'KICRO - Knowledge and Identification of CROp diseases for sustainable food safety'

The main goal of the KICRO project was to provide the fruit-growing sector with tools to improve their knowledge and better identify crop diseases and their causes, thereby enhancing food safety a...

The main goal of the KICRO project was to provide the fruit-growing sector with tools to improve their knowledge and better identify crop diseases and their causes, thereby enhancing food safety and contributing to sustainable agricultural production. The project aimed to develop a multilingual e-learning platform that would offer easily digestible educational content on crop diseases. Additionally, through organizing training sessions and pilot tests, we sought to enhance the skills of farmers, packinghouse workers, and other stakeholders in the agri-food sector. The project also aimed to disseminate its results widely to a broad range of stakeholders, including policymakers, experts, and decision-makers, to promote sustainable production and food safety in the context of climate change.

In the KICRO project, a range of key activities were carried out to develop educational tools and support the agri-food sector in identifying crop diseases. First, appropriate crops and diseases were selected, which served as the basis for the educational materials. Then, a multilingual e-learning platform was created, featuring courses on identifying plant diseases and prevention methods. A stationary one-week training session was organized for project partners, and pilot tests of the platform were conducted with 50 participants from various countries. Furthermore, dissemination activities were carried out, including multiplier events in each partner country, with a total of 200 participants. The project also included extensive outreach and promotional efforts on social media and websites to reach a broader audience, including farmers, experts, and sector stakeholders.

The KICRO project yielded a number of measurable results that had a significant impact on the agricultural and food safety sectors. First and foremost, a multilingual e-learning platform was created, enabling users to learn how to identify crop diseases and to learn about prevention methods. The platform is available in five languages and is the first such tool in Europe, targeted at small farmers and packinghouse workers. Additionally, 12 researchers and technicians were trained, who then transferred their knowledge and experience to local participants. Another outcome was training 50 people during the pilot tests, which enabled valuable feedback on the platform’s functionality. Four multiplier events were also organized, with a total of 160 participants, thereby facilitating the widespread dissemination of project results and raising awareness among stakeholders about sustainable development and food safety. The project also fostered greater integration within the agricultural community in Europe, promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange among participating countries.