Education, training and innovations in conversion to organic farming

💡ERASMUS VILLAGE 2025💡
25 November 2025 - another great opportunity to promote our projects 👍
More information on the ETICOF project on: https://eticof.uniag.sk/

SWITCHING TO ORGANIC FARMING – PILOT TRAINING COURSE FOR THE FARMERS GUIDE IN THURINGIA
On 5th November, a seminar on switching to organic farming was held at the Eckstedt village community centre as part of the ETICOF Project. Ten representatives from conventional farms, the Thuringian Farmers' Association, and further authorities took part. The conversion advisors from Gäa, Naturland and Bioland provided an insight into the principles of organic farming, certification and control, arable farming and animal husbandry, as well as funding and marketing opportunities. Afterwards, Matthias and Georg Bürger gave an insight view of their experiences with the conversion to organic farming during a field visit. The participants went home with lots of ideas and background information. Many thanks to all those involved and to Bürgel GbR for the delicious organic food.

More information on. https://eticof.uniag.sk/

🍀5th transnational project meeting for the ETICOF project on 6-8 October 2025
hosted by the Thüringer Ökoherz e.V. (TÖH) in Weimar, Germany 🇩🇪
further attended by:
Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (SUA), Slovakia 🇸🇰
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (USB), Czech Republic 🇨🇿
Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Hungary 🇭🇺
University of Applied Sciences Erfurt (FHE), Germany 🇩🇪
💡The main objective of the meeting was to evaluate the current status of project implementation, finalise the main project results, and plan further steps regarding the implementation of individual project activities. 🛠
🐮It was a pleasure visiting a converted dairy farm Landgut Weimar Bio GmbH, and a community dairy in Weimar 🥛🧀


More information 👉 https://eticof.uniag.sk

Öko-Feldtage (Organic Field Days) 2025
On 18-19 June 2025, the fifth national Organic Field Days were held at the organic farm Wassergut Canitz GmbH in Wasewitz-Thallwitz in the state of Saxony. The ETICOF project partnership was represented by Prof. Birgit Wilhem and Lea Doobe from the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt.
The Organic Field Days provided a unique combination of practice and research in organic agriculture and animal husbandry. The biennial event exhibited innovations and discussed current topics with farmers and representatives from politics and business.
More information available on:
Öko-Feldtage: https://oeko-feldtage.de/organic-field-days/
Wassergut Canitz: https://www.l.de/wasserwerke/verantwortung/wassergut-canitz/
ETICOF project: https://eticof.uniag.sk/

Roundtable of experts on pedagogy
University educators and experts from the non-governmental sector and farming practice held a roundtable debate on 25 April 2025 in the premises of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. The main aim was a deeper acquaintance with the ETICOF project and its results. A special emphasis was put on the Pedagogical guide – one of the main results of the project dedicated to the trainers and educators, which allows them to effectively describe and explain all relevant topics to the target audience. While the theoretical part of the guide was introduced generally, the practical part with the specific teaching methods was explained in more details. Participants then discussed possible improvements of the guide and its potential utilisation in practice.

ETICOF project: https://eticof.uniag.sk/

🍀4th transnational project meeting for the ETICOF project on 17-19 March 2025

hosted by the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) in Gödöllő, Hungary 🇭🇺

further attended by:
Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (SUA), Slovakia 🇸🇰
the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice (USB), Czech Republic 🇨🇿
Thüringer Ökoherz e.V. (TÖH), Germany 🇩🇪
University of Applied Sciences Erfurt (FHE), Germany 🇩🇪

The main objective of the meeting was to evaluate the current status of project implementation, specify the content and design aspects of the main project results, and plan further steps regarding the implementation of individual project activities.



