3 questions to Estelle Gouye, COVE France Leader

The French COVE is led by VALORIAL. Let’s learn more about this organization and its role in the project.

What is the “mission” of the French COVE?

The French CoVE is set up as part of the AgriFood4Future (AF4F) project, bringing together players in the agri-food value chain, who are based in the regions of the Northwest (but not exclusively), and aims to:

• Identify needs and expectations in terms of training in the fields of sustainable and digital agriculture.
• Create and disseminate innovative educational content to improve skills in the agri-food value chain.
• Enable its partners to benefit from a variety of programs, e.g., open innovation, acceleration, mobility, etc. that encourage the development of skills and the sharing of experience around these new skills on a European scale.

What is the “added value” of the French COVE for the AF4F project?

The agricultural and agri-food sectors are a major economic pillar in France, accounting for over 18% of industrial jobs and driving the economy forward. The Northwest, Europe’s leading agri-food region, stands out in particular, with Brittany ranked as the top region in France. Ile-de-France is also a dynamic agricultural region, thanks to its vast cereal-growing plateau, producing some of the highest yields in France. This potential for food production and processing reinforces the strategic role of CoVE France, which covers the regions of Normandy, Brittany, Pays de la Loire, and Ile de France. This enables the CoVE to easily identify the sector’s expectations in terms of training and designing innovative educational content as part of the Agrifood4future project, particularly on the key themes of sustainability and digital transformation in these sectors.

When we finish the AF4F project, what would be the greatest achievement of the project in your opinion?

The greatest achievement would be to have offered students, employees, and teachers the opportunity to customize their training by integrating Agrifood4future modules from different European countries. This would allow them to acquire more diverse skills in different agricultural practices and agri-food techniques from around Europe. These courses would be designed to be inclusive, innovative, and practical, incorporating sustainable solutions and digital tools adapted to the sector’s current challenges.