Can you present yourself and The Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania?

My name is Edvardas Gedgaudas. I am director of Lithuanian Cattle Breeders Association. Our association is member of The Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania. We are very proud to be members of this organization. The Chamber of Agriculture has played its part in making the Lithuanian agriculture modern and able to compete in the markets. Today our agriculture meets all the demands a consumer could raise us. These past thirty years we applied rural development programs, protected and renewed the living environment of the people. The Lithuanian Cattle Breeders Association and the Chamber of Agriculture are seeing problems with climate change and our duty is to change that for our future.

What is the role of The Chamber of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania?

During independency time the Chamber of Agriculture has become the most important and influential agricultural organization, a kind of “Farmers’ Parliament”. Today it unites 41 organization which have voices for all Lithuanian agricultural sectors from earthworms to cattle from grapes to apples. Every organizations have responsibilities for own sectors in terms of climate change.

Of course, Lithuania is a small country but we believe that we can do much more for a brighter and safer future. In fact, if we are talking about Lithuanian Cattle Breeders Association, we also responsible for future. Like herd book organization, we try to improve our selection program: we breed more effective cows which produce more milk with less impact on environment. 

Can you explain a bit more what is the MOOC and its contribution to the project?

This MOOC will support students and farmers in obtaining competences in the use of simulation tools for the evaluation of smart farming and connection with the environment. The aim of project is to reduce climate change like global problem of the 21st century.

What’s the importance of offering Open Education Resources (OERs)?

We need to learn all our live. OER is platform building new communities and offering possibilities to get all information for public. It helps to create new visions to permits no-cost access that plays important role to win-win principle. Everybody could get information about novelty in climate smart agriculture. Agriculture could be more understandable for public as smart and innovative sector that help for environment.

What are the benefits for students and farmers who are going to access to the project results?

Students are our next steps to the future agricultural sector. They need to know more closely what’s going on with climate change and how to use smarter technology to decrease the impact of that. They will get more responsibilities in the future and can start to create new future with farmers. Farmers are the most important part of this plan: they must know that they are not alone. They are creators of climate smart agriculture. Results could be very useful for all who are interesting in agricultural sector.

Why do you think is important to shed lights on Climate Smart Agriculture?

That’s building new era with more knowledge and responsibilities for all. The aim is to understand more how friendly and smart is and could be agriculture. Agriculture could be more forward like are leader and partner for another sectors.