This document summarizes the RURAL/ITER project, which aims to transfer innovations from the Naturaliter project to enhance entrepreneurship and opportunities in agriculture. The Naturaliter project developed training tools focused on business planning for organic farming, agro-tourism, and quality products. RURAL/ITER will update these tools and materials to include new trends like renewable energy, biodiversity protection, nutraceuticals, and ecotourism. It will develop new case studies and training for farmers with other work experience, young farmers, and female farmers. The project runs from 2012-2014 and involves partners from Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium who will adapt and test the new training materials before disseminating the results.

1. RURAL/ITER : Transfer of Innovation
from Naturaliter project and beyond

2. Naturaliter : main aims and outputs
WHAT IS NATURALITER? It is a LdV pilot project addressed to agriculture
professionals based on training tools and teaching materials to improve
vocational skills for achieving a competence on business development plan
according to innovative trends in agriculture: organic farming, agro-tourism,
quality products, nursery and gardening.
The main project output is the NATURALITER TRAINING SYSTEM including:
Interactive self-assessment tool , for a basic approach to the agricultural sector
Virtual case study library, to gather successful case studies from Europe
Training gym, to play the role of a farmer planning own business
Computerized corporate platform, to create a basic business plan of own farm
(see the website http://www.ciaumbria.it/naturaliter/)

3. Naturaliter : methodology and training tools
The NATURALITER TRAINING SYSTEM is based on a reticular methodology
enabling the user to identify the requested competences for own business
http://www.ciaumbria.it/naturaliter

4. !
RURAL/ITER : specific targets and new trends
WHAT IS RURAL/ITER? It is a LdV transfer of innovation (TOI) project addressed
to 2nd work experience farmers from other sectors, young and female farmers as
new target groups to enhance opportunities and entrepreneurship in agriculture.
Besides the innovative trends from the Naturaliter project or some of them, to be
updated and adapted, can be considered to be developed the last trends such as:
renewable energy sources (solar, photovoltaic, wind, biomass,..) and related
new vocational skills
biodiversity protection and relevant commercial niche markets (farm markets,..)
nutraceutical products and related health sector
eco-tourism services linked to agro-tourism and rural development activities
didactic and social farms linked to social issues of civil society
WHAT’S ON :
training tools for new skills related to the new innovative trends
new case studies specific from 2nd work experience, young
and female farmers
new active learning methodology
http://www.agricolturavita.it/cipat/svl/documentiRead?doc_id=33291&tpl_id=7

5. RURAL/ITER Partnership
Western Greek Region Unit of Achaia Training Centre
Responsible for project management and new training
platform (GR)
AèV, National Training and Research Centre of
Farmers’ Italian Confederation (Cia)
Responsible for transfer of Innovation (IT)
Ce.S.A.R., Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development
(University of Perugia)
Responsible for quality of contents (IT)
UTAD, Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies
Responsible for development of innovative training
materials and adaptation to Portugal (PT)
PASEGES, Pan-Hellenic Confederation of Unions of
Agricultural Co-operatives, Responsible for adaptation
of training materials in Greece (GR)
CEJA, European Council of Young Farmers
Responsible for piloting tests and EU dissemination (B)

6. "
RURAL/ITER methodology and development
The training tools included in the Naturaliter training system, implemented with
those developed in Italy at national level by "Agricoltura è vita" with the S.E.T.A.
project, i.e. the "farmer's book" for a user friendly planning of the farm activities,
constitute the basis for the Transfer of Innovation to be adapted and implemented.
Two training need analysis questionnaires, one for farmers and another for
experts/trainers according to the innovative trends in agriculture from the
RURAL/ITER project vision and description, are the starting point to choice,
on the basis of a survey report from different countries, the innovative farming
sectors and develop the new training system.
The new innovative trends are analyzed in relation to the work process and
related competences, also including case studies from different countries. The
training materials are focused on new skills from innovative professional
competences, based mainly on European Qualifications Framework level 3 and 4
and implemented in a web service user friendly platform.

