Creative communication and Soft skills for agriCultural Entrepreneurs for the sustainable Development Of Europe

We wanted to support small-scale farmers in developing an authentic vision of sustainability (=based on real values) and supported by appropriate communication skills. We created an innovative exp...

We wanted to support small-scale farmers in developing an authentic vision of sustainability (=based on real values) and supported by appropriate communication skills. We created an innovative experiential course based on value-based learning and action-learning on sustainability, effective communication, and networking. We aimed to foster solidarity and self-help among participants and trainers. We wanted to document the results both qualitatively and quantitatively with a scientific approach. We conducted three pilot courses, collecting data on their effectiveness and strengthening the partners' skills, both in participating in European projects and in the methodology of analyzing and evaluating training impact. The goal was then to foster dialogue among partners on sustainability, training in rural areas, and theater methodologies, using an experiential and reflective approach. The development of a shared teaching guide consolidated the results, generating replicable content for sustainability training in agriculture. The dissemination allowed participants & trainers to put the acquired skills into practice and to create a (already active) support network for several further projects.

February-March 2024: 5-day co-designing workshop (Conception Workshop) with 6 agricultural entrepreneurs and 7 partner trainers leading to 7 specific training modules, to define the training program, with the first data collection on effectiveness; June 2024: Paper on EPALE Journal #15 (Fanelli, 2024) with methodological reflections on co-design. Mar-Jun 2024: Project website, www.agricrescendo.org, and various social media channels. Mar-Oct 2024: Partner skills development; Trainer Manual; Training effectiveness evaluation methodology; Sustainability Strategy; Guidelines for National Reports (all in the PDF volume published on the website). Oct 24 - March 25: Three 36-hour pilot courses for 30 participants. in Italy, Spain, and Turkey, with side events where participants put the skills they developed into practice by promoting their activities to real audiences. May 10, 2025: Final dissemination event in Perugia with online connections from Spain and Turkey marked the culmination of the project; June 30, 2025: Publication of a paper in EPALE JOURNAL #17 (Fanelli 2025) detailing the Action Learning methodology and the results on CRESCENDO's training effectiveness. November 23 - June 25: Numerous online coordination meetings, etc.

We have produced concrete results on multiple levels: Developed and tested an innovative course for 30 agricultural entrepreneurs in three countries, divided into two transversal modules (Theater, Action Learning) and five thematic modules (Ice-breaking & Team-building, Symbols & Metaphors, Clay & Fairy Tale, Communicating in Conflictual Situations, Guided Meditation), described in the Trainers' Manual published on the website. From the original 24, we opened the course to six more participants, bringing the total to 30. Developed key skills to promote sustainability in rural areas, measuring effectiveness quantitatively with measurement scales based on ESCO skills (results reported in the three national reports and in Fanelli (2025)). Developed skills and networking for trainers and partners to operate in the EU (in 2025, LiberoPensatore presented a new project KA153-YOU with Desarrollo Tecnologico Rural, recently approved by AIG), creating peer-reviewed scientific contributions on sustainability training and audiovisual content to support dissemination. The final event involved stakeholders, trainers, and local policymakers who will participate in a KA220-ADU submission by CRESCENDO.