"<< Background >>The rapidly growing market for animal assisted intervention services in Europe has seen an increasing number of practitioners working with animals for a living. The number of people requiring this form of support is also increasing - especially in recent times, when the negative effects of pandemics and loneliness are wreaking havoc on the psyche of modern societies. For many, a return to nature and animals is a salvation from depression, a cure for concentration difficulties or chronic fatigue. For children, animal activities are highly motivating, have a positive impact on attention span and learning capacity. Educational and childcare institutions of all specialties are looking for professional, certified animal handlers and offer large salaries for conducting such classes. At the same time, employers are looking for safe and quality services. The ""Animals for people"" project is an answer to this growing market demand. Its aim is to create a modern educational space (platform) for professionals working with animals. The platform allows gaining knowledge based on the latest scientific research and years of experience of practitioners in an accessible, engaging and - mostly remotely, which is extremely important nowadays. To create such a solution, an international team of experts with different specialties is needed - specialists in working with different species of animals, scientists with knowledge supported by research, and practitioners showing how to implement this knowledge and turn it into effective solutions. To this end, a transnational partnership has been established, bringing together organisations with the best possible expertise and authority on the European market.<< Objectives >>The project will create a modern educational space in the area of therapeutic and educational activities with animals. This will achieve the following results: Creation of a tool for behavioral testing of cats for their ability to work in AAI Creation of a modern, complete and effective course preparing felinotherapists and their cats to work in AAI. The course will be finished with international certification Creation of a blended-learning course on working with farm animals and the use of educational and therapeutic farms in modern societies. A brochure summarizing the activities of the partnership and collecting in one place recommendations applicable to the labour market in the field of work with animals - their safety, certification, welfare (animals and patients) and effectiveness. A learning platform gathering all the results in one place with intuitive use. The platform will also include the results of previous Erasmus Plus projects carried out by the partnership (concerning dog therapy)<< Implementation >>To achieve the above mentioned results, the partnership will undertake the following activities:Preparation of an information brochure with recommendations applicable to the labor market in the area of animal activities - their safety, certification, welfare(animals and patients) and effectiveness. Development of a cat test - research and scientific work by experts from the partnership who will develop a test protocol based on scientific literature and practical experience of the organization. Pilot phase of the tests - 20 cats will be tested, recorded and analyzed by the researchers. Corrections and recommendations will be made to the final version of the test. There will be two pilot phases (in the second phase 10 cats will be retested) to enable refining this innovative result. Preparation of the final version of the test - publication of the protocol after taking into account all the corrections from the pilot phase. Preparation of Curriculum for the course for therapists that work with cats - experts from the partnership will develop a detailed plan for the course. Development of interactive e-learning materials such as lectures and lecture scripts, presentations, animated presentations, homework assignments, video materials (cat training instructions, recordings of classes in institutions and with patients, webinar scenarios)Preparation of the finished product - a course for therapists that work with cats - placing the materials on the platform, organizing them in a clear system for the students, integrating the audio, video and animation materials, creating lesson descriptions, designing the engine to make packages of materials available at specific timesPilot phase of the course - recruitment and implementation of the course by the participants. Participants will be supervised by instructors (experts from the organization) who will conduct webinars, provide feedback on homework assignments, and be available during scheduled consultation hours. Collecting evaluation of the course and implementation of possible improvements - collecting online feedback and evaluation during the training camp in the form of in-depth interviews. Preparation of Curriculum for the course for farm owners - experts from the partnership will develop a detailed plan for the course. Development of interactive e-learning materials Preparation of the final product - a course for farm owners. Lectures and lecture script, presentations, animated presentations, homework assignments, video materials (instructions for working with animals, recordings of classes with clients, webinar scenarios) will be developedPilot phase of the course - recruitment and implementation of the course by participants. Participants will be supervised by instructors (experts from the organization) who will conduct webinars, provide feedback on homework assignments, and be available during scheduled consultation hours. Collecting evaluation of the course and implementation of possible improvements - collection of online feedback and evaluation during the training camp in the form of in-depth interviews. Conference and dissemination of results - ""live"" conference in Poland, transmitted online via the Internet, with the possibility to sign up for the rebroadcast. The event will be attended by 150 live participants, at least 300 people will sign up for the conference online.<< Results >>Through the implementation of the project the following results will be achieved: A tool (protocol) for testing cats for their ability to work in educational and therapeutic activities. The result makes it possible to test and certify cats for work in AAI, which will improve the perception of therapists that work with cats as professionals and give them more job opportunities - also in institutions that are currently hesitant about the safety and appropriateness of such classes. The certification of cats will also improve the safety and quality of the classes, and the first such test in Europe will start to change the market for better servicesBlended-learning course for therapists that work with cats and their cats, enabling professional qualification and international certification - The course enables you to gain a professional qualification confirmed by an international certificate. This will open up new career opportunities for cat owners/guides and empower the profession. The course has been developed by an international partnership and can be implemented in any European country. A blended-learning course to learn how to work therapeutically with farm animals. The course will open up new career opportunities. Through the training, participants will learn about the possibilities of working with guests, what requirements the farm should meet and how they can help patients in different situations. It is a rapidly growing form of support for people with mental problems, dysfunctions or disorders, which provides opportunities for professionals in the AAI industry. Educational platform gathering modern knowledge in the field of AAI - results of the project and other Erasmus projects implemented by the partnership. The platform will facilitate dissemination of results, education in the field of AAI (for both employers and employees or clients).Brochure summarizing partnership activities and collecting in one place recommendations applicable in the labor market in the area of activities with animals - their safety, certification, welfare (animals and patients) and effectiveness."

