As Europe and Ireland’s horticulture sector continues to evolve, attracting and retaining knowledgeable and skilled people has become a critical factor in the sector’s viability and long-term sustainability. AGRETAIN is an Erasmus+ funded research project that examines regenerative sustainable food chains through Market Gardening and addresses challenges such as skills and knowledge development.
Market gardening offers an ideal context to incorporate regenerative approaches due to its small scale, short supply chains, diversity, and close connection to communities. It promotes local, regional and national food production and security while also improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity and reducing environmental impacts of conventional food systems.
AGRETAIN bridges the gap between academia and practice through collaboration across five European countries in higher education institutions, training providers, market gardener practitioners, thus linking applied research, education and real-world practices. The main aims of AGRETAIN are to strengthen the knowledge exchange and collaboration of universities, training providers and market gardening practitioners to develop innovative teaching methods and learning material in the field of market gardening; to embed regenerative agriculture in education and training and to increase resilient, sustainable/environmentally friendly, soil regenerative practices in small scale farming. It focuses on embedding regenerative agriculture in education, training and practice through the lens of market gardening resulting in not just knowledge production, but meaningful application in practice.
This resulted in the development and launch of a new Special Purpose Award accredited by TUS: Certificate in Regenerative Agriculture (Market Gardening) (Certificate L6, 15 ECTS) - TUS. This was delivered online and in person in Ireland in the spring semester 2026 and, due to its success the University is accepting applications for an autumn intake. In addition, our European partners in Austria, France, Germany and Greece are delivering smaller elements of the Certificate and on successful completion students will receive Digital Badges from TUS. For the Special Purpose Award and the digital badges new educational and training resources were developed with a strong emphasis on learning from practice. Participants were from diverse backgrounds including new entrants to farming, farmers seeking diversification opportunities, community garden participants, educators and training providers in agriculture and rural development stakeholders.
Looking ahead, AGRETAIN will continue to share evidence-based insights that can inform policy and advisory services through the ongoing delivery of the Special Purpose Award and through the development of a Market Garden Hub where resources and knowledge can be exchanged and networks maintained.
By embedding regenerative principles in education and practice, we can support more resilient food systems and healthier environments. For horticulture growers, advisors, and policymakers, AGRETAIN offers an important reminder: investing in education is investing in the future of the sector.
For enquiries for the TUS Special Purpose Award please contact marie.taylor@tus.ie or Yvonne.doyle@tus.ie
To register for the course please click Regenerative Agriculture (Market Gardening) (Certificate L6, 15 ECTS) - TUS.
For more information on the AGRETAIN project please visit https://www.agretain.eu/
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The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Image Source: AGRETAIN