The project aimed to increase the number of lands transitioning to sustainable agriculture. It targeted two specific objectives: 1) enhancing agricultural Micro and Small Enterprises' (MSE) knowledge on climate actions and environmental protection, and 2) developing skills for MSEs to economically implement sustainable practices. The project sought to achieve results like improving MSEs' expertise on land use and business management. It also focused on strengthening international networks, improving project management experience, and sharing new vocational education practices. By aligning with the European Commission's "Farm to Fork" strategy, the project saw the transition to sustainable food systems as an economic opportunity, emphasizing the need for vocational education to meet market demands. This project prioritized enhancing access to vocational training for both sustainable agriculture and financial sustainability, ensuring flexibility to cater to micro and small-sized agricultural enterprises. Ultimately, the project aimed to empower MSEs to embrace sustainability, access EU funds, and adapt to market dynamics effectively.
We applied for this project to address pressing needs in the agricultural sector across Europe, particularly in light of ambitious climate goals like achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, as prescribed by the “European Green Deal”. The urgency to ensure neutrality of emissions by 2050, as outlined in the “Global Warming of 1.5°C” report by the IPCC, necessitates profound emission reductions in all sectors. Agriculture, a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, has seen minimal reduction in emissions in recent years, despite its potential to mitigate climate change. There was an urgent need to capacitate farmers for the transition to a sustainable agriculture, by giving them access to tools, knowledge and overall training to be able to change their production into a more sustainable model, without jeopardizing the financial aspects of their business. In Portugal, Italy and Romania achieving carbon neutrality requires substantial reductions in emissions by 2050, with agriculture projected to remain a significant contributor to national emissions.