Every year in EU, from primary production to the consumer, around 88 million tons of waste is obtained, with economic, social and environmental negative impacts. Reducing losses by harnessing food by-products and waste is positively reflected on improving resource efficiency, sustainability of food production, reducing gas emissions and on the health of world population. The concept of „circular economy”, which involves zero-waste by making efficient resource recovery, is a topical theme promoted at European level. EC policies are aimed to solve in the short term, but also in the long term, the negative impact that waste and by-products have on the environment, economy and health. In this context, the general objective of the project is to develop a transnational partnership (Romanian-Italian-Estonian) as well as joint initiatives for cooperation and exchange of good practices at EU level regarding the possibilities to recover the by-products rich in biologically active compounds from agriculture and horticulture and to include their in functional foods obtained in other technologies (bread and pastry). The specific objectives are focused on the following directions:-To support the development, transfer and implementation of innovative practices in context of 'circular economy', which involve zero-waste by making resource recovery efficiently in order to reduce waste from food technologies in all partner countries;-To increase the training level of specialist, MSc and PhD students with high qualification in the field of food technologies and nutrition;-To promote, through awareness actions, the possibility to use the by-products as functional foods in bakery and pastry industries. In order to achieve the objectives proposed two intellectual outputs will be developed:-A curriculum destined to specialists in agro-food technologies and nutrition that establish the cognitive skills and practical ability regarding: i) the management of by-products resulted in wine-making technology, fruit/vegetable processing industry and beer industry ii) the possibilities to obtain functional foods (bakery and pastry products) with nutritional added value recommended in a healthy diet. -A course handout entitled: „Strategies regarding the valorization of horticultural and agricultural by-products as functional foods in the context of a circular economy`` that includes: i) strategies to recover the by-products resulted from winemaking and beer technologies and from processing of fruits and vegetables; ii) the possibilities to capitalize the active principle with nutritional value in other food products with functional properties as bakery and pastry products. The Curriculum and the Course will set the technical and practical knowledge which will be presented through learning activities to the trainers (high qualify level and students) and refers to:-Professional skills needed in management of agricultural and horticultural by-products in order to minimize the agro-food waste in the entire food chain;-Technological aspects regarding the recovery of important bio-active compounds from by-products resulted in wine making, beer and fruit processing technologies and their formulation in different nutritional matrix; -The capacity of the food and nutrition specialists, master students and PhD students to use the active compounds obtained from by-products in different innovative and functional bakery and pastry products.The project results regarding the strategies to manage the agro-food by-products will be transferred, through multiplier events and dissemination materials, to the direct beneficiaries, specialists in agriculture, horticulture, food industry and nutrition. Also, the specialists in the milling and bakery industry will be informed about the possibilities to use the compounds recovered from by-products in obtaining of functional products with added value. The approach of this theme is justified by the need identified among agricultural and horticultural chain to capitalize the by-products and waste according to EU requirements.The indirect beneficiaries of BYPROD project are people who will benefit from a cleaner environment in the spirit of zero waste. At the same time, by recovering active principles from by-products and their capitalizing in functional foods, the project supports the interest of citizens towards healthy eating.

