VTskills

2024

VTskills

The University of Seville, together with 13 other European partners, launches the “VTSkills” project to promote sustainability in Mediterranean viticulture.

The EU leads the world in wine production, accounting for 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 come as a surprise, however, that most of the companies in the sector are SMEs, much more atomized than the rest of the food industries.

In this context, the VTSkills project was created with the aim of designing a training and knowledge transfer program, specific to the wine sector, to enable winegrowers to learn 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 requirements of the European framework brought about by the new Green Deal policies and the new CAP without losing sight of production profitability.

From Precision Agriculture to Sustainable Precision Agriculture. 

The VTskills project aims to advance from Precision Agriculture (PA) to Sustainable Precision Agriculture (SPV), combining organic farming with smart technologies to improve the sustainability and efficiency of the wine sector. As a basis, it takes innovation, digitalization, circular economy principles and innovative business models. Although there are challenges, especially for small farms, the aim is to overcome barriers and lead the transition to more sustainable and resource-efficient farming practices in the Mediterranean region and across Europe.

To this end, it is based on the following pillars:

• Focus on Sustainable Viticulture: VTskills focuses on viticulture in the Mediterranean region, combining Precision Farming and organic farming to promote efficient use of technology while maintaining a healthy agricultural environment.
• Diversified Consortium: Involving higher education institutions, agribusiness and vineyard companies, public administration and industry associations from five member states, the project builds on strong collaboration to address current challenges in the wine industry.
• Objectives Aligned with European Strategies: The project objectives are aligned with the strategies of the “Green Pact”, CAP, Farm to Fork and Biodiversity policy, thus contributing to European sustainability and social responsibility goals.
• Transnational Curriculum in Viticulture Studies: VTskills will create a new transnational curriculum for Sustainable Precision Viticulture, providing digital, ecological and resilience skills for HEI students, VET students, consultants, managers, technicians and farmers.
• VT-Skills e-demo farm: A new demofarm model will be designed incorporating training, informative and demonstrative components to strengthen good practices in the wine industry.

In short, with VTskills, the consortium aims to transform Mediterranean viticulture, promoting sustainable practices and preparing future generations to lead a competitive and sustainable viticulture.