THE PROJECT

Agriculture is a top priority for Europe. Indeed every year the European Union assigns a large proportion of its budget to agricultural production and the rural environment. Besides economic support, the European Union also issues a number of laws and development instruments known as CAP, i.e. Common Agricultural Policy, which, in the last few years, has changed not only our idea of farming, but also how we practice it. Nowadays, farmers receive incentives that are not linked to the amounts they produce, but to their ability to ensure food safety, to manage natural resources, to support rural employment. In fact, agriculture offers valuable responses to climate changes and the loss of biodiversity, and it is the economical "engine" of most rural areas. The initiative "The Countryside at school", now at its third edition, is promoted by the European Commission-Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural and carried out by ARM - Azienda Romana Mercati; it has been designed to inform children attending primary and middle schools of Rome and of its province on the advantages deriving from the CAP reform, the Common Agricultural Policy, and to explain its purposes, goals, methods and results. The important message to be passed on is: the CAP is a living policy seeking to promote a sustainable agriculture enabling us to meet challenges such as food security, growth and employment in rural areas; the CAP highlights the multifunctional nature of agriculture. Paco, our cute mascot, will once again guide students of primary schools (grades 4 and 5) and middle schools (grades 6, 7 and 8) on this journey into the CAP and the European Union to discover the rural world that, even though of critical importance for the fundamental aspects of our life and future, is too often unknown or overlooked. The project is divided into two distinct sets of actions: 1. two cycles of class lessons; 2. a competition involving the preparation of a newspaper on the themes of the project. It will be possible to study one of the following didactic themes in depth:

  • The countryside. Preserving the countryside, countryside culture, agricultural biodiversity for the preservation of nature;
  • The environment we live in. Environment, climate change, agriculture and biomass: the future way of producing clean energy offering new opportunities to farmers.

The activities are supported by the use of ad hoc teaching materials:

  • an information brochure for teachers
  • an information brochure for students and their parents
  • didactic games/quiz for the 2nd cycle of class lessons
  • a software for online editing of the newspaper
  • a kit to be used by each class for managing the editorial office of the newspaper


Calendar of activities

Press conference to launch the project:
24 September 2011 -  ITAS "G. Garibaldi", Rome

1st cycle of classroom lessons:
From 10th October to 18th November 2011 based on the needs of the schools that will be taking part in the project. Each lesson will last about one hour and half for a maximum of 50 students. Each lesson will be divided into two parts: introduction to the CAP reform in general and introduction to the specific issue chosen by the school.

2nd cycle of classroom lessons:
From 28th November to 16th December 2011 and from 9th January to 3rd February 2012 based on the needs of the schools that will be taking part in the project. Each lesson will last about one hour and half for a maximum of 50 students and will be based on a purposely prepared didactic game/quiz dedicated to the issues faced during the 1st cycle of class lessons.

The Competition and the final event
The classes taking part in the project will be able to participate in a competition that will end with a prize-giving ceremony and a celebration day in April 2012. To take part in the competition, whose Rules will be sent out in November 2011, applications need to be made before the end of January 2012 and the essay has to be sent in by the end of February 2012.