Focus Group 'Local perennial plant genetic resources in view of climate change and biodiversity loss'
How can the conservation and utilisation of local under-utilised varieties of perennial crops be attractive and profitable for farmers and thereby contribute to biodiversity-friendly sustainable farming under climate change?
Tasks
- Identify the benefits of local under-utilised perennial varieties in adapting to climate change and maintaining biodiversity;
- Identify the challenges and opportunities for farmers in conserving and using under-utilised local perennial crops;
- Collect and highlight good practices and inspiring success stories, approaches, and methodologies for maintaining and cultivating local perennial crops, covering different pedo-climatic areas;
- Identify examples of valorising local perennial plant varieties (from the environmental and economic point of view);
- Identify capacity-building experiences and needs for preserving and utilising local perennial crops at the farm level;
- Suggest innovative and appropriate management practices;
- Identify further research needs from practice, and possible gaps in technical knowledge;
- Suggest innovative ideas for EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and other innovative projects.
EIP-AGRI Challenge
In Crete, farmer Panagiotis Raisakis fights climate change and chestnut blight to save chestnut trees. Through organic practices and innovative microbial-based cultivation, he is strengthening tree resilience and protecting this endangered “superfood” for future generations.
Focus Group members
| Mr/Ms | First name | Last name | Country | Profession | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. | Filippos | Aravanopoulos | Greece | Researcher | |
| Ms. | Raquel | Caetano Ferreira | Ireland | Innovation support agent / innovation broker | |
| Mr. | Yannis | Chatzieffraimidis | Greece | Farm advisor | |
| Ms. | Veronique | Decroocq | France | Researcher | |
| Ms. | Anamaria - Raluca | Denes | Romania | Farm manager or owner | |
| Ms. | Gordana | Đurić | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Researcher | |
| Ms. | Liliana | Fernández Pérez | Spain | Farm manager or owner | |
| Mr. | Tommaso | Frioni | Italy | Researcher | |
| Ms. | Marjo | Keskitalo | Finland | Researcher | |
| Mr. | Gunārs | Lācis | Latvia | Researcher | |
| Mr. | Lorenzo | León | Spain | Researcher | |
| Mr. | Zoltán | Mézes | Hungary | Farm manager or owner | |
| Ms. | Concepcion | Muñoz-Diez | Spain | Researcher | |
| Mr. | Alfonso | Ribas Álvarez | Spain | Innovation support agent / innovation broker | |
| Mr. | Josip | Šare | Croatia | Expert from an organisation, network, group or enterprise | |
| Ms. | Paula | Scotti Campos | Portugal | Researcher | |
| Mr. | Giorgos | Stavrianakis | Greece | Researcher | |
| Mr. | Arno | Todt | Germany | Expert from an organisation, network, group or enterprise | |
| Mr. | Ivan | Tsvetkov | Bulgaria | Researcher | |
| Mr. | François | Warlop | France | Researcher |
Facilitation team
| Mr/Ms | First name | Last name | Profession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms | Céline | Karasinski | Task manager |
| Mr. | Xurxo | Loureiro Veira | Co-task manager |
| Mr. | Vasileios | Gkisakis | Coordinating expert |
Contact information
If you have any questions regarding this Focus Group, please get in touch with us at focusgroup.innovation@eucapnetwork.eu.
Working documents
A Starting Paper and six Mini Papers have been developed within the frame of the EU CAP Network Focus Group ‘Local plant genetic resources in view of climate change and biodiversity loss' with the purpose of providing input to the Focus Group discussions and final report.
The information and views set out in this Starting Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this Starting Paper or these Mini Papers. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
If you wish to cite this Starting Paper, please refer to it as ‘Starting Paper of the EU CAP Network Focus Group ‘Local plant genetic resources in view of climate change and biodiversity loss’, 2024’. If you wish to cite any of the Mini Papers, please refer to them as 'Annex to the final report of the EU CAP Network Focus Group 'Local plant genetic resources in view of climate change and biodiversity loss', 2025'.
