<< Background >>In recent years, the EU has made considerable efforts to shift toward a more sustainable agriculture. Both the European Green Deal and the new EU Common Agricultural Policy strive to achieve sustainability at social, environmental and economic level and set different goals, among which securing a fair income and a stable economic future for farmers, supporting rural communities and the essential role of agriculture in wider society, increasing competitiveness and supporting the digital transition in agriculture.In fact, also in the agricultural sector, as in many others, the EU is pushing for a digital revolution by supporting specific schemes and offering financial incentives to farms, through the CAP and funding programmes, such as H2020. Digital technologies can support European farmers in providing safe, sustainable and quality food. Digital technologies also bring opportunities to develop new business models and they are likely to increase rural attractiveness, in particular for younger generations (OECD, 2019). Although the prospects of eventually integrating the Industry 4.0 technologies, practices and mindset in the agricultural domain are good, adoption will take time (EC, 2017). The change, in fact, has been disruptive and, upstream, this digital revolution has impacted the very mechanisms of production and distribution, as well as marketing.Digital marketing has transformed how companies communicate with their customers around the world. The increase in the use of social networks and how users communicate with companies on the Internet has given rise to new business models based on the bidirectionality of communication between companies and Internet users. In the EU, half of the EU enterprises used social media for communication or recruiting purposes, with different shares in the Countries represented in SUST@GRI 4.0 Consortium (71% IE, 55% EL, 53% ES and 47% IT) . But while the big brands have large communication departments that are responsible for the design and implementation of large marketing campaigns that hit the mark and attract consumers of all kinds, from the most sustainable to those attracted just by the product packaging, local producers and sustainable business are struggling to keep up with the times and their market share is shrinking year by year. In 2019, in the EU, the share of large enterprises employing 250 or more people, which used any type of social media stood at 77% and was almost 30 percentage points higher than the figure recorded for small enterprises employing 10 to 49 people (48%). The 74% of EU large enterprises had an account and used some kind of social networks. By contrast, only the 46% of small enterprises used social networks. Multimedia content-sharing websites were used by 48% of the large enterprises compared with 18% of the small EU enterprises-businesses (Eurostat, 2020).The lack of communication skills is typical of rural areas, characterized by weak technological infrastructure, high costs of technology, and low levels of literacy, local producers face an increasing lack of ICT knowledge, preventing the transition of their business to Agriculture 4.0. They may have never studied farming in school or learned how to earn more money by marketing their produce in a better and sustainable way. New tools, approaches and technologies are thus necessary so that it is easier for them to connect with customers, create a sense of community and promote a more sustainable food culture, as well as sustainability in general, while at the same time promoting their own products and regaining access to a niche market that was closed to them.<< Objectives >>SUST@GRI 4.0 core aim is to promote a more sustainable agriculture and support sustainable agriculture businesses in their transition to Agriculture 4.0. Both the European Green Deal and the new EU Common Agricultural Policy strive to achieve sustainability at social, environmental and economic level and set different goals, among which supporting the digital transition in agriculture. In fact, digital technologies can support European farmers in providing safe, sustainable and quality food. But, although the prospects of eventually integrating the Industry 4.0 technologies, practices and mindset in the agricultural domain are good, adoption will take time and support to the involved stakeholders. For this reason, SUST@GRI 4.0 intends to provide local producers and sustainable agricultural business owners with digital marketing skills, to bring them closer to their local community in the digital era and allow them to promote their products as well as sustainable agriculture and a food culture that favours local products and reduces waste.SUST@GRI 4.0 aims at supporting local producers and sustainable agricultural business owners in the take-up of the twin transition (green and digital) for their business, through a tailored learning path combining digital skills, marketing skills and storytelling techniques. Hence, by developing the target groups' skills on digital marketing for sustainable agriculture, SUST@GRI 4.0 intends to strengthen key competences in initial and continuing VET, by creating future-oriented curricula that better meet the needs of individuals, enabling them to be true agent of positive change and creating a more favourable mindset towards digital tools and techniques as first step towards a more deep digitalisation of their businesses. In this frame, thanks to SUST@GRI 4-0 e-course, the Consortium aims at supporting the adaptation of the VET sector to the new needs of the labour market through the creation of learning programs that contribute to the expansion of the arsenal of technical and digital skills of learners. At the same time, through SUST@AGRI 4.0 e-commerce platform, learners will be involved in a co-creation process that allows them to test and practice their acquired skills in a more market-oriented learning environment. In addition, the Platform will serve as mean to bring local producers closer to their local community and promote their products as well as a sustainable agriculture and food culture that favours local products and reduces waste.