EMMA4EU

Date

June 2023 – June 2026

Target Audience

Students & Professionals; Higher education institutions and Vocational education and training organizations; Companies, public bodies & NGOs

Commodities

Cattle (Beef and Leather), Cocoa, Coffee, Palm oil, Soy, Rubber, and Wood

Partners

Etifor, Padova University, Wageningen University, Preferred by Nature, Open Forests, University of Freiburg, Copenhagen Business School, Makerere University, Fòrema

The EMMA4EU project, co-funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ Program, aims to tackle embedded deforestation by connecting higher education institutions, businesses and NGOs and creating new opportunities for capacity development, training, and knowledge sharing. By bridging different disciplines and sectors in forestry, agriculture, and business & commerce, the EMMA4EU will develop innovative approaches to education and training on reducing deforestation risk in supply chains.

Challenge

Despite the interconnected nature of deforestation with agriculture, trade, and consumption, it’s often seen as solely a “forestry problem.” This perception is reflected in educational programs, where there’s a lack of cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary approaches for students and professionals. Now that the European Commission recently approved the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), there’s a clear need for innovative education to reduce deforestation risk in supply chains. The EMMA4EU project addresses these gaps by linking higher education institutions and vocational training organizations (HEIs & VETs), businesses, public entities, and NGOs.

Approach

EMMA4EU aims to develop new skill sets and professions to combine digital, green and interdisciplinarity skills to support the transition to more sustainable deforestation-free supply chains of forest-risk commodities as well as the full implementation of the EUDR. To address this, the main measures planned within the scope of this project are:

Creating opportunities to bridge the different disciplines and sectors, connecting higher educational institutions, vocation training organizations, businesses, public organizations and NGOs.
Launch an EU alliance to develop innovative training solutions.
Design a new profession with interdisciplinary skills to support the transition to more sustainable Deforestation-Free Supply Chains of forest-risk commodities and implement the EUDR: the Deforestation Free Supply Chain Manager.

partners bringing together companies, training institutions, universities, and NGOs specialized in forestry and deforestation-free supply chains.

thematic areas of focus: Compliance, Technology, and Corporate Social Responsibility.