ADAPTATION MULTIFUNCTIONALITY SYSTEM

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ADAPTATION MULTIFUNCTIONALITY SYSTEM

• The knowledge based agricultural model The
  European model for the future
• 2 - 4 / 02 / 2007 Heraklion, Crete, Greece

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ABOUT MULTIFUNCTIONALITY
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The idea of Multifunctionality was already
implicit in the Treaty of Rome, which on drafting
the Common Agricultural Policy stated that
special characteristics of farming activity
must be taken into account, resulting from the
social structure of farming and structural and
natural inequalities between the different
farming regions.But it is in the Agenda 2000
when, supported by the conclusions of the
European Council of Luxembourg of 1997, it is
explicitly detailed as the second pillar of the
development of the CAP.
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According to the European Commission, farming is
multifunctional when it fulfils the following
functions 1. Production of foodstuff and raw
materials. 2. Defence of the Countryside and
Rural Environment. 3. Contribution to the
viability of rural areas and their economic
development. Therefore, we are talking about
three different functions that could be called
productive, environmental and territorial.And
the latter two functions are precisely those that
the EU refers to when justifying its defence of
Multifunctionality in international forums.

• WHAT IS MULTIFUNCTIONALITY OF FARMING?
• WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF?

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WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO DEFEND AND PROMOTE THE
MULTIFUNCTIONALITY OF FARMING?

• There are different reasons why both the European
  Union and administrations and/or farmers
  organisations endeavour to defend and promote
  multifunctionality of farming. As apart from the
  production of farming goods and foodstuff,
  farming also plays a role in other functions such
  as
• Conservation, maintenance and evaluation of the
  countryside
• Conservation and protection of the Environment
• Economic development of rural areas.
• Another reason is the fact that farming
  perpetuates traditional farming of products,
  methods of production and preparation,
  gastronomy, crafts,.. and all this forms part of
  the heritage of the EU, as well as giving it its
  own identity.

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THE EXPERIENCE OF EACH REGION ON MATTERS OF
MULTIFUNCTIONALITY

• In each region of members, Multifunctionality
  develops at varying rates.
• Notwithstanding, there already are varied
  experiences of diversification of activities.
• Experiences revolve around different areas
• Rural tourism.
• Cheese production.
• Hunting.
• Ecological farming.
• Marketing of traditional products.
• Farm Schools.
• Etc.

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JUSTIFICATION
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At present Farming continues to be the most
important economic sector in rural areas. The
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is currently
undergoing a conversion process due to various
factors, including excess of labour and price
cuts. There are other factors, however, such as
the need for quality, safety and the environment
in production. The European Commission has been
working for years through its Rural Development
Programmes to boost rural areas and ensure that
the economies concerned do not depend so
exclusively on revenue from agriculture and
livestock farming.
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To reach these objectives, the European
Commission promotes the multifunctional concept
of farms and farmers.Basically, it endeavours
to encourage new economic activities on farms
that may supplement the fall in revenue. It also
endeavours to establish the rural population and
consolidate jobs.
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The problems and difficulties in adapting to the
multifunctional concept are due to the lack of
suitable preparation of farmers. This means that
they are incapable of creating new ideas and have
no knowledge, capacity or ability to execute
them.The need for specific training for this
collective and in this matter was detected
through partners daily contact with farmers and
their experience in the rural world.
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The expected result was a Training System
directed at mature farmers, young farmers and
women in the rural world.The essential
objective of the System is to enable these
recipients to adapt their farms to the
multifunctional concept, preparing them to create
new ideas and put them into practice with the
knowledge, capacity and abilities necessary.
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The System is based on the case study. We
developed the training units from real, positive
experiences. The end result is a Training
System for adaptation to the Multifunctional
Concept with a Guide for the Trainer, Units for
the users, available on both paper and CD format.
All the material is available on a website in
English, Italian and Spanish.
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PARTNERS
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ASOCIACIÓN AGRARIA DE JÓVENES AGRICULTORESASAJA
is the largest professional agricultural
organisation in Spain with over 250.000 members
who actually work on farms, owners and tenants
alike, including members of the family involved
in farming activities.ASAJA was set up to
represent, manage, defend and promote the
interests of the farming profession in general
and also those of its member organisations that
are legal entities and respect democratic
principles.Its objective is to defend family
farms and agricultural enterprises no matter what
type of private initiative they come under, and
to develop them as an economically viable
activity.
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CENTRO DI ISTRUZIONE PROFESSIONALE AGRICOLA E
ASISTENZA TÉCNICA DELL UMBRIACIPA is an
organisation of agricultural experts whose main
aim is to defend the important role of both
farming and farmers in the civic, democratic and
economic development of society.CIPA manages
various associations and includes around 750.000
members.Its permanent and constant connection
with farmers already taking the first actions
towards multifunctionality makes the C.I.P.A.
very useful in the Project.
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WATERFORD LEADER PARTNERSHIP LTD.Waterford
Leader Partnership Ltd. is a limited liability
company, which was established in 1991 as a joint
venture "Partnership" company between the Irish
Government and the local Social Partners to carry
out actions targeted at the long-term
unemployed.From 1995 on, the company has
administered the Integrated Local Development
Programme (under the Objective 1 Operational
Programme for Local and Urban Rural Development),
as well as the LEADER II initiative. It has also
implemented other programmes in the field of IT,
business development education and training.
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MAYORISTAS DE COMPONENTES INFORMÁTICOS SLMC
Informática is a computer technology company
which was created in 1995. It has been giving
global solutions to its customers, offering them
the products they have required over the last ten
years. Moreover, MC Informática is a company
which is strongly linked with training and Human
Resources. MC Informática has a long experience
in the development of products for training with
computer supports and has been linked with
projects for developing products for Human
Resources in Small and Medium Enterprises.
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PHASES
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RESULTS