<< Implementation >>In the 24 months of implementation, Partners will implement the following activities:- 2 Transnational Project meetings- 1 short-term Joint Staff training event involving VET professionals with aim of co-creating the modules of the e-course (R2) - 1 Blended Learning Mobility involving local producers and sustainable agriculture business owners (25+) to test the e-course in a real training condition and set the ground for the co-creation process of the contents for SUST@GRI 4.0 e-commerce platform (R2). As part of the BLM, participants will produce their first collective digital marketing campaign, making use of digital storytelling and digital communication techniques, as well as social media and blog posts, to launch the SUST@GRI 4.0 e-commerce platform.- local activities during which participants to the BLM will continue the development of the contents for R2 and for its launch strategy, with the support of partners organisations and experts identified at local level by Partners.- 4 SUST@GRI 4.0 multiplier events, organized as pop-up markets<< Results >>During the 24 months of the project, Partners will produce the following tangible results:1. SUST@GRI 4.0 e-course (R1) covering basic to intermediate digital skills (according to the thematic areas of the DigComp), with a focus on social media and blogging skills, basic concepts of digital marketing, copywriting and communication, as well as the implementation of these concepts in the digital marketing strategy of sustainable agriculture businesses. 2. SUST@GRI 4.0 e-commerce platform (R2), a web-platform allowing local producers and sustainable agricultural business owners to put into practice the acquired skills. Through R2, learners will be able to open an online shop and put in place digital marketing strategies to engage and attract customers in the local community. At the same time, the platform will strengthen the online presence of local producers and promote a more sustainable agriculture and food consumption, collecting and publicizing local sustainable agriculture business and products.3. Implementation of a short-term Joint Staff training event involving VET professionals with aim of co-creating the modules of the e-course based on the findings of the Nationals and Transnational Report on the needs and obstacles for the uptake of digital marketing strategies in sustainable agriculture businesses.4. Implementation of blended learning mobility on digital skills and digital marketing for sustainable agriculture, to test the e-course in a real training condition and set the ground for the co-creation process of the contents for SUST@GRI 4.0 e-commerce platform (R2). As part of the BLM, participants will produce their first collective digital marketing campaign to launch the SUST@GRI 4.0 e-commerce platform.5. Implementation of local activities during which participants to the BLM will continue the development of the contents for R2 and for its launch strategy, with the support of partners organisations and experts identified at local level by Partners.5. 4 SUST@GRI 4.0 multiplier events, one per Partner Country, which will be implemented in the final stages of the project to disclose and promote the results achieved by SUST@GRI 4.0.Through the production of tangible results and the implementation of training activities at transnational and local level, SUST@GRI 4.0 will also produce a set of intangible outcomes as follows:- Deepened Partners’ and stakeholders’ knowledge of the key characteristics and needs of local producers/sustainable agriculture business owners with regard to digital literacy, sustainable agriculture and digital marketing for sustainable agriculture. - Improved capacity and expertise of Partners and Trainers, resulting from the collaboration, the transnational LTTAs and interaction with other professionals during the implementation of the project.- Increased awareness among the various target groups of educators, learners, stakeholders, institutions, and the general public about the importance of a more sustainable agriculture and food culture. - Enhanced educators’ knowledge, skills and competences contributing to a more modern and professional environment inside the organisations participating project activities.- Use of a combination of digital storytelling and digital communication techniques, as well as marketing skills, to favour the target groups’ progress towards project’s goals, based on strategical planning and participated efforts among Consortium Partners- Increased level of awareness among the target groups’ members on different activities and information related to digital marketing for sustainable agriculture;- Empowered Learners in the blog creation;- Establishment of a network among the members of the target group- Consolidation of the project partnership and planning of further initiatives of follow-up to the project.