ANNIE was a project in which all participating countries created a network of educational institutions, rural and urban companies/farmers, regional governments and local authorities, with the aim to exchange good practices. The global trend of urbanization brings new challenges on food production and processing, and on the needs of the citizens. Today’s citizens acquire safe food and water, food quality and origin of the products are of major importance though. The ANNIE network had as underlying goal to establish Aquaponics Training Centres in which all kind of target groups will be trained on any EQF level. The target groups of ANNIE consisted of the youth, unemployed youngsters (up to 27), disabled people who are not easily placed in the labour market, the lifelong learners – with qualification EQF 2, immigrants and career changers. Working in Aquaponics requires both high tech skills and hands on labour. The partners in this project were from different European areas with potential needs. Spain, Greece and Portugal because of the lack of fresh water, Romania, Portugal and Slovenia to develop their rural areas and UK and the Netherlands as knowledge-based economies and too much (dirty) water, which should be re-used more sustainable.

Project Partners:

– Stichting Wellant, the Netherlands
– Europea Romania, Romania
– Hogeschool Inholland, the Netherlands
– OECON Group, Greece
– Centro Integrado de Formación y Experiencias Agrarias de Torre Pacheco, Spain
– Grm Novo mesto, Slovenia
– Liceul Tehnologic Agroindustrial “Tamási Áron”, Romania
– Colegiul Agricol Dimitrie Petrescu, Romania
– Escola Profissional de Agricultura e Desenvolvimento Rural de Marco de Canaveses, Portugal
– CIFEA de Molina de Segura, Spain
– Youmanitas Energy Farms, the Netherlands
– Askham Bryan College, United Kingdom
– Servicio de Formación y Transferencia Tecnológica, Spain

Target Groups: Youth, Unemployed youngsters (up to 27), Disabled people who are not easily placed in the labour market, Lifelong learners, Immigrants, career changers

Duration: 01/09/2016 – 31/12/2017