Articles
The Local Food Trace (LOFT) project: enhancing digital skills of small local food producers
Article number
1441_35
Pages
277 – 280
Language
English
Abstract
Nowadays, food systems are facing major social, economic and environmental challenges.
In addition, the pandemic has accelerated digitalization in all sectors and raised the demand for localized and homemade food.
In this context, new opportunities for the Local Food Producers (LFPs) to reach more fruitful and close markets have been created.
Local Food Trace (LOFT) is a European Union project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme.
The main objective of LOFT is to contribute to European policies on digitalization and learning, through the development of digital skills of LFPs.
By involving small producers in the digital transformation, one of the main goals is boosting local food production and its sustainability.
In the present work, the results of a field analysis carried out among the four partner countries (Spain, Italy, Turkey and France) are presented.
The research was focused on LFPs and aimed at understanding the digitalization degree and the training needs of this target group.
Through a survey developed and distributed using Microsoft and Google Forms, anonymized responses were collected.
Overall, 70 answers from LFPs were gathered among the 4 partners.
The results displayed on one hand a current low use of digital tools by LFPs.
However, the majority of LFPs showed an interest to participate in digitalization courses.
These results laid the foundations for the next steps of LOFT project, which include the creation of a platform for LFPs digitalization training.
In addition, the pandemic has accelerated digitalization in all sectors and raised the demand for localized and homemade food.
In this context, new opportunities for the Local Food Producers (LFPs) to reach more fruitful and close markets have been created.
Local Food Trace (LOFT) is a European Union project funded by the Erasmus+ Programme.
The main objective of LOFT is to contribute to European policies on digitalization and learning, through the development of digital skills of LFPs.
By involving small producers in the digital transformation, one of the main goals is boosting local food production and its sustainability.
In the present work, the results of a field analysis carried out among the four partner countries (Spain, Italy, Turkey and France) are presented.
The research was focused on LFPs and aimed at understanding the digitalization degree and the training needs of this target group.
Through a survey developed and distributed using Microsoft and Google Forms, anonymized responses were collected.
Overall, 70 answers from LFPs were gathered among the 4 partners.
The results displayed on one hand a current low use of digital tools by LFPs.
However, the majority of LFPs showed an interest to participate in digitalization courses.
These results laid the foundations for the next steps of LOFT project, which include the creation of a platform for LFPs digitalization training.
Publication
Authors
I. Zauli, G. Pennisi, M. Garrido Cortés, P. Oñate, S. Remón, E.D. Arisan, M. Guary, M. Ginesar
Keywords
local food producers, digitalization, food systems, training needs
Groups involved
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Working Group Vertical Farming
- Working Group Urban Horticulture
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