NEXTFOOD · Project

Training Programs That Actually Prepare Agrifood Professionals for Sustainability Challenges

foodTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine you hire a fresh agriculture graduate and they can recite textbook theory but freeze when facing a real pest outbreak or soil problem. NEXTFOOD tackled exactly that gap — they redesigned how universities teach agrifood and forestry by putting students alongside farmers solving actual sustainability challenges instead of just listening to lectures. They tested this hands-on approach across 13 countries with real farms and real problems, then built an accreditation system so training providers can prove their programs actually work.

By the numbers

consortium partners involved

countries where methodology was tested

universities participating in development

pilot test rounds completed

total deliverables produced

7,000,000

EUR in EU funding

The business problem

What needed solving

Agrifood and forestry companies face a growing skills gap: new hires learn theory in classrooms but cannot apply sustainability practices in the field. Traditional top-down training programs produce professionals who understand concepts but struggle with the messy, real-world problem-solving that green transition demands. Companies end up spending months re-training graduates before they become productive.

The solution

What was built

NEXTFOOD produced a pilot-tested action-learning methodology for agrifood education, validated across 2 pilot rounds in 13 countries. Concrete outputs include an audit tool for evaluating research and education programs, an international accreditation system for sustainability-focused training, and 43 deliverables covering curricula, case studies, and peer-review systems.

Audience

Who needs this

Agricultural universities redesigning their curricula for sustainabilityLarge agrifood corporations building internal sustainability training programsVocational training centers serving the farming and forestry sectorsSustainability consulting firms expanding into agrifood workforce developmentGovernment agricultural extension services modernizing farmer training

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Agricultural Education & Training

any

Target: Agricultural universities, vocational training centers, and corporate learning academies

If you are an agricultural training provider struggling with graduates who lack practical sustainability skills — this project developed a pilot-tested, learner-centric education methodology validated across 13 countries and 20 partner organizations. It includes an audit tool for evaluating your programs and accreditation standards to differentiate your offerings in the market.

Agrifood & Beverage

enterprise

Target: Large food producers and agribusiness companies with workforce development needs

If you are an agrifood company investing in upskilling your workforce for green transition but finding that conventional training doesn't stick — NEXTFOOD created action-based learning methods tested in 2 pilot rounds where professionals learn by solving real sustainability challenges on-site. With 43 deliverables including ready-to-use curricula, you can adapt proven approaches instead of building training from scratch.

Sustainability Consulting & Certification

SME

Target: Consulting firms offering sustainability training and certification to the agrifood sector

If you are a sustainability consultancy looking to expand into agrifood workforce training — NEXTFOOD built an international accreditation system and a peer-review methodology for evaluating practice-oriented education. Developed with 14 universities across Europe, Asia, and Africa, these tools give you a credible, research-backed offering to sell to agrifood clients.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt NEXTFOOD's training methodology?

The project's own outputs (curricula, audit tool, accreditation guidelines) were developed with EUR 7,000,000 in EU funding across 20 partners. Adapting these for a single organization would be a fraction of that cost, but specific licensing or adoption fees are not detailed in the available project data. Contact the coordinator for pricing of materials and support.

Can this scale beyond pilot sites to a national or corporate training program?

NEXTFOOD tested its approach across 13 countries spanning Europe, Asia, and Africa, with 14 universities participating. The 2 pilot test rounds demonstrate the methodology works in diverse contexts. The accreditation system was specifically designed to be international, suggesting scalability was a design goal.

Who owns the intellectual property — can we license the curricula and audit tool?

The project was funded as an RIA (Research and Innovation Action) under Horizon 2020, which typically means IP stays with the consortium partners. The coordinator is Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences). Based on available project data, specific licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly.

Does this meet any regulatory or accreditation standards?

NEXTFOOD specifically developed an international accreditation system for education and training in sustainable agrifood and forestry. They also created a peer-review system for evaluating practice-oriented research outputs. These were designed to support quality assurance in agricultural education reform.

How long would it take to implement this in our organization?

The project ran for 4 years (2018-2022) to develop and test the full methodology across all partner sites. Based on the 2 pilot test rounds documented in the deliverables, an organization adopting existing materials could likely run an initial pilot within one academic cycle, though timeline depends on scope.

How does this integrate with existing university curricula or corporate training?

The methodology was designed to complement and transform existing programs, not replace them entirely. It was tested within 14 universities' existing structures. The audit tool specifically helps organizations evaluate their current programs and identify where action-based learning can be integrated.

Consortium

Who built it

The NEXTFOOD consortium is heavily academic — 14 out of 20 partners are universities, with zero industrial partners and only 2 SMEs (0% industry ratio). This tells a business buyer two things: the methodology is rigorously researched and peer-validated, but it has not yet been stress-tested in a commercial training environment. The 13-country spread across Europe, Asia (implied by scope), and Africa shows the approach works across very different agricultural contexts. The coordinator, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), is a well-established institution. For any company looking to adopt this, expect to do some adaptation work — the academic partners built excellent content but you will likely need a commercial partner to package it for corporate use.

SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITETCoordinator · SE
LUNDS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
AMERICAN FARM SCHOOL POST SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING ASSOCIATIONparticipant · EL
JIHOCESKA UNIVERZITA V CESKYCH BUDEJOVICICHparticipant · CZ
DIETHNES PANEPISTIMIO ELLADOSparticipant · EL
NORGES MILJO-OG BIOVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITETparticipant · NO
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI SCIENZE GASTRONOMICHEparticipant · IT
ROSKILDE UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
BIOINSTITUT OPSparticipant · CZ
KOBENHAVNS PROFESSIONSHOJSKOLEparticipant · DK
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNAparticipant · IT
CENTRE INTERNATIONAL DE HAUTES ETUDES AGRONOMIQUES MEDITERRANEENNESparticipant · FR
UNIVERSIDAD DE CHILEparticipant · CL
MEKELLE UNIVERSITYparticipant · ET
STIFTELSEN SKOGSBRUKETS FORSKNINGSINSTITUT - SKOGFORSKparticipant · SE
ISEKI-FOOD - EUROPAISCHE GESELLSCHAFT FUR DIE INTEGRATION DER LEBENSMITTELWISSINSCHAFT UND -TECHNOLGIE IN DIE LEBENSMITTELVERSORGUNGSKETTEparticipant · AT

How to reach the team

Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), Sweden — reach out to their international projects office

Order a report on this consortium See SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the NEXTFOOD team about licensing their training methodology or audit tool? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction and help you evaluate fit for your organization.

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