During the 20th century agroforestry, the traditional and once common practice of farming with trees has long been forgotten Today only a few million hectares exist throughout Europe. In recent years following scientific research, the development of structures and professional experiments in agroforestry has met national and European recognition. In some European countries namely Belgium, France and UK professional organisations and training organisations have begun to reintroduce agroforestry with the training of agricultural students and adults in further education. Small scale training in these countries remains at only a low level due to limits of resources and funding.
In the AgroFE project partner countries there is a need for conversion and development of about 15 000 to 20 000 farms, in the next 5 – 7 years, which means training of the same number of operation managers. To achieve these goals more advisors and trainers in agroforestry are needed.
The main project objective is the development of an agroforestry training system, based on a common framework and core content, and to promote training at European level. The training should involve professionals, agroforesters, and should be as innivative as possible : field based trainings, usages of ICTs, development of training materials...
The specific objectives are :
- Producing of one proposal of European professional referential of farmer agroforester, as support of the training common framewoerk - core content, which one could be adapted to local environment;
- Designing, inplementing a knowledge data bank (KDB - BdC), knowledge which will be used as materials, ressources for trainings, including the existing and the transfers from partners;
- Developing new training pathways then carrying out experimentations targeting student future farmers or advisors and adults, farmers, in the countries of the partnership;
- As much as possible, inserting, developing the trainings in the framework of the qualification, certification systems for the targeted levels, trainings based on to the needs and specifications of the country education systems.