Our G4F Skills Platform is live! Connecting learners, workers, educators, employers, and soon, policymakers, through AI-powered skill analysis and matching in the agri-food sector.
ONLINE FOCUS GROUP
MARCH 18 2026
An Expert Dialogue on
Skills, Policy and Investment in Europe's Food Systems
A 2-hour closed working session for policymakers, finance institutions, and education providers to critically examine and validate a portfolio of tools developed to address skills gaps in Europe’s agri-food sector.
CONTEXT
A skills bottleneck at the heart of Europe’s food system transition
The EU’s green and digital transition in agri-food — spanning circular economies, sustainable packaging, and advanced bio-processing — is well-resourced in financial terms, from CAP to ESF+. Yet a structural gap persists: the human capital and skills needed to implement these transitions at scale. The GEEK4Food project, funded under Erasmus+ Forward-Looking Partnership, has developed a portfolio of interconnected tools to address this gap. This session invites a select group of institutional representatives to examine them critically.
THE PORTFOLIO UNDER REVIEW
Four tools. One integrated framework.
Participants will examine a set of interlinked instruments developed to address skills diagnosis, regulatory alignment, scalable delivery, and sustainable financing in the agri-food sector.
01
Policy Pathfinder
A regulatory mapping instrument aligning skills training programmes with existing public and private funding mechanisms across EU member states.
12
Use Cases
Twelve scenarios illustrating localised, scalable skills interventions across diverse agri-food contexts in Europe.
03
Finance Solutions
Three alternative financing models for sustained upskilling investment, designed for consideration by impact finance institutions and public bodies.
HOW THE SESSION WORKS
A structured validation exercise
Participants will be presented with a plausible future scenario — for example, a significant regulatory shift or a sudden change in market conditions — and asked to assess the GEEK4Food portfolio’s robustness in response. The exercise is designed to surface gaps, assumptions, and conditions for real-world implementation, drawing on participants’ direct institutional experience.
Findings from each working group will be synthesised into a consolidated report, shared with all participants following the session.
Focus Group Agenda
10:00
Welcome and opening
Paola Pittia, Project coordinator, University of Teramo
10:06
Dariusz Kozdra, 4CF The Futures Literacy Company
10:10
GEEK4Food consortium members
10:30
Kacper Nosarzewski, 4CF The Futures Literacy Company
10:45
Sectoral working groups: portfolio review
4CF The Futures Literacy Company
11:36
Board report synthesis
4CF The Futures Literacy Company
11:56
Closing & next steps
Paola Pittia, Project coordinator, University of Teramo
BREAKOUT SESSION
Three sectoral working groups
Participants join the breakout group that corresponds to their institutional remit. Each examines the portfolio from a distinct sectoral perspective.
Working Group 1
Policy & Governance
For policymakers and managing authorities. Focus: regulatory coherence, funding alignment, and institutional uptake pathways.
Working Group 2
Finance & Investment
For impact finance institutions and investors. Focus: viability of alternative financing models and conditions for private sector engagement.
Working Group 3
Education & Research
For universities, research institutes, and VET providers. Focus: methodological robustness, transferability, and integration into existing programmes.
Participation is by invitation and open registration
18 March 2026 · 10:00–12:00 CET · Online · No fee
Questions? Contact us at info@geek4food.eu