"<< Background >>The project will support specialists in the flour products industry in partner countries to save resources in the bakery and flour products industry, thus contributing to reducing food waste.Food waste includes all food produced for human consumption that is lost or thrown away along the way from production to the plate. it is produced and bought. The difference between the quantity available and the one consumed is very large, resulting in food losses and losses of both finished products and during delivery and marketing.Part of this problem is reducing waste of flour products, which currently in Romania represents about 20% of the total amount of food, a significant percentage that led to our need to act and try to identify with the help of partners outside the country concrete solutions.Therefore, Rompan as a representative organization of the flour products sector in Romania, in consultation with its members, identified the need of the sector to be effectively involved in solving this major problem; this need is identical in the partner countriesWe started from the following general considerations:-The European Commission estimates the annual food waste production in the 27 Member States at around 89 million tons, meaning 179 kg per capita, with considerable differences between countries and different sectors, without taking into account food waste from agricultural activities and catches of fish thrown back into the sea; whereas the total amount of food waste would reach around 126 million tons in 2020 (an increase of 40%) if no additional preventive actions or measures are put in place-whereas 79 million people in the European Union still live below the poverty line, meaning more than 15% of EU citizens have an income 60% lower than the average income in their country of residence, whereas 16 million of them have received food aid from charities-the alarming figures presented by the FAO, according to which there are currently 925 million people worldwide at risk of malnutrition, are meeting the Millennium Development Goals, including those aimed at halving poverty and world hunger by 2015, to be more and more distant;-according to the FAO study, the projected increase in world population from 7 to 9 billion will require an increase of at least 70% in food supplies by 2050-world cereal production increased from 824 million tons in 1960 to around 2.2 billion tons in 2010, adding 27 million tons to production each year, whereas, if global agricultural production continues this trend, increasing cereal production by 2050 from the current level will be enough to feed the world's population; whereas in the meantime, given that post-harvest losses amount to 14% of total production and another 15 per cent are lost to distribution and household waste, three-fifths of the total increase in supply needed by 2050 could be achieved by simply avoid food wasteFocused on the bakery sector in Romania where there are no official statistical data, the analysis made by Rompan among the members outlined the following needs that could be solved:-Adapting methods and means used for division, slicing, portioning and packaging-Efficient use of hygienic residues from slicing and packaging-The use of biodegradable packaging to the detriment of those who pollute-The efficiency of the distribution process correlates with the production and the demand-Informing the specialists in the sector who represent the target group of the project.From the research done by the partners, it was found that there is no manual for them to support the flour products industry and their specialists. Through the project activities we will respond exactly to this need of the sector.Following discussions with partners involved in the project, it was concluded that specialists from all partner countries face a great need to develop professional skills on new ways to adapt production methods to reduce food waste in the bakery and flour products industry<< Objectives >>The general objective of the project is to reduce food waste on flour products in the current conditions of sustainable development and the circular economy in partner countries with effects on all actors involved in the chain of producers-distributors – merchantsSpecific objectives of the project• Improving procedures and means to reduce food waste in institutions from the partner countries• Decrease food waste on flour products in the production sector of flour products• Empowering specialists in distribution and marketing of flour products to save natural resources and protect the environment• Strengthening the institutional capacity of partner organizations by achieving exchanges of good practices on reducing food waste in the flour industry• Awareness of specialists in the flour products industry in the distribution and marketing chain in partner countries on the importance of reducing food waste of flour productsThere are currently no studies done on a scale of over 1 million people. The latest figures are based on surveys and estimates of food production units. They are supplemented with data from members.Being the representative employers' association in Romania with over 200 member companies, in the field of the bakery and flour products industry but also a VET Vocational Training Center, we come to the support of the members and solve certain needs of the organizations.To improve the quality, excellence and internationalization of the organization, starting from a detailed analysis of the sector in Romania but also in the partner states, we considered it appropriate to apply this project to solve two common needs identified:- Reducing food waste in the chain of producers-distributors – merchants for flour products in the current conditions of sustainable development and the circular economy- Improving the skills of the staff of all project partnersIn the EU, around 87.5 million tons of food are lost or wasted each year. In developing the application, we started from the research conducted by Rompan among members of the bakery and flour products sector on the difficulties faced by the sector in terms of losses that may generate food waste in Romania. Currently, the percentage of losses registered only for packaging is around 2%in Romania, to which are added the losses from distribution (due to the destruction of packaging and not only) but also from marketing where the supply is