Learning through exchange about organic agriculture - case of Europe and Australia

LEAFSE is the catch word for an innovative program of exchange study for young Australians and Europeans, with organic agriculture as the focal point of their Masters level studies. Two years ago, the European Commission and the Australian Department of Education, Science and Technology (DEST) came up with the call for applications for a pilot project to support international mobility of tertiary students between the two continents. The grand aims set for the exchange included providing students with an international outlook and a range of perspectives, preparing them for the global marketplace, enable their understanding and empathy for different cultures and traditions and foster exchange of information. A number of us with an interest and an already existing academic network in organic agriculture proposed LEAFSE - Learning through Exchange - Agriculture, Food Systems and Environment, a winning project, which was chosen as the single pilot project from a field of well over a dozen contenders. Within the broader theme of Agriculture, Food Systems and Environment, we named organic farming as the focal point of the exchange, and we were aware of the immense possibilities for learning through exchange inter-continentally in this field. Under this project, Master's level students from EU study for a semester at a partner university in Australia, and students from Australia study for a semester at a partner university in EU. The partners in the programme are, from Europe: • The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark • University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom • Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands • University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, Germany, and from Australia: • University of Western Sydney, New South Wales • University of New England, New South Wales • University of Western Australia, Western Australia • University of Queensland, Queensland The project has an innovative but manageable framework for mobility of the students, a joint programme of study which incorporates many novel elements including holistic thinking, experiential and integrated learning and use of newer tools of communication technologies, and above all, a structure that fosters a high degree of inter-cultural understanding and network building. When completed, the pilot phase of the project would have enabled exchange of 36 students from each continent, nine from each participating institution. The respective government agencies provide the students with an adequate stipend to cover travel and living expenses for six months of study. The project has been running on target and the results of the first year of exchange have been more than impressive. This presentation will be a joint effort by the faculty and a number of participating students to demonstrate the cultural, agricultural, pedagogic, and practical lessons that have been learnt from this exchange in the field of organic farming. It will also highlight some of the challenges which need to be overcome in our efforts towards shaping sustainable agricultural and food systems which are cognizant of our respective environments

Crop agronomy in organic agriculture

Organic crop husbandry is based on practices outlined in the various organic standards that have been developed and documented in many countries. The most widely recognised organic standards are those published by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM 2002). Organic farming methods emphasise the use of internal on-farm inputs rather than externally sourced inputs to achieve essential soil fertility, nutrient management and plant protection goals. Self-regulation within an agroecosystem, multi-year management cycles and a focus on prevention rather than reaction, are key principles in organic farming that underpin organic plant production

Oczekiwania polskich przedsiębiorców co do umiejętności i wiedzy absolwentów w zakresie ekologicznej żywności i rolnictwa

The aim of this paper was to analyze the Polish stakeholders from the organic sector in terms of their expectations towards the potential employees and to evaluate what kinds of the professional knowledge and skills are expected by the employers. A survey with stakeholders from the organic food chain was carried out in 2015 in Poland. The investigation has been conducted within a European project “Innovative Education towards the Needs of the Organic Sector” (http://eposproject.net/). A questionnaire with closed-ended questions was created in order to cover a range of different stakeholders. The survey consists of 72 records. Five groups of thematic points were chosen for the publication: (A) Type of graduate for optional employment, (B) Profile of disciplines of graduates, (C) Strategies for recruitment of graduates, (D) Requirements of the job, (E) Innovations in teaching methods. The results indicate that Polish enterprises within organic sector are interested in employing the graduates in organic food and farming studies. There is a need in Poland to create well-constructed university study programs covering organic food and farming. It is necessary to introduce innovative educational methods into the above programs in order to provide the alumni possibilities to acquire skills desired by the employers. Cooperation with enterprises within organic sector is a necessary element of the new created programs as the method to increase practical skills of the graduates and their possibilities to get an interesting job after graduation.Celem tej pracy była analiza polskich przedsiębiorców z sektora ekologicznego pod względem ich oczekiwań wobec potencjalnych pracowników i ocena, jakie rodzaje profesjonalnej wiedzy i umiejętności są oczekiwane przez pracodawców. Ankieta z polskimi przedsiębiorcami z sektora ekologicznego została przeprowadzona w roku 2015 w ramach projektu Europejskiego “Innovative Education towards the Needs of the Organic Sector” (http://epos-project.net/). Kwestionariusz z pytaniami zamkniętymi stworzony został w celu zbadania różnych przedsiębiorców. Przebadano 72 osoby. Pięć grup tematycznych zostało wybranych do publikacji: (A) typ absolwenta do ewentualnego zatrudnienia, (B) profil absolwentów, (C) strategia rekrutacji absolwentów, (D) wymogi pracy, (E) innowacje metod nauczania. Wyniki wskazują, że polscy przedsiębiorcy z sektora ekologicznego są zainteresowani zatrudnianiem absolwentów studiów o kierunku ekologiczna żywność i rolnictwo. Istnieje w Polsce potrzeba stworzenia dobrze skonstruowanych programów studiów uniwersyteckich dotyczących ekologicznej żywności i rolnictwa. Zachodzi konieczność wprowadzenia do powyższych programów innowacyjnych metod nauczania w celu zapewnienia możliwości osiągania przez absolwentów umiejętności pożądanych przez pracodawców. Współpraca z przedsiębiorstwami sektora ekologicznego jest niezbędnym elementem nowych programów studiów jako metoda zwiększenia umiejętności praktycznych absolwentów i ich możliwości uzyskania ciekawej pracy po studiach

Knowledge and skills attractive for the employers of the organic sector: A survey across Europe

In all countries, the organic sector of the agricultural industry is increasing, with Europe traditionally leading this trend. A survey of different stakeholders (employers) was carried out in 2015 in seven European countries to evaluate the employment market for the organic agricultural industry in Europe. Results indicate the willingness to employ qualified graduates. From the employers' perspective, the most desirable knowledge skills among the graduates of organic agricultural studies include plant production, food quality and plant protection. Further, the study revealed the work skills most desired by the employers are practical expertise, teamwork and problem-solving, and the most important method of learning is cooperation with enterprises (internships/training) in the organic agricultural sector.Peer reviewe

Knowledge and skills attractive for the employers of the organic sector: A survey across Europe

In all countries, the organic sector of the agricultural industry is increasing, with Europe traditionally leading this trend. A survey of different stakeholders (employers) was carried out in 2015 in seven European countries to evaluate the employment market for the organic agricultural industry in Europe. Results indicate the willingness to employ qualified graduates. From the employers' perspective, the most desirable knowledge skills among the graduates of organic agricultural studies include plant production, food quality and plant protection. Further, the study revealed the work skills most desired by the employers are practical expertise, teamwork and problem-solving, and the most important method of learning is cooperation with enterprises (internships/training) in the organic agricultural sector