7. RURAL/ITER methodology: interactive learning
RURAL/ITER student-
centred learning system:
business simulator
(innovative training gym)
web service tutoring
for new skills and jobs
(training on demand)
interactive business
plan (self-empowerment)

8. #
From learning
reflection on
personal evolution
Innovative coachingTraditional coaching:
lesson/learning
RURAL/ITER methodology:personal evolution
Interactive piloting
Creativity stimulation
Competence growth
Innovative
trends
Farmer as a jobmaker

9. $
RURAL/ITER methodology:personal opportunities

10. RURAL/ITER :project development at a glance
Beginning : 01 November 2012 , Kick-off-Meeting Rome 22/23 November
Month 2: state-of-the art analysis on innovative trends in agriculture at European
level (background); focus on target users “farmers from previous work experience”,
“female entrepreneurs” and “young farmers”.
Months 3 - 7: adaptation of existing teaching materials from NATURALITER and
S.E.T.A. transferred to the new geographical contexts (Greece and Portugal).
Elaboration of questionnaires (from English into Greek, Portuguese and Italian) to
better understand i) what kind of training needs can be more suitable for “new farmers”,
young farmers, female entrepreneurs; ii) which gaps of competences are to be fulfilled,
iii) what are new vision, ideas and multifunctional activities involving innovative farms, iv)
which teaching materials and tools can be adapted from "Naturaliter" to RURAL/ITER
training system. Need analysis report from the questionnaires.
Leaflet with information on RURAL/ITER project (English, Greek, Italian, Portuguese)
Month 8: Meeting in Portugal, to share a proposal on adaptation of the new teaching
materials and training system targeted to the new target users.
Months 9-12: Improved and adapted materials to be tested in Greece, Portugal and
Italy by pilot groups of target users (from English original materials into Greek, Italian,
Portuguese). Mid-term report.

11. RURAL/ITER :project development at a glance
Months 13-15: Data analysis in Greece, Portugal and Italy with reports; improvement of
the teaching materials and design of training tools.
Month 16: Meeting in Brussels organized by CEJA, c/o COPA-COGECA (or other EU
location) with selected trainers for Training of Trainers (TOT), with participants from
Greece, Portugal and Italy and with young farmers managing advanced innovative
farms from other European countries (Belgium, Germany, Holland) on how to
implement and use the new teaching materials. CEJA will distribute and collect
questionnaires in countries with high level of development in agriculture (Belgium,
Germany, Holland); languages English and, just in case, mother languages of the
participants (CEJA).
Months 17-22: Trained trainers organize national workshops, with target users, and
test the teaching materials for piloting. Data are collected and elaborated about the
opinions of the participating farmers (questionnaire). Reports are elaborated. The new
RURAL/ITER training system will be set up for long distance learning on a web site and
for off-line training on CD (English, Greek, Italian, Portuguese)
Month 23-24: Final Conference in Greece with participation of international experts
(CEJA, CEDEFOP); final training products and tools; final technical and financial
report.

12. RURAL/ITER :dissemination activities
A dissemination strategy is foreseen at regional, national and European level . At
regional level, in the participating countries, farmers' associations, local authorities,
policy makers, media are involved by presenting, since the kick-off meeting in Italy,
objectives and envisaged results of the project. Open workshops are foreseen in
correspondence of all partnership meetings. The RURAL/ITER website is the main tool
for external communication and dissemination of results, with a public area, including
information on ongoing activities and available deliverables . A newsletter will be
addressed to all external members, starting from a selected list provided by each
partner. At national level, in each country, the farmers' associations will be informed on
objectives and results of the project and invited to participate to workshops and
forums. At international level CEJA will inform the member associations on ongoing
project activities ; all other partners will involve academic and professional world
connected to agriculture and use of rural areas. Press interviews and articles will be
organized in correspondence of partnership meetings: in Italy (Nov.2012), to analyze
training needs; in Portugal (27/28 May 2013),to set up the adapted teaching materials;
in Belgium (March 2014), to perform the Training of Trainers and workshop on “New
work opportunities and innovative trends in the European rural areas”; in Greece
(October 2014),to present the project outputs and adapted training system for the target
users with participation of international experts from CEJA and CEDEFOP.

13. WHAT IS LEARNING?

14. !
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION