About us

Objectives

Major changes are needed to develop sustainable agricultural and food systems in Vietnam, Philippines and Sri Lanka. Agroecology could be an important approach to meet this general goal of the project- sustainable agricultural and food systems, - as it designs, develops, and promotes the transition towards biodiversity and low external input-based, socially sound farming and food systems. It also seeks to optimize the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment, while taking into consideration the social aspects that need to be addressed for a sustainable and fair food system.

  • Increase ecological resilience,
  • Improve health and nutrition,
  • Conserve biodiversity and natural resources,
  • Improve economic stability with more diverse sources of income,
  • Mitigate effects of climate change through reduced reliance on fossil fuels and fossil fuel-based agricultural inputs in all target Partner Countries and the region.

Activities

The project activities are all interlinked and have been arranged in a logical sequence, so that each activity produces an output that forms the basis for the next steps. Due to the fact that the CDAE project aims to define a new Master's course in Asian HEIs based on knowledge exchange between European and Asian HEIs, the project methodology that is illustrated in the Work Packages includes related activities. An overview of the CDAE activities is available below:

  • Identification of Similar Curricula in the Subject Area and in Depth Needs Analysis
  • Curricula Development in Agroecology
  • Capacity Building for Academic and Administrative Staff
  • Accreditation and Delivery of the Courses
  • Quality Assurance and Monitoring Measures
  • Dissemination and Exploitation Actions
  • Project Management and Coordination Tasks

To achieve this goal the CDAE project will redirect research between Partner HEIs to be more problem-solving and more participatory, so that it is relevant to the needs of target countries. As a consequence, it will create a specialized, interdisciplinary based and innovative Master of Science Programme for, by, and with farmers and agricultural professionals. The more skilled the professionals in agroecology are, the lower the danger of prolonged mismanagement of natural resources is. This aim is of outmost importance for the target Partner countries as it will help professionals move away from reliance on pesticides and thus contribute to:

The specific objectives of the programme include among others the following:
  • To educate professionals (farmers, agricultural specialists) with essential knowledge, transferable skills and experience via the developed MS program,
  • To increase their employability skills through the acquisition of specialized knowledge and the participation in internship programmes,
  • To Increase the capacity of the academic staff of Partner HEIS, improve the level of competences and skills through the development of a VET Programme customized to their needs and needs of the 21st century,
  • To develop the professional capacity of the administrative staff of Partner HEIS through the provision of vocational training,
  • To promote cooperation, exchange of know-how and good practices in the subject area between the EU, PCs, HEIs, farmers, agricultural professionals, relevant policy makers and agricultural industries.

Target Groups

The CDAE project addresses the needs of the following target groups:

  • Farmers and Professionals in Agriculture
  • Academic Staff and Researchers from Partner HEI’s
  • Administrative Staff from Partner HEIs
  • National Authorities
  • Private Sector
  • Society

Secondary target groups include among others:

Other HEIs with relevant departments/faculties in Vietnam, Philippines’ and Sri Lanka, education professionals and academic staff (other than the ones of the partners), students, researchers, experts, associations or networks of HEIs, research institutes and VET providers.