The objective of CONSOLE is to boost innovation in the lasting delivery of agri-environmental-climate public goods (AECPGs) by EU agriculture and forestry. To achieve this objective, CONSOLE builds a Community of Practice (CoP) to cocreate an empirically validated contractual framework, design and test effective and efficient contract models and support their implementation by multiple actors. The CONSOLE multi-actor and multidisciplinary team brings together 24 partners in 13 countries, covering representative typologies of actors involved in AECPGs contracts design and implementation (farmer organisations, regional administrations, consultancy companies, research institutions and water and forest management bodies). The CONSOLE framework will allow improved design and facilitate implementation of innovative contract solutions for the provision of AECPGs under various conditions across the EU. The CONSOLE framework includes: a) a catalogue showcasing successful experiences and good practices in AECPGs contracting and cooperation models; b) improved AECPGs contracts solutions and their assessment for different levels of governance; c) a comprehensive guide to the process for the design of AECPGs contracts; d) documentation, training and supporting materials. CONSOLE includes a comprehensive analysis of at least 52 case studies of existing experiences encompassing land tenure arrangements, result-based approaches, collective implementation and value chain-based remuneration, supported by surveys and modelling. Building upon these experiences, improved contract solutions will be developed in collaboration with the CoP. The CONSOLE framework will be tested in real decision-making contexts and will develop into a supporting tool for actors in the field, enabling the delivery and sustainability of AECPGs. Insights will improve policy design towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular through environmental policies and the post-2020 CAP.

The objective of the project is to provide a conceptual basis, evidence, tools and improved incentive and policy options to support the "smart" provision of public goods by the EU agriculture and forestry ecosystems, in the light of trade-offs and conflicts brought about by prospective intensification scenarios, using a transdisciplinary approach. PROVIDE will consider a wide range of public goods, including the scope for intensification to produce negative externalities, in relation with a wide set of legislations. It will address the issue in a multi-scale framework working both at the EU level and at case study level in thirteen Countries of the EU. The practical results of the project will be: a renewed (“un-packed”) conceptualization of the notion of public goods; an operational framework to support the smart provision of public goods; a toolbox putting together an inventory/mapping of options, operational means for valuation and evaluation, and a selection of evaluated policy/sector mechanisms; a consolidated and long-lasting community of knowledge and practice. The project will achieve the above results through a mapping and inventory of public goods and the mechanisms producing such goods, allowing to identify ’hotspots’ for mechanisms and policy development. Around these ’hotspots’, the project will then value different public goods and explore value transferability across several regions and ecosystems. Next, to meet a smart production of public goods, consistent with the current needs of productivity, bioeconomy strategy and rural development, innovative policy tools and mechanisms will be comparatively assessed and evaluated. The outcomes of these activities will feed information into the framework and toolbox. All these processes will be co-developed with stakeholders, so that the framework and toolbox will be a co-constructed product allowing incremental development also beyond the lifetime of the project, maximizing PROVIDE’s impact.

<< Background >>In the quantitative data collection study applied by Eskişehir Provincial Directorate of National Education to the young people studying at the Department of Agriculture in Vocational and Technical Anatolian High Schools, it was found that the youth employment in agriculture, did not think of living in the countryside. As a result of the survey, we conducted a total of 222 students in Yunus Emre, Beylikova Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, and Sarıcakaya Multi-Program High School, this rate was realized as 81.56%. Despite the importance of agriculture, in recent years, the tendency to abandon agriculture among the younger generation has reached quite high levels. Agriculture is not preferred as a profession in rural areas. The migration of young people from rural areas for work and education has increased the tendency of the abandonment of agriculture. The dignity of agriculture in the eyes of young people causes them not to see agriculture as a means of subsistence for a good life. Consequently, it becomes difficult for young people to stay in the countryside and to be employed in agriculture.It is observed that the share of agricultural employment in total employment has been decreasing gradually over the years. As a matter of fact, while the agricultural employment rate was 46% in the 1990s, today this rate has decreased to 18.6% of those employed in January 2021. According to the data of January 2021, the other 21.1% of the employed people were in the industry, 5.8% in the construction sector, and 54.5% in the service sector (TÜİK 2021).Employment of the rural population and especially the youth in agriculture and rural areas is important for the sustainability of production and on-site development. The current situation and problems of rural youth regarding employment need to be researched, discussed, and improved. The future of agriculture, rural youth employment in the agricultural sector is very important.Medical and aromatic plants have many uses such as food, medicine, cosmetics, and spices, and have been known to have been used for similar purposes since the beginning of human history. Essential oils and aromatic extracts are used by the fragrance and taste industries in the composition of perfumes, food additives, cleaning products, cosmetics, and medicines as a source of flavor chemicals, or as a synthesis starting material for naturally identical and semi-synthetic beneficial flavor chemicals. Essential oils are produced from aromatic herbs such as lavender, centaury, green tea, chamomile, thyme, laurel, mint, rosemary, cumin, myrtle, sage, lemon leaf, anise, and lemon balm. Most of the essential oils are exported to EU countries.While the volume of the medical and aromatic plant market in the world is approximately 115 billion dollars, the target for 2023 in the Turkish market, which is expressed in million dollars, is 5 billion dollars. There are over 12,000 