About

The scope of this project is to develop and deliver a customised e-training program to all stakeholders across the supply chain of grains (employees, managers, farmers, producers, transporters) in four Euro-med countries (Greece, Spain, Portugal & Cyprus), based on an extended survey detecting their training needs. Building on the integration of the knowledge triangle (higher education, research and business), a training requirements survey mapping the current skills & competencies profiles of the logisticians in alignment with the best practices provided by the cereal and rice sector professionals, will lay the foundation for the e-training program for the grain supply chain. Distance learning program will incorporate various areas of interest such as green logistics, sustainable development, precision agri-culture, organic farming and rural tourism acknowledging cultural diversity in the targeted countries. In addition, a qualification framework will be proposed for the grain logistics sector.
Green logistics and grain sector were selected to set the framework of this project, because of their strategic importance in the regional and national economy of these Euro-med Countries. These countries are struggling to find ways to overcome financial crisis, and supporting evidence indicate that logistics and agri-culture may be the springboard for their growth. In 2007, a cereals crisis emerged, and then the European Agricultural Economies realized the cereals logistics effect on their survival.
More specifically, the proposed e-training material will be a specialized instrument, it will foster the assessment of transversal skills (qualification framework), promote the take -up of practical entrepreneurship experience in training, and support the adoption of OER (Open Educational Resources) in diverse EU language.
The applicant (Greece) is a HEI specialized in logistics and e-learning, active in EU projects participation, significant networking on local, regional level. The second greek partner as an Institute will be supported by University professors, has a strong cooperation with the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Greece and will exploit experts , in EU agricultural policy, Hellenic National Agricultural Research, Communication, Marketing, logistics. The greek partnership is strengthened by the participation of the leading SME in rice/cereal production, exploitation, distribution and trading.
The Portuguese, Spanish and Cyprus partners have a strong experience in e-training, research, management and successful implementation of EU-funded projects, represent countries with strong tradition in rice/cereal production and have a good cooperation with national oil associations.
The organization of the project will assure it on all aspects of quality, cost and time. Risk management tools will be implemented.
The 2-year project will implement activities: partners transnational meetings for organizational, evaluation purposes, conferences for information, awareness raising, e-training of trainees and trainers on issues of rice/cereal sector logistics, web platform, e-survey, sector mapping, training material, specialized guidelines, documentary, printed material, cooperation between national-regional authorities to promote the development of education and training and their integration in actions of local and regional development. Preparatory work will be done on skills and qualifications validation (ECVET).
A concise dissemination and exploitation plan will be implemented including all necessary information, publicity and dissemination activities (Project branding, logos, e-communication, press, printed material, visits).
Results, impacts envisaged :Awareness raising/information on optimized logistics, access to tools for effectively developing business in national/ international markets (training, networking), for participants increased experience , exchange of good practices, communication, collaboration and networking (national/European).
Potential longer term benefits: practices enhancement, covering of potential consumers/end –users values and needs, opportunities for promotion of relevant scopes, enhancement of presence, promotion of services, achievement of goals for participating entities strengthening of competence, cooperation and rural economy mainly of EU Mediterranean area, contribution to the implementation of national, regional and European policies, fresh entrepreneurship ideas, new jobs opportunities, enhanced efficiency of logistical facilities.
Activities and results that are planned to be maintained after the end of the EU funding include continuing of further dissemination and networking (partners’ webpages, follow up with partners’ associates, customers and relevant stakeholders, relevant media, articles, developing ideas for future cooperation based on current project, assessing the impact on target groups, implementation of ECVET procedures.

