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

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)