Research projects

Youth4Agri is a European project funded under the Interreg Central Europe programme, aimed at strengthening young people’s knowledge, skills and entrepreneurial competences to support the green and digital transition in agriculture.

Modern agriculture faces numerous challenges related to digitalisation, the introduction of sustainable practices and a shortage of appropriately skilled professionals. Young people seeking to develop their careers in agriculture and the agri-food sector also face limited opportunities to acquire practical knowledge, engage in cross-border mobility and gain recognition for their skills.

Youth4Agri addresses these challenges by bringing together educational institutions, research organisations, development agencies and young people from four Central European countries: Hungary, Italy, Poland and Slovenia.

The project builds on the capitalisation, adaptation and transfer of results from four previous European projects:

• AGRI-DIGITAL-GROWTH (Interreg Central Europe), which developed a training programme on digital transition and precision farming.
• AGROTUR+ (Interreg Italy–Slovenia), which developed and implemented a cross-border summer school on the sustainable production and promotion of local Karst products.
• TASK4ISI (Interreg Central Europe), which developed programmes for strengthening entrepreneurial competences, mentoring and entrepreneurship support.
• D-EFFECT (Interreg South Baltic), which developed approaches to cross-border networking and active youth engagement.

By combining these results, Youth4Agri will establish a comprehensive transnational training and support programme for young people, integrating technical knowledge, practical experience, entrepreneurial competences and opportunities for international cooperation.

Particular attention will be given to actively involving young people in designing project activities, ensuring that the solutions developed respond to their needs and expectations.

Main Activities and Results

The project will build on existing training programmes and support services, bringing them together into an integrated transnational solution for young people interested in developing their professional or entrepreneurial careers in modern agriculture.

The main activities include:

• Establishing a transnational Youth Forum to facilitate knowledge exchange, networking and the active participation of young people in shaping project activities.
• Adapting and implementing a training programme on sustainable and digital agriculture, combining online learning with practical training.
• Organising a transnational summer school in Slovenia, offering participants hands-on experience, fieldwork and insights into sustainable agricultural practices.
• Developing and piloting support services for young people in entrepreneurship, professional development and cross-border mobility.
• Connecting young people with experts, educational institutions, businesses and other organisations in the agri-food sector.
• Developing a joint transnational strategy and action plans to support the long-term uptake of project results and the continued operation of the Youth Forum.

Two interconnected pilot actions will be implemented: a transnational training programme and a programme of youth support and guidance services. At least 40 young people will participate in the pilot activities, while the Youth Forum will gradually bring together at least 33 participants.

The project will contribute to creating new professional and entrepreneurial opportunities for young people, strengthening connections between European regions and developing the competences needed for the sustainable and digital transformation of agriculture.

Role of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia

The Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS) contributes to Youth4Agri by transferring and further developing the results of the AGROTUR+ project, particularly its cross-border summer school model, which enabled young people to acquire new knowledge and green and digital skills related to the sustainable production and promotion of local Karst products.

Building on this experience, KIS will contribute to adapting the training content, selecting trainers and experts, and engaging young people in the transnational training programme.

The main responsibility of KIS will be to organise and host the transnational summer school in Slovenia, combining lectures, practical training, fieldwork and study visits. The summer school will provide participants from different countries with opportunities to explore sustainable agricultural practices first-hand and exchange knowledge and experiences with experts and their peers.

KIS will also contribute to establishing and piloting youth support services, supporting the activities of the transnational Youth Forum, and developing recommendations and an action plan for the continued uptake of project results in Slovenia.

Partnership

The project is coordinated by BORA 94 – Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Development Agency (Hungary).

The international consortium brings together five partners from four Central European countries.

Lead Partner:

• BORA 94 – Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Development Agency Nonprofit LLC, Hungary

Project Partners:

• Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), Italy
• Krakow University of Economics (KUE), Poland
• Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS), Slovenia
• Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic, Poland