FAO, as well as priorities of the Erasmus+ Programme. In addition, the project subject clearly responded to the main challenges addressed to the well-being of the next generations.
GOODFOOD aimed to address (a) the needs for effective, innovative, multidisciplinary, labour market- and societal needs-oriented, inclusive education, identified in the renewed EU Agenda for higher education, and (b) the need for joint and effective actions towards improving sustainability of the current food systems. In face of global population growth, resource constrains and growing environmental and public health concerns, high priority is given towards developing strategies to improve sustainability of the current food systems. In this regard, territorially embedded food systems, that are resilient, well adapted and anchored in rural communities and primarily managed by local actors, including fair sharing of economic and other value created, may play an important role. However, for this, a support of knowledgeable, skilled and motivated university graduates is of great importance. At the same time hardly any study programmes at European universities thoroughly address this multidisciplinary area.