made with too much product flour products that come out of the shelf life, thus contributing to increased food waste.In Romania, according to Food Waste Romania, a Romanian throws over 350 grams of food daily, wasting 129 kg of food annually.Of this amount, 24% is cooked food, 22% fruits, 21% vegetables, 20% bakery products, 11% dairy products and 1% meat.In Estonia, according to data from the national waste reporting system, ~ 5900 tons of food waste were generated in 2013. It is estimated that in the retail sector ~12,000 tons of food remain unsold each year, almost 22 million. The main reason why food remains unsold is due to difficulties in planning and forecasting the sale of products and consumer demand.According to a study by the Estonian Ministry of Environment, the total amount of food wasted was 54,000 tons per year. Fruits and vegetables(27%), followed by cereals and bakery products (15%) and cooked food (13%).In Italy, the latest government survey showed that a family wastes around 85 kg of food, worth a total of 8.5 billion euros($ 10.49 billion) per year. In 2016, specific legislation was adopted to promote and facilitate actions to prevent the generation of food waste, as well as cooperation between key actors.According to the report on food waste in Italy, 288,000 tons of bread are thrown away every year. According to figures provided by the CIA-Italian Confederation of Farmers, Italian consumers throw away dairy products, milk and meat (43%), bread (22%), fruits and vegetables (19%), pasta (4%) and 3% sweets.<< Implementation >>For a good implementation of the project we will perform 5 activities, each partner being responsible for coordinating one activity, but to obtain the results the teams of all participants will be involved as follows:A1 The management activity will take place throughout the implementation period of the responsible project being ROMPAN. Within this activity all stages of project implementation will be coordinated and as results we will obtain: 1 transnational strategic partnership, 4 cooperation agreements, 4 working meetings, 20 interim monitoring reports, 2 annual monitoring reports of the entire project. The working meetings within the project will be organized by the care of each host, and the financial part is the responsibility of each partner.A2 The activity of elaborating the project results under the coordination of BUAS Timisoara, but with the involvement of all partners from 02.2022-09.2023; In order to obtain the 3 results, the tasks were distributed as follows:Result 1 Curriculum ""Means and methods to reduce food waste in flour products"" responsible Calabria period 02.2022-07.2022, with the involvement of all partners in the development of the material. It will be structured so as to lead to the development of an adequate course handout, with information on the methods and means of reducing food waste in flour products. The result will be written only in English.Result 2 Course support ""Means and methods to reduce food waste on flour products"" responsible Cluj Napoca period 01.07.2022-31.12.2022 involving all partners in the development of the material. The result will be written in English, Romanian, Italian and Estonian.Result 3 Guide addressed to the specialists in the commercial distribution link for reducing food waste for flour products responsible Rompan period 01.03.2023-09.2023 involving all partners in the elaboration. The result will be written in English, Romanian, Italian and Estonian.A3 Training activity – coordinator University of Calabria, Italy. Under the coordination of those from Italy, each host partner will take care of the logistics part in terms of organizing short-term training based on the exchange of experience. The 3 activities will be:C1 In Italy 09.2022 responsible partner ItalyC2 Estonia 06.2023 responsible partner EstoniaC3 Timisoara 10.2023 responsible partner Romania TimisoaraThe same 11 experts from the partners will participate in each activity.On the logistics side of the trip, each partner will provide the necessary financial resources and the logistics part (transport, accommodation).A4 The informing and dissemination activity is under the coordination of Cluj - USAMV and will involve all partners; will be carried out throughout the project, each partner will make every effort to promote and disseminate the activities and project’s resultsIn addition, each partner has to organize multiplier events, as described in that section. Each partner has allocated a budget per participant and will have the task of organizing the event both logistically (hall, sound equipment, catering, accommodation where appropriate) and ensuring the participation of people to whom the event is addressed, specialists who will have subsequently the possibility by improving the acquired competencies to apply the methods and means of reducing food waste where they work. These participants will have the chance to develop their skills in a very acute problem of our times, that of saving food resources, of protecting the environment.A5 The quality monitoring activity under the coordination of the Estonian partner - Estonian University of Life Sciences will be based on the quality monitoring plan developed in the second month of implementation.By implementing the 5 main activities described above, the general objective of the project will be achieved. The results obtained following the correct achieving of activities proposed in the project will lead to the achievement of the 5 specific objectiv<< Results >>Within the project, 3 tangible results will be obtained, as described in the A2 - Activity of elaboration of project results, correlated with the specific objectives of the project, as follows:• Curriculum ""Means and methods to reduce food waste in the manufacture of flour products""• Course handout ""Methods and means to reduce food waste in flour products""• Guide addressed to specialists in the commercial distribution link for the reduction of food waste for flour productsWithin the A4 - Information and dissemination activity, other results will be obtained, namely 6 conferences for the dissemination of the project’s tangible results and a number of at least 260 specialists who will improve their knowledge by participating in these events.As intangible results we will have:• 11 Specialists from the bakery and flour products industry whose skills have improved