Providing innovative tools and methods for the organic supply chain: this is the objective of the on-line course organised by CIHEAM Bari,  partner in the project “Boosting cross-border Organic Ecosystem through enhancing agro-food alliances”.

Aimed at certified operators of the organic food sector, the training course is part of the activities of Organic Ecosystem, a project funded by the ENI CBC MED Programme 2014-2020, which aims to create a cross-border agri-food system to develop the organic farming sector in the Mediterranean area.

A total of thirty hours, including frontal lessons and self-learning distance learning modules, exchanges of experiences and good practices at national and cross-border level (peer to peer training), mainly focused on the training needs of the participants themselves.

The course will be open to 10 holdings in the organic sector (certified or in conversion), in particular micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), interested in developing innovative products and/or services in line with the needs of both their communities and the international organic food market.  The holdings will be selected by a committee of CIHEAM Bari consisting of experts in innovation, organic farming and business development.

At the end of the course, participants will be able to access the next stages of the project, namely: national meetings aimed at co-designing new organic supply chains, attended by stakeholders and some representatives of the Puglia Region (competent authority);  and national and cross-border workshops aimed at fostering new business alliances and supply chain development.

To take part in the course, it is necessary to fill in the application form available on the project website - news section- at: http://www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/organic-ecosystem after signing the agreement to join the Organic Ecosystem project network.

The project partners are: Ministry of Agriculture of Jordan (lead partner), CIHEAM Bari, the Chamber of Commerce of Zahle (Lebanon), Innopolis - Centre for Innovation and Culture, Leukimmi (Greece), ASCAME (Association of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce - Spain), Synagri (Farmers' Union of Tunisia). Involved as associates the Ministries of Agriculture of Lebanon, Tunisia, Greece, the SEKEM Foundation (Egypt) and the Apulia Region.

Source: CIHEAM Bari