More information 👉 https://eticof.uniag.sk/news

💡ETICOF PROJECT AT THE ERASMUS VILLAGE 2024💡
Getting inspiration, meeting new people and motivating students to start planning their own international trip was the goal of the already traditional Erasmus Village event at SPU in Nitra.
This year, too, it was held as part of the Student Days of Nitra universities. The program was enriched by a novelty called “Science connects”.🔬🤝
The program also included the presentation of projects implemented at individual faculties. We used this opportunity to inform the present students as well as all interested parties about the ETICOF project.
Project ETICOF responds to the need to create an appropriate educational program and teaching materials that would satisfy the demand of university students as well as representatives of farming practice for knowledge that would enable them to be active in the organic sector. 🌱🌿
The outputs of the project will strengthen education in the field of conversion to organic farming by creating high-quality innovative educational materials, as an example of good practice and at the same time making methodological procedures available to other users in higher education and farming practice.
More information at http://eticof.uniag.sk/

On Wednesday, 13 November 2024, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) organised the farmer expert round table in Tiszaszentimre, Hungary.
The focus group of experts discussed important issues related to conversion to organic farming. The main idea was to get the answers to the following questions:
🟢What do you think about organic farming and regenerative agriculture? Are you interested in the idea of conversion to organic farming? What advantages and possible challenges do you see in it?
🟢In your opinion, what topics should be taught that would facilitate the transition to ecological and regenerative farming?
🟢How important do you think the application of innovative solutions and cooperation between farmers are during farming?
Farmers’ feedback on the mentioned issues will be an important source of information in the process of development of educational materials focusing on the conversion to organic farming. The educational materials will be used in higher education, however, in an adapted version, it can be used in agricultural practice and adult education, as well.
More information about the ETICOF project: https://eticof.uniag.sk/

3rd transnational project meeting

On June 17-18, 2024, the third transnational partner meeting within the ETICOF project took place in České Budějovice, the Czech Republic. The meeting was hosted by the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The meeting was attended by representatives from partner institutions – Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia, the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt, Germany, Thüringer Ökoherz e.V., Germany and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary. The working sessions of the partners took place in the premises of the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology.
The two-day program of the meeting focused primarily on work package No. 3 that aims to support creation of innovative teaching materials, especially in relation to conversion to organic farming topic. Partners discussed the draft of the Pedagogical guide – a methodological material for trainers and educators, which allows the trainers and educators to effectively describe and explain relevant topics to the target audience.
In addition to the Pedagogical guide, the partners also discussed issues related to the organisation of roundtable debates for pedagogical and training experts as well as the project management and coordination issues. Specific steps were planned towards the implementation of the work package No. 4, too. At the end of the meeting, the partners visited the organic orchard in order to exchange practical experience.

Bilateral cooperation meeting
On 28 May 2024, the Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development of the SUA in Nitra had the pleasure of hosting the meeting of the faculty students and representatives with students and colleagues from the Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Germany within the bilateral cooperation initiative.
Representatives of both faculties presented their institutions, with the main emphasis on exchange of information in the education and practice in the field of organic farming. The representatives of the FESRD used this opportunity and presented the Erasmus+ projects ETICOF and INVEST.
In the next coming 3 days, our guests from Germany will go on a professional excursion to organic farms in central and northern Slovakia.

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On January 15-16, 2024, the second transnational partner meeting within the ETICOF project took place in Erfurt, Germany. The meeting was hosted by the University of Applied Sciences Erfurt. The meeting was attended by representatives from partner institutions – Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovakia, the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic, Thüringer Ökoherz e.V., Germany and the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary. The working sessions of the partners took place in the premises of the Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Forestry.

The two-day program of the meeting focused primarily on a work package that aims to create a curriculum based on the analysis of data collected from conventional farmers as well as farmers who have converted from conventional to organic farming. As part of the work program, the partners analysed the results of a survey, in which data were obtained from farmers using a questionnaire method and subsequently analysed. Based on the presented results, they determined the main topic areas of the curriculum.

In addition to the curriculum, the partners also discussed issues related to the management and coordination of the project, the dissemination of the project results and its promotion, as well as the planning of other activities in the following period. The program also included a meeting with students of the host university, during which partners from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia presented the methods of the organic farming implementation in their countries. At the end of the meeting, the partners visited the organic seed nursery in order to exchange practical experience.