Skills Needs for a Sustainable Farmer in the Framework of the SAGRI Project

Abstract

In the EU almost 50% of the territory is covered by farmland (both arable and permanent grassland), which means that agriculture plays a key role in land management and has a huge responsibility in the preservation of natural resources. In order to practice a sustainable agriculture, farmers responsible for the management of farmland must adopt correct and environmental friendly practices, using appropriate technology and complying with EU regulations for a sustainable agriculture. Recent developments in science and technology, that could be an added value for farmers’ crop and land management, are still unutilized in many situations because farmers have not been introduced to them or have not been trained to use them. The SAGRI project (http://www.sagriproject.eu/) is an ERASMUS+ Project which main goal is to advance the skills of European farmers and agricultural extension staff through the development of new curricula and teaching programmes that integrate in a practical way the latest developments in agricultural applied research. The purpose is to provide farmers and agricultural stakeholders with knowledge, skills and competencies in the field of agro-environmental technology for a sustainable agriculture. There were identified six major areas, where significant technological developments occurred and that can help farmers for a more sustainable agriculture: 1) Precision agriculture; 2) Integrated pest management; 3) Agricultural reuse of organic residuals; 4) Drip irrigation and water-conserving technologies; 5) Renewable energy; and 6) Bioenergy and energy crops. For each of these topics there were identified job-specific skills with a highlight in the awareness for all agricultural sustainability aspects and in the introduction to major technological developments in the specific areas. These skills will be the basis for the developing of new innovative curricula integrating the latest advancements of the “agri-tech” sector, and training courses for agricultural workers.