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The University of Seville coordinates “Vtskills”, a European project for more sustainable viticulture. The project will be developed in 3 years and brings together academia, administration and companies from five member states to facilitate the adoption of Sustainable Precision Agriculture practices. Training, innovation and new knowledge transfer techniques will be the basis of this project to create a transnational Viticulture curriculum
Seville, January 23, 2024.- The University of Seville coordinates the European project “VTSkills”, an ambitious initiative designed to facilitate the adoption of Sustainable Precision Agriculture techniques with training as the axis of action. Focused on the vineyard, the project will be developed between Spain, Italy, Greece, France and Belgium thanks to the close collaboration of a multidisciplinary team made up of universities, sector associations, innovation and technology companies, public administrations and, of course, vineyards. Europeans. For three years, starting in January 2024, the consortium will work to promote the adoption of environmentally, socially and economically responsible practices in the wine industry of the Mediterranean region. The EU leads global wine production, representing 45% of the wine-growing area and 65% of global production. The wine sector plays a key role in European life, contributing significantly to socio-economic, environmental and social aspects. It may be surprising, however, that the majority of companies in the sector are SMEs, much more fragmented than the rest of the food industries. For them, challenges such as climate change and sustainable growth are challenges that require specific knowledge and advanced agricultural practices to face them. To this we must add that, in recent times, the European food system has shown certain limitations, revealing the need for a balance between nature and human action and a resilient agricultural system. In this context, the VTSkills project was born with the objective of designing a training and knowledge transfer program, specific for the wine sector, that allows winegrowers to know and apply the main techniques of sustainable precision agriculture and improve their production systems to adapt to the present and the future. In this way, they will be able to meet the demands of the European framework brought by the new Green Deal policies and the new CAP without losing sight of the profitability of production. From Precision Agriculture to Sustainable Precision Agriculture The VTskills project is proposed advance from Precision Agriculture (AP) to Sustainable Precision Agriculture (SPV), combining organic farming with smart technologies to improve the sustainability and efficiency of the wine sector. As a basis, innovation, digitalization, circular economy principles and innovative business models are taken. Although there are challenges, especially for small farms, the objective is to overcome barriers and lead the transition towards more sustainable and resource-efficient agricultural practices in the Mediterranean region and throughout Europe. Ultimately, with VTskills, the consortium aims to transform Mediterranean viticulture, promoting sustainable practices and preparing future generations to lead competitive and sustainable viticulture. Issuer: University of Seville
Contact Contact name: Manuel Pérez Ruiz Contact description: University of Seville. Smart Biosystems LaboratoryContact phone: 954486480
