The use of the term ‘agroecology’ to alternatively refer to an agricultural production system, a social movement, and a practice reflects the three main dimensions of agroecology: the environmental-productive, the socio-political, and the socio-cultural dimensions. To date, the agroecological movement in Europe has focused on its environmental-productive (strengthening agroecological production) and socio-political dimensions (with the grown of agroecology as a social movement). There has been less emphasis on its socio-cultural dimension which includes aspects such as the building of alternative food production chains; the recovery of traditional agricultural knowledge and practices; understanding agricultural and rural development policies; the role of agricultural activity in peri-urban areas; or the social valuation of rural life. However, the growing importance of agroecology in Europe, and the prospect that it will continue growing with the implementation of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (2014-2020), call for training that addresses the three dimensions in agroecology.

The Graduate Diploma “Promoting Agroecological Farming at the Local Level” proposes such training offering theoretical insights and practical activities oriented to strengthen participatory approaches in agroecology. Thus, the program offers training around four main axes: 1) Economic promotion of agroecological production (e.g., support of productive experiences, food cooperatives, agro-shops, short circuits of food distribution, local markets, organic school canteens, cooperation and mutual support productive networks, or agro-turism initiatives); 2) Socio-cultural dynamization (e.g., creation of community gardens, recovery of local festivities and of agricultural and cattle fairs); 3) Strengthening traditional knowledge and resources (e.g., recovering and promoting local cattle varieties, local knowledge and traditional skills and jobs linked to agriculture and forestry; and recovery and restoration of infrastructures linked to agricultural and livestock uses); and 4) Education on agroecology (i.e., promotion of school gardens, introduction of agroecology in the school curriculum, training actors involved in education).