• cooperation within areas between farmers, municipalities, waterboards/managers, agricultural collectives, etc. to communicate better and work more efficiently on sustainability goals.
• exchange of ideas between areas about water management in dry areas and nitrogen reduction.
• joint assessments of facts and dialogue.

Specific purposes included:

• producing guidelines and usable tools and formats to successfully achieve an area-oriented benefit and cooperation for achieving soil and water goals.
• providing governments with insight on options for strengthening CAP implementation mechanisms for water management in dry areas and nitrogen reduction.
• promoting possibilities for ‘whole-farm’ approaches via CAP support opportunities packaged in flexible, user-friendly synergetic combinations that sustain soil nutrients and reduce leach risks affecting surface water.

Activities

Four parts of the Limburg region project areas were identified for tailored activities, and these four areas were also networked to exchange and compare findings. Project costs involved funding work in (and across) these four sub-regions, including:

• monthly meetings with representatives of the four project areas to exchange ideas and solutions to obstacles, as well as input on the developing formats and roadmap.
• developing formats, tools and methodologies to make plans for each area and the business of farmers in that area, both including budget formats.
• four larger meetings with each project area and representatives of the provincial policy makers, water board policy makers and national policy makers. The goal was to exchange information about the process between the project areas and exchange knowledge between practice and policy.
• facilitating a workshop for over 200 people based on a role-playing simulation game developed by the project for advancing water and soil health.
• several knowledge-transfer interviews with stakeholders of other areas about their experiences and approaches.
• communicating findings through regular newsletters, video, and participating in meetings with the policy makers.

• four strategic area plans.
• 30 business development plans for farmers based on evidence from measurements (e.g. mineral nitrogen).
• area meetings.
• demonstrations of innovative agricultural practices.
• a toolbox of inspiring tools including guidance for area planning, an implementation strategy, role-playing simulation game, joint fact-finding methods, and budget tools covering multi-years and multi-funds.

A ‘journey planner’ was developed in which an area-based process is described using the metaphor of a journey. This planner helps to set up an area-specific approach and provides guidance on which steps, methods and tools may be useful, both before and during the process.

Key lessons

25 lessons learned were recorded under three headings:

• put people first and invest in relationships.
• do not prescribe fixed steps, but create space for your own approach, pace and cooperation in an area.
• momentum gets a better start when government takes a facilitating position.

Other points to note include:

• area-based approaches to water and soil health emphasise the integration of diverse management practices for optimal outcomes.
• one critical lesson is the effectiveness of combining conservation techniques, such as crop rotation and cover cropping, to enhance overall soil health and water balance.
• the role of local context is important in shaping management strategies. Adaptation to specific environmental conditions ensures that interventions are tailored to address unique challenges faced by different watersheds, thereby enhancing their sustainability.
• stakeholder engagement is equally key to success. Involving local communities in decision-making fosters ownership and commitment to sustainable practices, ultimately leading to more resilient water and soil health systems.