The scope of this project is to develop and deliver a customised e-training program to all stakeholders across the supply chain of grains (employees, managers, farmers, producers, transporters) in four Euro-med countries (Greece, Spain, Portugal & Cyprus), based on an extended survey detecting their training needs. Building on the integration of the knowledge triangle (higher education, research and business), a training requirements survey mapping the current skills & competencies profiles of the logisticians in alignment with the best practices provided by the cereal and rice sector professionals, will lay the foundation for the e-training program for the grain supply chain. Distance learning program will incorporate various areas of interest such as green logistics, sustainable development, precision agri-culture, organic farming and rural tourism acknowledging cultural diversity in the targeted countries. In addition, a qualification framework will be proposed for the grain logistics sector.
Green logistics and grain sector were selected to set the framework of this project, because of their strategic importance in the regional and national economy of these Euro-med Countries. These countries are struggling to find ways to overcome financial crisis, and build national sustainable competitive advantages. Supporting evidence indicate that logistics and agri-culture may be the springboard for their growth. In 2007, a cereals crisis emerged, and then the European Agricultural Economies realized the cereals logistics effect on their survival.
More specifically, the proposed e-training material will be a specialized instrument, advanced, scientifically and technically updated. It will facilitate the development of skills in logistics and at the same time it will offer cereal and rice sector stakeholders an easily accessible source of specialized knowledge. Moreover, it will foster the assessment of transversal skills (qualification framework) and promote the take -up of practical entrepreneurship experience in education/training. At the same time, it will support the production and adoption of OER (Open Educational Resources) in diverse EU languages. Furthermore, the project will contribute to
a) high quality learning opportunities through OER (Open Educational Resources)
b) making the knowledge triangle work effectively by the integration of Higher education, research and business as end-users.
c) foster the European cooperation in education/training followed by benchmarking indicators
d) facilitate the sustainable (green) development of partner countries in the field of vocational training and agriculture,
e) promote the European values in addition to Europe 2020 objectives of competitiveness, employment and growth through more successful labour market integration.
f) promote entrepreneurship, empowerment and participation of young farmers in order to enhance quality of work through effective learning activities and cross-border cooperation.

In a global context of strong tensions on agricultural markets and rising food demands, the cereal/rice sector is increasingly exposed to logistics challenges.
The scope of this project is to develop and deliver a customised e-training program to all stakeholders across the supply chain of grains (employees, managers, farmers, producers, transporters) in four Euro-med countries (Greece, Spain, Portugal & Cyprus), based on an extended survey detecting their training needs. Building on the integration of the knowledge triangle (higher education, research and business), a training requirements survey mapping the current skills & competencies profiles of the logisticians in alignment with the best practices provided by the cereal and rice sector professionals, will lay the foundation for the e-training program for the grain supply chain. Distance learning program will incorporate various areas of interest such as green logistics, sustainable development, precision agri-culture, organic farming and rural tourism acknowledging cultural diversity in the targeted countries. In addition, a qualification framework will be proposed for the grain logistics sector.
Green logistics and grain sector were selected to set the framework of this project, because of their strategic importance in the regional and national economy of these Euro-med Countries. These countries are struggling to find ways to overcome financial crisis, and supporting evidence indicate that logistics and agri-culture may be the springboard for their growth. In 2007, a cereals crisis emerged, and then the European Agricultural Economies realized the cereals logistics effect on their survival.
Given that more than 90% of the global trade volume is carried by sea (maritime logistics and transportation), several international organisations (e.g. World Bank Group, IMF) identify the potential of Greece to evolve into a gateway between Asia and Europe, and Portugal and Spain a gateway between SADC 7, South America and Europe by investing in logistics.
Regarding cereals production in 2014 (European Commission data), the involved countries can be classified as large producer Spain (19,534 kt), medium size producer Greece (4,403 kt), small Portugal (1,292 kt) and minimum quantities producer Cyprus (68 kt). Regarding storage facilities Spain as one of the most developed agricultural countries has a well-developed network for storing and transportation of cereals, while Greece lag behind as only 20% of the needs are covered from own production, thus the need for modern storage facilities and transport means is very demanding.
Moreover, given that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for the bulk of agricultural and processing firms in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus), they are often unable to realize the economies of scale needed for trade and exporting. Nonetheless, efficient logistics can promote scale and scope economies and clustering of activities, helping firms overcome size disadvantages and build differentiation advantages (cost, quality, brand and speed to the market). In this way, national, regional and local developmental strategies in agri-food industry may be aligned with adults training provided to all members of the supply chain in order to sharpen their competencies and skills. Moreover, recent studies in the logistics industry reveal that there is a significant skills gap at the junior and middle management levels (UKCES (2014), Logistics Employer Skills Survey), providing a supporting argument to the necessity of conducting the proposed project.
More specifically, the proposed e-training material will be a specialized instrument, advanced, scientifically and technically updated. It will foster the assessment of transversal skills (qualification framework), promote the take -up of practical entrepreneurship experience in education, and support the production and adoption of OER (Open Educational Resources) in diverse EU languages.
Thus, this will contribute to
a) high quality learning opportunities through OER (Open Educational Resources)
b) making the knowledge triangle work effectively by the integration of Higher education, research and business as end-users.
c) foster the European cooperation in education/training followed by benchmarking indicators
d) facilitate the sustainable (green) development of partner countries in the field of vocational training and agriculture,
e) promote the European values in addition to Europe 2020 objectives of competitiveness, employment and growth through more successful labour market integration.
f) promote entrepreneurship, empowerment and participation of young farmers in order to enhance quality of work through effective learning activities and cross-border cooperation.
Thus, this project promotes European collaboration and international technical cooperation towards skills acquisition and development in the grains logistics sector.

