ACE-EX offers its contribution to the transformation of European agriculture through the integration of Circular Economy principles to promote a sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural production model. The project is perfectly harmonious with the European Green Deal directives. It aims to minimise environmental impact, train highly qualified experts, engage in the fight against climate change and promote environmentally friendly economic growth. ACE-EX emphasises the importance of constantly updating skills in the agricultural and industrial sectors to keep pace with technological developments and the challenges imposed by climate change.
Project Background
ACE-EX acts in a context in which agricultural innovation plays a crucial role in responding to the challenges imposed by climate change and the need to protect biodiversity. The current method of agriculture production must use by-products to their full potential and necessitates a shift towards a more sustainable system. Projections underline the urgency to act: by 2050, the impact of a failure to change current production methods could also translate into many lives lost each year.
In the face of rapid technological and climatic change, constantly updating the skills of those working in the sector is essential. ACE-EX emphasises the importance of the Circular Economy, a practice embraced in agriculture and industry and a driving force for professional training. It aligns with the Action Plan for the Circular Economy and the European Green Deal objectives, promoting sustainable and respectful economic growth.
ACE-EX recognises and addresses the issues of the small business sector, highlighting the need for specialised curricula to facilitate the adoption of Circular Economy practices.
Our perspective focuses on the importance of designing innovative and targeted professional curricula that promote the adoption of circular and sustainable practices in the day-to-day activities of enterprises.
Social
Ace-ex Project
Water is agriculture’s most critical resource. And its most threatened. Increasingly frequent droughts, declining aquifers, growing competition between agricultural, industrial and domestic uses. Managing it efficiently is no longer an option — it is a condition for survival. 💧
The ACE-EX Water Management course, developed by Confagricoltura, covers the entire water cycle in agriculture: from precision irrigation (drip systems, IoT for real-time monitoring of soil moisture and nutrients) to rainwater harvesting, from farm ponds to underground storage systems that reduce evaporation losses. 🌊
A central theme: the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation, which reduces pressure on primary water resources. The course also addresses irrigation water chemistry — electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio — and soil amendments to improve water retention. 🧪
It also covers index-based weather insurance against water-related climate risks — concrete financial tools to protect farmers from losses.
Managing water is managing the future of the farm.
🔗 Link in bio
#ACEEX #WaterManagement #Agriculture #CircularEconomy #ErasmusPlus #Irrigation #SmartFarming #EUproject
🇪🇺 Co-funded by the European Union
ITS Academy Giulio Natta
CEP- Center for European Projects
OpenCom Italy
Sostenibilidad Cámara Valencia
AINIA Consumer
Softcare Studios
Střední průmyslová škola chemická a gymnázium Brno
Patrimonio Natural
Fagskolen Innlandet
Klaster Gospodarki Cyrkularnej i Recyklingu
Ies Federico García Lorca De la Puebla de Cazalla
Επιμελητήριο Φθιώτιδας
Confagricoltura
Ace-ex Project
A single spoonful of healthy soil contains more microorganisms than there are humans on Earth. Soil is the planet’s main carbon reservoir, regulates the water cycle, supports biodiversity and — of course — produces the food we eat. Yet we treat it as though it were inexhaustible. 🌍
The ACE-EX Agricultural Soil course, developed by Confagricoltura, starts from the fundamentals: what agricultural soil is, how it is classified (from the USDA system to the FAO World Reference Base), which horizons compose it (O, A, E, B, C, R), and why texture, pH and organic content determine productivity. 🔬
But it does not stop at theory. The course addresses soil conservation and enhancement as critical components of sustainable agriculture: carbon sequestration, fertility management, regenerative practices. Because in a circular system, soil is not merely a support for plants — it is a strategic asset that must be managed, protected and regenerated. 🌱
From pedology to agronomic practice: the skills to read the soil and make informed decisions.
🔗 Link in bio
#ACEEX #SoilHealth #Agriculture #CircularEconomy #ErasmusPlus #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilScience #EUproject
🇪🇺 Co-funded by the European Union
ITS Academy Giulio Natta
CEP- Center for European Projects
OpenCom Italy
Sostenibilidad Cámara Valencia
AINIA Consumer
Softcare Studios
Střední průmyslová škola chemická a gymnázium Brno
Patrimonio Natural
Fagskolen Innlandet
Klaster Gospodarki Cyrkularnej i Recyklingu
Ies Federico García Lorca De la Puebla de Cazalla
Επιμελητήριο Φθιώτιδας
Confagricoltura
Ace-ex Project
11 technical courses to transform agriculture from the inside
Pillar D of the ACE-EX programme is the largest: 11 technical and sector-specific courses covering the full spectrum of competences needed to apply the circular economy in fields, wineries, olive mills and grain stores. 🔬
From soil science to water management, energy efficiency to biogas, biofertilisers to waste management, 3D printing to biochemistry, nutraceutical cosmetics to technological resource recovery — through to the practical activities that close the loop between theory and application. 🌾
These are not generic courses. Every module is built around the project’s three target sectors: wine, olive oil and cereals. Case studies are real, technologies are accessible to small agricultural businesses, and practical exercises require students to design solutions for concrete contexts.
Developed by specialised technical partners — CKR (Czech Republic), Confagricoltura (Italy), ITS Nuove Tecnologie della Vita (Italy) and others — these courses form the operational core of the ACE-EX qualification.
This is where theory becomes practice.
🔗 Link in bio
#ACEEX #TechnicalSkills #CircularEconomy #Agriculture #ErasmusPlus #Wine #OliveOil #Cereals #EUproject
🇪🇺 Co-funded by the European Union
ITS Academy Giulio Natta
CEP- Center for European Projects
OpenCom Italy
Sostenibilidad Cámara Valencia
AINIA Consumer
Softcare Studios
Střední průmyslová škola chemická a gymnázium Brno
Patrimonio Natural
Fagskolen Innlandet
Klaster Gospodarki Cyrkularnej i Recyklingu
Ies Federico García Lorca De la Puebla de Cazalla
Επιμελητήριο Φθιώτιδας
Confagricoltura
Ace-ex Project
When an agricultural business considers investing in a biogas plant or a precision irrigation system, the first question is almost always: how much does it cost? The right question, however, is a different one: how much does it cost not to? 💰
The ACE-EX Economics, Resilience and Diversification course addresses the economic analysis of the circular transition using cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment and return on investment calculations. Direct costs, opportunity costs, market risks, environmental and social benefits — all factors that enter the equation. 📊
The module also explores funding opportunities: public-private partnerships to share costs and risks, green bonds and sustainability-linked loans, government incentives such as those provided by the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, subsidies and tax breaks for circular technologies. 🏛️
A practical course exercise asks students to develop a business case for a local circular initiative — for example a recycling project or a renewable energy plant for an agricultural cooperative. From context analysis to cost estimation, stakeholder mapping to project presentation.
Because circularity, to work, must also add up in the numbers.
🔗 Link in bio
#ACEEX #CircularEconomy #Economics #GreenFinance #Agriculture #ErasmusPlus #CostBenefit #Investment #Euproject
🇪🇺 Co-funded by the European Union
ITS Academy Giulio Natta
CEP- Center for European Projects
OpenCom Italy
Sostenibilidad Cámara Valencia
AINIA Consumer
Softcare Studios
Střední průmyslová škola chemická a gymnázium Brno
Patrimonio Natural
Fagskolen Innlandet
Klaster Gospodarki Cyrkularnej i Recyklingu
Ies Federico García Lorca De la Puebla de Cazalla
Επιμελητήριο Φθιώτιδας
Confagricoltura