Policy Insights - Strengthening agricultural skills
Skills required by the EU agricultural workforce span an extensive and evolving range of disciplines and knowledge and require continuous learning and training. A reflection on needs and opportunities related to agricultural skills development.
- 2023-2027
This Policy Insights article draws on the background paper prepared for the first Thematic Group (TG) meeting on Nurturing Skills for a Thriving and Sustainable Agricultural Sector. It starts by looking at how farmers and others employed in agriculture need to keep updating their knowledge to reflect changing technologies and best practices in agri-food production. It highlights how demand for different farm skills can vary across the year and across production sectors, and how success for today’s farm businesses also relies on other organisational and strategic or entrepreneurial skills - for example, planning the long-term allocation of land, labour and capital for food production.
The article then looks at the importance of fostering collaborative approaches, since building the capacity of agri-food businesses to collaborate effectively (including through producer organisations or cooperatives) in skills development can enhance productivity while reducing risks. The text highlights the importance of understanding and addressing skill gaps, as stressed for example in the recently published OECD assessments of agricultural skills.
Access to training that helps address skills gaps and issues can be encouraged through the provision of professional advice and lifelong learning from advisory services. CAP Strategic Plans include a host of opportunities to improve skills, including for ‘hard to reach’ groups such as smaller and/or more remote farms, new entrants, young people, women, and farmers coping with poor mental health. Projects like ModernAKIS or EU Farmbook provide learning and exchange activities, while the European Forum for Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services is involved with enhancing skillsets for advisory services.
Challenges and opportunities identified for skills development in agriculture are generally well recognised, including in the current EU Pact for Skills and Farm advisory system. The EU CAP Network's Thematic Group (TG) on Nurturing Skills for a Thriving and Sustainable Agricultural Sector expanded this conversation by exploring needs and opportunities related to agricultural skills development. You can find out more on the TG page and follow our work on #RuralSkills on social media.
Author(s)
CAP Implementation Contact Point
Resources
EU CAP Network - Policy Insights - Strengthening agricultural skills
(PDF – 3.4 MB – 2 pages)