This project will contribute to the existing knowledge and practice as follows:
1. Charting the industry of cereals and rice in four different countries identifying the specific needs in logistics management
2. Mapping the skills profile of individuals (e.g. employees, managers, farmers) involved in the Supply Chain Management of agri-food industry
3. The development of customized e-training material (distance learning) easily accessible by different stakeholders in the supply chain acknowledging their different perspectives and needs.
4. The development of case studies and best practices in agri-food logistics which will foster the awareness and highlight the importance of logistics in the agri-food industry. Thus, the alignment of e-training with national strategies will assure the sustainable development of advantages for local economies in rural regions.
5. The assessment of the logistics skills developed by trainees and their validation as a catalyst for the growth of local economies.
6. The promotion of distant learning culture among young employees, supervisors, managers and entrepreneurs yielding multiplying benefits to the agri-food industry as it can be easily transferred to other disciplines in the same sector.
7. The training and establishment of trainers at specific rural regions of grain corps will facilitate the creation of networks and clusters of firms sharing knowledge and best practices multiplying projects’ benefits and building sustainable competitive advantages beyond the time horizon of the proposed projects

A predefined communication plan along with the use of a project collaboration application (e.g. OneNote) has already been discussed and agreed by all partners, and will help for the early identification and treatment of potential conflicts and deviations from the project plan. As a result potential risks are expected to be minimal.
More specifically, cooperation will take place through meetings and through web platform and web communication tools. A project management module will be available from the first month of the project in order to have real time communication without the use of emails. Web communication tools such as skype will be used at everyday bases in order to fill the gap of distance among partners. Also all partners are already cooperating in other national and EU-funded projects thus communication exists already and the bonds among parters are strong.
This project management approach aims at generating a continuous informative loop in the project and able to secure the excellence of the results while reducing the risks of failures derived by lack or poor communication.
The frequency of the meetings will be kept as low as possible, and more emphasis will be given in the participation of more experts in order to cover the widest range of target issues. This experience was gained from management of previous and currently running projects , where different subjects should be faced in each meeting, thus more experts are needed. The consortium intents to do 5 transnational project meetings during the 30 month period and concentrate more (referring to time management) on the deliverables of the project, assuring the quality of the project implementation. Four of them will be conducted the next day of a relevant conference in order to minimize travel cost and seize the opportunity to summarize conference suggestions, attract innovative ideas, deal with difficulties and draw conclusions from the relevant events.