during the 3 short training sessions in Italy, Estonia and Romania• 3 training sessions• A transnational strategic partnership consisting of 5 partners, organizations with experience in the field of bakery and specialized higher educationOther concrete results obtained:• 4 cooperation agreements between ROMPAN and each project partner• 11X3 = 33 reports of the participants elaborated at the end of the training stage• 4 transnational meetings organized at the headquarters of the partners involved in the project• 4 newsletters that will be developed and sent to specialists in the food industry• 20 monitoring reports that will be prepared every six months by the experts of each partner involved in the project. The monitoring reports will consist of a technical part and a financial part. The technical part will present the activities carried out during the reporting period and the results obtained and the financial part will reflect the state of the budget at the time of sending the report.• 2 monitoring reports for the entire project that will be prepared annually by the Coordinator based on the monitoring reports submitted by the partners. The two reports will contain information on the activities carried out during the reporting period, if there have been deviations from the initially approved plan, any obstacles encountered and whether they affect the successful implementation of the project and the achievement of results.• An interim report and a final report on the entire projectAll results obtained are in accordance with the specific objectives of the project, are current, transferable (can be applied later in other countries or in similar industries) can be reused by conducting further training sessions in the VET training center; another characteristic of the results is that of interdisciplinarity: because a collaboration was achieved between the industry-employer environment and the academic environment of education and research.All tangible results will be uploaded in the section specially designed for results by the European Commission's website and will be available with free access to all interested parties.The project results will be monitored quantitatively and qualitatively An annual monitoring report will be prepared for the entire project, which will include all the information submitted by the partners : degree of fulfillment of the tasks, stage of accomplishment of the activities, possible deviations from the initial plan or problems."

Science plays a major role in the development of a society. Despite this, the general population of Romania has little knowledge about the impact of research on all aspects of life. In this context, events that advertise science among the general public are very welcome. Another strong argument in favor of organizing the science popularization event is that this kind of events usually take place in major cities, while in small and medium towns they are very rare, so their population is missing the opportunity to discover science from a different perspective; in turn, this lack of information facilitates the occurrence of stereotypes about scientists and their work and about the usefulness of scientific research, which ultimately discourages young people to pursue a career in R&D. The main concept proposed for 2022/2023 is to reduce the passive presentation of what means to be a researcher, by involving the people directly in different interactive activities (workshops, games, competition, debates etc.). The project is constructed around three basic ideas: Future through past; Health and wealth through a clean environment; Economic development through technology and innovation. An important objective is also the future utilization of information gathered during the event, in order to enable cooperation between relevant actors that are committed to support scientific collaboration that may generate new opportunities for research and industry and new knowledge and know how that can be shared by confronting new ideas and viewpoints. Regarding the audience, the Dissemination Strategy will be directed towards various user groups, such as: the general public, especially young people, the scientific community, public institutions, NGOs, policy-makers, various associations, businesses etc. The partners have the complementary skills to assure the achievement of the project objectives and the future exploitation of the results.

Science plays a major role in the development of a society. Despite this, the general population of Romania has little knowledge about the impact of research on all aspects of life. In this context, events that advertise science among the general public are very welcome. Another strong argument in favor of organizing the science popularization event is that this kind of events usually take place in major cities, while in small and medium towns they are very rare, so their population is missing the opportunity to discover science from a different perspective; in turn, this lack of information facilitates the occurrence of stereotypes about scientists and their work and about the usefulness of scientific research, which ultimately discourages young people to pursue a career in R&D. The main concept proposed for 2024/2025 is to reduce the passive presentation of what means to be a researcher, by involving the people directly in different interactive activities (workshops, games, competition, debates etc.). The project is constructed around four basic ideas: Future through past; Health and wealth through a clean environment; Economic development through technology and innovation; Science for future: Research begins at school. An important objective is also the future utilization of information gathered during the event, in order to enable cooperation between relevant actors that are committed to support scientific collaboration that may generate new opportunities for research and industry and new knowledge and know how that can be shared by confronting new ideas and viewpoints. Regarding the audience, the Dissemination Strategy will be directed towards various user groups, such as: the general public, especially young people, the scientific community, public institutions, NGOs, policy-makers, various associations, businesses etc. The partners have the complementary skills to assure the achievement of the project objectives and the future exploitation of the results.