Task 2.1 Establishing the international network of farmer innovation Groups
Lead partner: PFT Ltd/ORC
Partners involved: PFT Ltd/ORC, Bioland, FiBL Projekte, ÖMKI, EOFF, BioForum, ITAB, VFL P/S, Bioselena, FiBL AT, ConMarcheBio
An important aspect of this task is to facilitate good communication and cooperation between the different national/regional farmer innovation groups, as well as between the groups and the project. The farmer innovation groups are established groups of organic arable farmers or farmer associations in various parts of Europe. Each group has an experienced coordinator (farmer, innovation broker or adviser) who will be the contact person for the project.
A workshop with the groups will be organised at the beginning of the project (during the kick-off meeting) to identify and discuss bottlenecks, based on reports of EIP-AGRI Focus Groups and input from WP3. Regular exchange between groups will take place during project meetings, as well as through electronic meeting facilities (e.g. phone, internet); and at the final project conference (Task 4.5), which is open to a wider range of stakeholders. Thematic sub-Groups focussing for example on soil fertility, fertilization strategies, weed management, pest and disease control, variety choice or specific systems (e.g. stockless) may be formed as appropriate. A timetable for all activities affecting the farmer groups will be drawn up in the first year (by M3, milestone 2). The outcome will be a closer and more Integrated collaboration between the groups and an intensive international exchange of experience and knowledge. Experiences will be made with the process and challenges of establishing an international network of farmers.
This task is necessary preliminary work to feed into following aspects of the project and will further contribute to Deliverables 2.1 and 2.4.
Task 2.2 Monitoring framework of farmer innovation groups and data Collection
Lead partner: PFT Ltd/ORC
Partners involved: PFT Ltd/ORC, Bioland, AU/ICROFS, FiBL, AIAB, FiBL Projekte, ÖMKI, EOFF, BioForum, ITAB, VFL P/S, Bioselena, FiBL AT, ConMarcheBio
To improve the exchange of experience among the groups internationally, PFT Ltd/ORC will, with support from Bioland and the farmer innovation groups, develop a common framework to describe and monitor activities of all innovation groups and the relevant context factors. The framework will cover essential information about possible causes of unsatisfactory performance of organic arable cropping. Main challenges and solutions which are used to face these challenges in the agronomic context (i.e. soil and climatic conditions), crops grown and rotations chosen, incl. fertility building crops, manure/fertiliser use, weed control, and pest and disease control will be specified. Additionally, a selection of indicators from on-farm sustainability assessment tools related to resource use (e.g. fertiliser, energy, soil, water) will be defined.
Finally, the data collection will include a survey of methods and tools for knowledge Exchange used by the farmer innovation groups (matrix prepared in task 3.2) and will consider gender aspects. Existing data will be used wherever possible to limit time input of the participating farms. FiBL, AIAB and AU/ICROFS will ensure that the framework meets the requirements of WP3 and WP4. ORC will be responsible to finalise descriptions of the farmer innovation groups and the involved farms; the farmer innovation Groups will be responsible for the data collection on farms. The main outcome of this task will be the identification of challenges and tools, approaches and information sources developed or preferably used by practitioners to overcome the challenge, as well as a description of the existing knowledge and skills of the groups for consideration in WP3 and in task 4.1.
Task 2.3 Testing of innovative training and educational material in the farmer innovation Groups
Lead partner: PFT Ltd/ORC
Partners involved: PFT Ltd/ORC, Bioland, FiBL Projekte, ÖMKI, EOFF, BioForum, ITAB, VFL P/S, Bioselena, FiBL AT, ConMarcheBio
Based on the selection of tools made in task 4.1, each farmer innovation group will test at least two (where possible three) methods and end-user materials. A template for the assessment of acceptability by the groups will be developed. The groups will assess them with regards to the level of innovation, if they meet their needs and if they fit in their specific context. Tools and materials will be tested by more than one group to evaluate acceptability and usefulness under different conditions.
Materials may need to be adapted to specific conditions (in WP3) and information about their use will be translated into national languages where necessary (see WP4). Several workshops (1 general one and 5 smaller workshops on specific topics) will be organised, allowing the exchange of experience between groups as part of the testing phase. Here, also other groups and stakeholders that are not partners of the networks (e.g. newly formed operational groups) will be invited. The outcome of this task is a report from each farmer innovation group on the usefulness, potentials and limits of each tool and end-user material they tested (D2.2).
Task 2.4 Reporting for research agenda recommendations
Lead partner: Bioland
Partners involved: PFT Ltd/ORC, Bioland, AU/ICROFS
The final stage will involve summarising results of task 2.3 for an informed audience of practitioners (farmers, advisors, facilitators, related companies and innovation brokers) illustrated with the experience of groups and participating farms. This will highlight factors that influence successful uptake of approaches with input from the innovation groups and the science partners for scientific accuracy and documentation of observed effects. The outcome will be a scientific paper on the testing of end-user materials (D.2.3) and recommendations for a better targeted and shared research agenda (D2.4).