plant varieties in Turkey and 3,600 of them are endemic plants while there are 2750 in Europe. Our country has a great economic potential in terms of medical and aromatic plants collected from nature and cultured in terms of having different climatic and ecological conditions, and the flora containing many plant species and diversity.For example, the yield of lavender per 1 decare is up to 400 kilograms of flowers. Approximately 7 kilos of oil are obtained from 70-80 kilos of lavender bunches. The selling price of 1 kilo of lavender oil is approximately 400-450 TL. 1 kg of lavender oil of Lavandula angustifolia can reach a price of 80-150 euros. Lavender water is also available for 3-5 lira per liter. Dried lavender flowers are sold for around 110 TL in herbalists. It is grown in many regions with its climate and soil structure.Our project aims to decrease the youth unemployment rate by increasing the employability of young people in agriculture and to ensure the continuity of employment for young people by creating new employ<< Objectives >>2 kinds of outcomes are expected during and at the end of the project.A.Tangible Outcomes:As stated in detail in the project's intellectual outputs, our tangible outcomes are;O1- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production Training ProgramO2- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production Virtual LaboratoryO3- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production E-Learning PlatformO4- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production Smart Greenhouse ApplicationO5- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production E-GuideAll these outputs will lead us to abstract outcomes such as the knowledge, skills, and achievements expected to change with the project.B.Abstract Outcomes:The project will primarily affect the quality of vocational education. It will contribute to the digital agriculture knowledge skills and competencies of young people in the field of agriculture, which is our target group. Professional knowledge and skills will develop. They will have opportunities to facilitate employment and strengthen entrepreneurship aspects of young people.In addition, the expected results of our project in the agricultural sector are;-Increasing product diversity,- Developing smart greenhouse and agricultural practices;-Support greener agriculture;- The reduction of wild and unconscious agriculture- Raising awareness in agriculture,-To prevent youth unemployment,- Increasing the employment rate of young people in agriculture,- To prevent migration to the city,-Efficiency in agriculture and digitalization,-To protect plant species, soil and endemic structure- Getting the best efficiency from medicinal and aromatic plants- Its positive contribution to the region and the agriculture economy is one of the expected results.Another expected result is the positive contribution of our project partners to their common working culture, institutional capacities, and internationalization.<< Implementation >>Our activities1.Signing agreement with the National Agency/ 11.2021With the project grant agreement, project accounts are opened and project activities are started. Partnership agreements are made with partners. The first 40% budgets are sent to the accounts of the project partners.2.Starting project preparation and dissemination activities/ 11.2021Logo, Poster, Brochure, Canvas, Roll-up, Swallowtail Flag Designs are made with the project partners and announced on the official accounts of the institution. Gmail and Google Drive accounts are opened.3.Publishing the website/ 11.2021The domain name and hosting, which is going to include the project website e-learning platform, are completed. Design and content are discussed with project partners.4.Opening social media accounts, producing and updating content/ 12.2021Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts are opened. Dissemination activities are started.5.Project Opening Meeting/ 12.2021Each project partner holds a project opening meeting in their country. Local and sector representatives and shareholders are invited. Project goals, objectives and expected results are shared.6.1.TPM Bulgaria Mobility/ 04.20227.Intellectual Output Activities/ 05.2022 – 05.2023Researchers, technicians and young people who are going to work on intellectual outputs are assigned and studies are carried out.8.Youth Agricultural Employment Report/ 02.2022A report study consisting of current situation analysis, legal legislation, state of the countries, measures to be taken and recommendations are made.9.Monitoring and evaluating project activities, budget, quality, time management/ 11.2021 – 11.2023Throughout the project, the project coordinator, legal representatives, contact persons, and national agency experts are constantly monitoring and evaluating.10.2.TPM Spain Mobility/ 10.202211.Interim report – Mobility Tools/ 05.2022The interim report, to which mobility tools are going to be filled in every 6 months, is completed and submitted to the national agency.12.Training Programme for Raw Material Production from Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and e-Guide / 05.2022 - 05.202313.Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production Virtual Laboratory / 05.2022 - 05.2023Virtual Laboratory software, which is one of our intellectual outputs, is developed. It is made available and the project partners apply it to young people in vocational high schools locally.14.3.TPM North Macedonia Mobility/ 04.202315.Raw Material Production from Medical and Aromatic Plants E-learning platform / 05.2022 - 05.202316.Medical and Aromatic Plants Smart Greenhouse Application / 05.2022 - 05.2023The Smart Greenhouse application, which is one of our intellectual outputs, is developed. Project partners start this work in a local area.17.4.TPM Turkey Mobility / 09.20218. Raw Materials from Medical and Aromatic Plants International Convention / 09.2023The project will be closed with an international convention in Turkey. Project results are going to be shared and disseminated with all shareholders.19. Project Closing / 09.202320. Final Report - Mobility Tool / 11.2023The final report of the project is completed with the contributions of the project partners. It is submitted to the national agency.21. Sustainability / 11.2023. -The results and outputs obtained in the project are used and applied after the end of the project.<< Results >>Our project results and outcomes O1- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production Training ProgramO2- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production Virtual LaboratoryO3- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production E-Learning PlatformO4- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production Smart Greenhouse ApplicationO5- Medical and Aromatic Plants Raw Material Production E-Guide