During the project:
– Charting the structure of the cereals and rice sector in four different Euro-med countries
-Identifying the appropriate skills profile of individuals (e.g. employees, managers, farmers) involved in the Supply Chain Management of agri-food industry
-Training trainers as change and knowledge agents at specific regions of intense rural development to facilitate networking and disseminate projects’ benefits
– The exchange of knowledge, experience and data between the participating countries in the field of logistics in the agri-food industry
-The development of customized e-training material (distance learning) including case studies and best practices regarding the supply chain management in the agri-food industry
-The enrichment of the logistics skills profile of trainees and skills evaluation in a qualification framework
-Facilitating the creation of networks and clusters of firms (ecosystems) sharing knowledge and best practices
– Awareness raising on the acuteness of logistics in the rice/cereal sector,
– The development of the corresponding training activities.
– Internationalization of education and growing use of digital learning.
– Support to the creation of flexible learning pathways in line with learners needs and objectives. The tools implemented, will evolve in the future in order to contribute to an enhanced coherence and creation of a European area of skills and qualifications in logistics.
After projects’ competition:
-Trainers will continue to provide expertise and act as facilitators for the establishment of cluster of firms exploiting economies of scope and scale in argi-food industry.
– Customized e-training material (distance learning) including case studies and best practices will be enriched with feedback from the trainees and support form trainers
-Policy makers may exploit the benefits of skilled workforce in the agri-food industry as well as in depth knowledge about the structure of the industry to support regional or national strategies for economic development.
-Networking of relevant stakeholders will guide collective knowledge and expertise of the clusters of firms in the fields of green logistics, providing synergies with the other fields in agriculture such as crisis management, marketing, brand advertising, sustainability, organic farming, precision argiculture and quality management.

Based on its design, the project can be oriented to several diverse human resources categories engaged with supply chain management in the cereal and rice sector, while serving as a starting point for any other agricultural enterprise form the participating countries (Greece, Spain, Portugal and Cyprus).
Specifically, it covers:
-Front-line employees engaged in logistics activities of organizations across the grain supply chain , as well as in any other enterprise engaged in the agri-food industry. Moreover, training will focus also on micro- enterprises or SMEs, such as farmers/producers with storage facilities, first processors, agricultural cooperatives, young farmers /producers (preferably of not high education), 3PL providers
– Qualified trainers which will be certified, will accumulate relevant knowledge at specific regions cultivating cereals and rice and they will serve as catalyst to ignite the sustainable development of cluster of agricultural firms and effectively disseminate project’s benefits beyond its time horizon
-Young people building their professional portfolio through apprenticeship or post-secondary basic vocational education and training and the corresponding vocational profile (adults training) so that, if they wish, they can enter the agri-food market via a logistics position at the junior level, while at the same time, they may plan their professional career in logistics.
-Unemployed individuals who wish to re-enter the job market and particularly logistics services in agri-food, which provide significant potential for seasonal and permanent staff as they continue to expand their product portfolio to satisfy customer demand while also counterbalancing the decline of the traditional methods through the opportunities afforded by new technologies.
-Persons from vulnerable social groups who can acquire specific knowledge, and develop competencies and qualifications through easier access to e-training.
Dissemination will include a broader target group including local and regional associations, chambers, agricultural and logistics experts, distributors, students, consumers.
An estimation of the persons indirectly influenced by the proposed project is the following:
Each of the four conferences scheduled will be attended by more than 150 individuals, resulting to >600prs.
Participation in at least one commercial exhibition on agri-culture in the four Euro-med countries where more than 600 professionals participate, and 35,000 visitors/professionals attend the expo for each member country. These statistics are based to the last food expo took place in Greece, where every year there is a constant increase of 40% of the attendants and participants. Meetings of the consortium/partnerships can be arranged to take place in the meeting rooms of the expo and exploit the advantages of such a meeting place.
Associated members of the project’s partners (such as SEEDYZ) with more than 200prs in each country, resulting to >600prs
In addition, the dissemination and communication plan of the project includes a web-portal, newsletters, database of the agri-food supply chain stakeholders (members of relative associations, unions etc), a documentary film, which they influence a large amount of person, the number of whose is difficult to assess.

The consortium will initially set a common approach among partners before the preparation of main outputs and relevant activities take place. A common methodology will be outlined and agreed (project agreement), as well as information on the coordination and communication during the project. This output will be crucial for the intellectual outlines and coordination framework of the project.
In the second stage, the survey will be focused on selected target groups from a list of agri-food supply chain stakeholders, for data collection on specific supply chain management issues (storage, transport, warehousing, standardization, sustainability, best practices, etc). This output will be the basis for the development of educational/training and dissemination material and tools.