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Introducing Aquaponic in VET: Tools, Teaching Units and Teacher Training (AQUAVET)

Description

Today, as a result of rapid population growth, increased food requirements and proceeding urbanization, the area of agricultural land is rapidly declining and our oceans are over-fished. To meet future demands for food, there is need for new innovative, space-saving and ecological techniques in food production. Aquaponic is a sustainable food production method, which combines aquaculture of fish with hydroponic cultivation of plants (without soil) using a closed water cycle. It’s major benefits are a reduction of fresh water consumption to a minimum, efficient use of nutrients and guaranteed product safety using no antibiotics nor pesticides. Another advantage of the method is the opportunity to produce food right where it is consumed – in the cities (urban farming), what will gain even more relevance in the future regarding the predicted decline in farmland (www.fao.org). Thus, aquaponic is an ecological and climate-friendly method for producing high nutritional food and at the same time meeting the today's demands of consumers for a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. The technique opens up new perspectives in introducing new „green jobs“. The main goals of the project AQUAVET are:

  • Development of new VET (vocational education and training) profession „Aquaponic Urban Farmer“
  • Transfer of aquaponic technology into VET in different countries (CH, SI, IT)
  • Transfer of teaching Units into VET in different countries (languages: English, German, Slovenian, Italian)
  • Adaption of training resources and support of the training of VET teachers/trainers
  • Piloting of the training modules for „Aquaponic Farmers“ Qualification (CH, SI, IT)

Key data

Projectlead

Project team

Nadine Antenen, Maurizio Borin, Roger Bolt, Nataša Smolar-Zvanut, Tjaša Griessler Bulc, Aleksandra Krivograd, Nuša Zibert, Davide Tocchetto, Monica Celi, Uroš Strniša, Paola Amadio

Project partners

UrbanFarmers AG; Piante Acqua Natura Srl; Institut za vode doo Bijeljina; Istituto Agrario Sartor; Strickhof; Biotechnical Centre Naklo; University of Padua; University of Ljubljana

Project status

completed, 10/2012 - 12/2014

Institute/Centre

Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)

Funding partner

Lifelong Learning Programme

Project budget

480'000 CHF