<< Background >>The Project arose from one question: how can we contribute to the adaptation of economic agriculture production and labour market to the current environmental needs?The answer is VET, which represents a key mechanism to ensure a skilled workforce that can drive the circular economy transition.Throughout the last decades we have understood that sustainability is the only path that can be taken to guarantee a safe and clean world for the future generations. In order for this to be achieved, we need to work on several fronts, among these is the agriculture sector.The focus will be on small farm holdings because their production is more sustainable and needs to be protected and revived, against intensive farming which is more inclined to pollute due to the massive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers.The need for VET in the agri-food business derives from a thorough analysis of the context in which this initiative will be implemented. Indeed, it has emerged that the first action which needs to be put in place is a training course on environmental European norms that has an impact on farmer’s production. Such topics are very complex and continuously changing, reasons why they should be addressed in a more structured way in order to be better understood by those employed in the sector. Through this first result the Project will fight the existing negative perspective that sees the current normative adjustments in the area as a set of limitations imposed from the top on economic actors.On the packaging side, it has been observed that farms lack professional figures who are competent in sustainable packaging and in recent normative innovations in packaging within the EU. The main reasons explaining this situation are related to the poor sensitivity to environmental issues among small entrepreneurs and to the shortage of relevant training in the area. The Project sees the current green transition as a major but essential challenge in the medium and long term and, for this reason, it will promote a positive vision of change in the field of packaging. At this end, the Project will depict the ongoing formal and substantial green revolution in the field of packaging as a chance to open the door to new job opportunities.On the distribution side, thanks to the third result we want to improve the ability to distribute goods and reduce food waste of those who already carry out sustainable production: the small farmers, who in large part do not have the digital skills necessary to sell their products more effectively. Such objective will be reached through training on the use of digital marketing to promote the short supply chain (sale of agricultural products directly from the farmer to the consumer). Given this scenario, the project aims at bringing innovation in two different but complementary sectors of the agri-food area, with a view to relaunching the circular economy starting from small farmers, in line with the green and digital transition pursued and promoted by the EU. This project is innovative because it will introduce a type of training that is not present in the labour market and will focus on teaching the skills and mindsets needed to bring innovation to the field of packaging and small farm holdings; by doing so it will initiate good practices in training to meet the environment and labour market needs.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the project is to train small farmers on European environmental regulation, on the topics of innovative sustainable packaging and digital marketing strategies useful to the implementation of the Farm to Fork approach and the reduction of food waste.Through the first training course the project wants to increase awareness on the current European norms related to the relation between environmental protection and agriculture (i.e. circular economy, use of fertilizers in agriculture, CO2 emissions in farming, and the Farm to Fork strategy). Through the second training course the project aims at providing the beneficiaries with knowledge on the environmental consequences of non-reusable/non-recyclable packaging waste and on feasible, innovative, green solutions that have been developed in recent years. Through the third training course the Project will reduce food waste while increasing small farmers’ profits by sharing the most innovative practices in the field of agricultural marketing. More specifically, the new digital skills are useful to the implementation of sustainable sales methods.Through the fourth result, by creating the e-learning platform, VITAL wants to guarantee the transferability of the Project after its completion also to other people all around Europe other than the direct beneficiaries involved. The clear non-direct outcome of this Project is to make a step forward towards the green transition within the EU.<< Implementation >>The activities that the VITAL Project will implement are divided into six work packages. The first three are related to project management, communication and dissemination and quality management, whereas the other three concern the project results. Furthermore, throughout the project transnational meetings and multiplier events will be implemented in order to guarantee a proper communication and dissemination of information among the project consortium, stakeholders and target groups.The first three WPs will take place throughout the entire project, which will last for 24 months. On the other hand, the production of project results will happen in well-defined moments. The stages that will constitute the project results (R1,R2,R3) can be resumed by the following activities: definition of the training courses’ contents and methodologies based on participants’ learning needs, involvement of participants, delivery of pilot courses, evaluation and translation. The activities related to the first training course will take place from June 2022 to April 2023, the second is planned to be implemented from January 2023 to November 2023 and finally the third will be carried out from June 2023 to April 2024.The creation of the e-learning platform and the uploading of the recorded courses content will be a transversal activity to the three training courses and it will last from August 2022 to April 2024. This result will be structured according to the following phases: development of material production, testing, production and translation. These three stages will be repeated for each training course in chronological order.The project foresees seven multiplier events: six info days which will take place in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Hungary and Italy in April 2023 and a final dissemination event which will take place in Poland in April 2024.Four transnational meetings are planned: a kick-off meeting in Poland (May 2022), a second partner meeting in Spain (December 2022), a third partner meeting in Latvia (June 2023) and a final partner meeting (January 2024).One blended mobility is expected to take place in October 2023 in Italy, organised by CAM with the participation of 7 farmers chosen by the other partners and one accompanying person. For further information, please see the Work Plan attached to this application form.<< Results >>The VITAL Project ultimately aims at spreading EU environmental and agricultural normative knowledge, improving sustainability in the field of packaging within the agri-food sector, increasing digital marketing competences among small farmers and contributing to food waste reduction. Therefore, the project will update the labour market to the green economy through innovative vocational education and training (VET). The Project foresees achieving these outcomes through the four expected results which are designed on the learning needs of the target group they address: small scale farmers. The first project result is a VET course on the latest European norms related to environmental issues and sustainability in agriculture. Thanks to this course, farmers will be able to adapt their production to the latest EU directives on circular economy, use of fertilizers in agriculture, CO2 emissions in farming, and the Farm to Fork strategy.The second project result is a training course on innovations in the field of packaging within the agri-food sector, thanks to which farmers will bring added value to their business by introducing a professional figure in their farms able to manage environmental issues and stay updated on packaging regulation and sustainable wrapping methods developments.The third project result is designed to address the small farmers’ needs to acquire digital marketing skills in order to apply their new competences to implement sustainable sales methods and consequently reducing food waste and environmental footprint of the food life cycle. They will learn innovative ways of distribution (ex. short food supply chain; ethical purchasing groups; harvest in crops; farmer local markets; home delivery) and how to promote it through online platforms.The fourth project result will concern the creation of the e-learning platform in which all the training courses recordings and materials will be uploaded and translated in all the partner’s languages, thus staying available after the completion of the project.Other relevant outcomes concern the multiplier events, essential to involve target groups, stakeholders and beneficiaries in the Project activities, and the blended mobility, an educational activity that will take place in Italy and will directly address the farmers.