Developing Farmers’ Digital Skills

Project Summary

The advances in information and communication technologies (ICT), which have become increasingly important, have contributed to the increase of the economic growth of the countries and the improvement of the living standards of the individuals.According to this many countries have recognized the imperative of digital technologies, acknowledging the necessity to educate their citizens.

The improvement of digital infrastructures and mobile technologies creates new opportunities for increased citizen digital participation; however, digital participation faces numerous challenges.

The role and significance of ICT and information literacy within agricultural activities present through a review of European development initiatives and theoretical insights regarding this topic. It will reveal obstacles on the current level of skills and promote the readiness to adopt new knowledge and technologies.

Proficiency in basic computer skills and information literacy will contribute to empowerment and emancipation of farmers who can become active participants in further agriculture development stages within the chain of decision-making. As an important social group, farmers should be empowered through training programmes within the education system and through other initiatives aimed at upgrading the existing body of knowledge

After we defined the problems and the needs, we have designed the "Developing Farmers' Digital Skills (DIGIFARMER)" project.Our partnership composed of agricultural local authorities,NGOs,vet insitutions and digital companies from Turkey,Chezc Republic,Spain and Italy.

Our project aims to contribute to the active involvement of rural farmers/producers in social & business life and to ensure that farmers are more active by increasing digital transversal skills; thus to increase their efficiency and productivity in their life.

And our project will provide training on developing digital skills ensuring that therural population is able to take advantage of new technologies and tools.

The objectives of our project are;

• Increase the digital skills of farmers who live in rural areas
• Develop trainers' cross-skills and competencies
• Develop an innovative educational methodology in the digital field
• Increase productivity & efficiency through increasing farmers’ transversal skills
• Develop digital citizenship skills of rural farmers
• Ensure farmers to use internet tools & smartphone applications in social and business life effectively.

In our project;We will produce Digital skills taining course-module,learning/Training Materials (printed and digital),training tools and OER,digifarmer Website,digifarmer application (smartphone app) and Digifarmer E-Platform as intellectual outputs.

We will identify key drivers for digital citizen participation and compares the results in the context of rural and urban settings. The descriptive analyses provide insights on digital competence differences in the rural versus urban areas and their current usages of online public services.

22 Trainers will be trained to improve their digital skills and competences.

By implementing and on its completion of the project main expected results and outcomes are;

• Digital skills of rural farmers/producers who live in rural areas will be increased providing to rural farmers different problem solving ways.
• Farmers who live in rural areas will become more active in their social life and in their works.
• Trainers' cross-skills and competencies will have been developed.
• An innovative educational methodology in the digital field for rural farmers will be developed.

Website:

Coordinator:

• AYDIN IL TARIM VE ORMAN MUDURLUGU - TURKEY

Partners:

• ANAPTIXIAKO KENTRO THESSALIAS - GREECE
• Euroform RFS - ITALY
• AYDIN ADNAN MENDERES UNIVERSITESI - TURKEY
• Soke Zirai Uretim Isletmesi Tarimsal Yayim ve Hizmetici Egitim Merkezi Mudurlugu - TURKEY
• KARPUZLU ZIRAAT ODASI - TURKEY
• Institut pro trénink pohostinnosti - CZECHIA
• Aydin Valiligi - TURKEY
• INERCIA DIGITAL SL - SPAIN