• Ascertained at the start date of the Project the
  real situation regarding the farms levels of
  adaptation to multifunctionality in the
  participant areas.
• Defined through a closed questionnaire the
  positive and negative experiences that the
  recipients found in carrying out
  multifunctionality.
• Identified all existing legal and specialised
  documentation on the subject.
• Held a significant number of interviews with
  recipients during multifunctionality in order to
  identify their difficulties.
• Analyzed the work done previously in situations
  with a very particular and real starting point in
  which the difficulties to be overcome through
  this Training System were perfectly identified.

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RESULTS

• Checked the vocational qualification of potential
  users of this product.
• Obtained information about learning and training
  habits.
• Identified which abilities and capacities were
  lacking but needed so that they could adapt to
  multifunctionality.
• Studied and identified the most appropriate
  methodologies to be applied to the recipients.

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RESULTS

• Defined the minimum criteria that multifunctional
  farms subject of study had to meet.
• On the basis of the data obtained in the first
  phase, a significant number of farms adapted to
  multifunctionality were to be selected.
• Previously we obtained 100 farms per country,
  only 30 of these were selected as candidates.
• The final selection of farms identified as
  candidates was 10 per country.
• Interviewed personally the persons in charge of
  these farms identified as candidates.
• Selected definitively the farms that would be the
  subjects of the study.

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RESULTS

• Defined the study criteria and parameters to
  which multifunctional farms would be subject.
• Identified the professional profiles of persons
  in charge of these farms, with a special emphasis
  on their knowledge, abilities and capacities.
• Obtained definitive conclusions from every farm
  subject of study.
• Concluded the profile of farmers that had adapted
  to multifunctionality.
• Extracted, by contrast, the shortfalls to be
  covered by farmers that did not succeed in
  adapting to multifunctionality.

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RESULTS

• Studied and analyzed all material and conclusions
  obtained in the previous phase.
• Drafted the cases taking into account the
  studies carried out in each multifunctional farm
  and its manager.

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RESULTS

• Defined the most appropriate methodologies to be
  applied to potential users.
• Designed the structure of the whole System from
  already designed cases.
• Developed the teaching units with the contents
  and methodologies previously defined.

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RESULTS

• Obtained training material adapted to software,
  using a wide range of resources from the material
  designed in the previous phase.
• Applied this system to a greater extent in the
  form of self-study.

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RESULTS

• Created a Teaching Guide, which enables the
  Trainer to apply the System, ensuring that the
  aims established for the System could be
  achieved.

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RESULTS

• Adapted the software to allow Trainers to carry
  out remote monitoring of the Training System, if
  necessary.

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RESULTS

• Organized pilot experiences in each country
  participating in the Training System.
• Checked the effectiveness and acceptance by
  users.
• Obtained information in order to carry out
  adjustments and rectifications.
• Checked the appropriateness of the methodologies
  used. Checked the quality of the product.

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RESULTS

• Adjusted the contents to those required by users.
• Adapted methodologies to the users needs.

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RESULTS

• Announced the End Result according to the
  Dissemination Strategy of the Work Schedule.
• Disseminated the Product to end-users.
• Promoted the Product in involved Sectors and
  Collectives.

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EXTERNAL EVALUATION
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We had two external evaluation systems1.
External evaluator Evaluated the entire
process, day by day.2. Granaforma SL
Granaforma is a training company that evaluated
the final product or system created.
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EXTERNAL EVALUATOR

• Externally monitored the entire project,
  throughout the course of the work carried out,
  from beginning to end.
• Attended all the meetings held throughout the
  process.
• Carried out periodic evaluations of the state of
  the development of the project
• Phases.
• Objectives.
• Meetings.
• Products.
• Dissemination.
• - Issued monthly reports on the development of
  the project.

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EVALUATION OF THE PRODUCT

• Was carried out by GRANAFORMA, SL, a training and
  assessment company in Granada (Spain).
• Total number of participants was 90, all of whom
  were connected to the world of agriculture and
  training.
• The evaluation process was carried out in 6
  sessions, divided into two phases
• The interactive trial of the cd-rom, using the
  same in PCs with 45 subjects.
• who received no further explanations or
  tutorial help.
• b) The system trial using a paper format, with 45
  subjects and a tutor-guide
• who helped them in the use of the system.