Farm Partnership (FP) agreements are novel farm owner/management agreements within or between farm families, these are integral part of a Farm Succession Plan.

In Ireland young farmers did not have any official role in management of the farm until land transfer occurred. Registered Farm Partnership (RFP) addressed this issue. It documents the roles, responsibilities and share in the investment / benefit by each member of the farm partnership, something that was not possible in the past. The RFP also allows a young person to be taken into the business at a young age without land transfer, giving the young person a decision making role on the farm.

The RFP provides a solid structure for a phased farm succession offering a solution where farmers wish to bring a family member on board without transferring the whole farm.

The benefits are:

• All parties are involved in management.

• Access to higher rates of grants from schemes.

• Tax relief incentives.

• Better working relationship between all parties.

• Realistic expectations about what the partnership is doing.

• Financial benefits are clear to the partners.

The success of the RFP process has given advisors confidence in promoting it to other clients. It involves key stakeholders e.g legal and financial service providers. It is supported by government through CAP measures in the Rural Development Programme 2013-2020.

 “it was time to decide who were the decision makers on the farm. They can gradually build their trust in me” (farmer speaking about parents)

The Greenacres Joint Industry Programme focuses on better profitability through sustainable grassland management, animal performance, and herd health.



There is a need to support beef farmers in maximising profit from buying in and finishing male and female beef calves and young stock coming from dairy herds. While the support given to the 10 demonstration farmers in the programme is intensive and holistic, beef grazing practices in particular was identified as an area with huge potential for improvement on all farms.

The benefit of Greenacres to all beef farmers is to demonstrate that in excess of €500 profit per hectare is achievable through better management and technical efficiency, by improving:

• The farmers rearing, growing and finishing skills of purchased dairy bred calves through to beef (steers/heifers/bulls).

• Sharing of information from and between farmers involved in the programme with other farmers.

• Management of paddock grazing systems, this in particular, will improve grass forage quality and quantity; regulate the area of access optimizing grass production and utilization.

• Grazed grass is the cheapest and most sustainable form of feed in Ireland. Improvements in the quality and efficiency of this feed source result in lower costs and reduced environmental impact.

 “It is working exceptionally well. I have far tighter control on grass. Huge difference in cattle performance, as they are always getting fresh grass” (farmer)

The problem was the high replacement cost of cows in seasonal calving herds and the main opportunity was more cheap grass in the cow’s diet. In the late 1990s, dairy cow productivity in Ireland had increased, however cow fertility declined. Irish farmers needed a simple decision-making and benchmarking tool to help them improve the fertility of their cows through better breeding. Improved production traits (milk solids) and health were also included in the Index, these combined with fertility helped reduce culling. This combined with compact calving and better the use of grass increased the competitiveness and sustainability of the low cost grass-based system used in Ireland.

The success of EBI relied on:

1) The support of Teagasc and international research, in dairy genetics.

2) Data from the registration of bovine births and movements supplied to The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation

3) The use of discussion groups based on peer to peer learning, trust and seeing the results on other farms and benchmarking from them.

4) EBI targets were easy to measure key performance indicators.

5) A strong consultation group consisting of farmers, breeding companies, research & advisory.

6) Over a 20 year period regular formal contact (weekly) between key stakeholders



The benefit to the farmer is lower herd replacement costs, higher productivity and more low cost feed in the cow’s diet. “Before my cows wanted to lie down and die – I needed cows that would go out and work for me” (farmer)

ASYST is a new generation, i.e. vertical farmers’ cooperative (NGC) engaged in the cultivation, processing and trade of stevia products.



ASYST aims to develop the production of high added value stevia products, responding to the increasing interest of consumers for healthy diet, while also ensuring decent incomes for its members. It was established by professional farmers under adverse financial circumstances due to the persistent economic crisis in Greece. This initiative came as a response to the abandonment of traditional crops and the need to replace them with more profitable ones.



The idea of ASYST came from a series of workshops organized by an informal group of actors of local origin to inspire and support farmers in replacing crops and the farming model. The Lab. of Food & Biosystems Engineering, the Technological Educational Institute of Larissa, professionals who voluntarily offer advice without charging fees, the Cooperative Bank of Karditsa and the local Development Agency (ANKA) contribute to the project and help farmers to deal with arising problems.

Major problems for ASYST have been the scarcity of financial resources, while at a technical level the challenge concerned the experimental production of steviol glycosides without using organic solvents and the transition from an experimental to an industrial scale. Nowadays ASYST operates its steviol glycosides production unit, co-financed by the local LEADER programme.

The benefits for ASYST members come from their involvement in a new, integrated collective scheme, the new cropping system and the production of a value-added final product.

PSYHANTHOS is a new generation, vertical cooperative (NGC), promoting traditional pulse varieties on the basis of active participation and unanimous decision-taking processes.

PSYHANTHOS engages in the cultivation, processing and trade of pulses, nuts and edible seeds according to Integrated Crop Management standards. This form of collective action has been adopted for ensuring sustainable production and fair trade conditions and thus incomes to the members. They focus on the whole value chain, while they commit to processes that lead to consensus and enhance members’ decision-making capacity - as “each of them may act as the co-ops’ president, at any time”. Their ultimate goal is ‘sustainability’ at all levels.

The PSYHANTHOS initiative was launched in 2013 by professional farmers. The inspiration came from a seminar organized by the National Agricultural Research Foundation. The co-op was founded in 2014 and since then it has been supported by the Collaboration Incubator of the local Development Agency of Karditsa (AN.KA. S.A.). PSYHANTHOS promotes the revival of traditional varieties that are threatened with extinction. PSYHANTHOS members cultivate their ability to collaborate through their participation in a series of training meetings launched by AN.KA. S.A., aiming at building cooperatives executives’ capacities.

The main benefit for farmers derives from the opportunity to deal, through a new organizational scheme, with sustainability issues and capture the added value throughout the value chain.

The idea for using alternative energy sources was launched in 2007 by the local Development Agency of Karditsa (AN.KA. S.A.) in the framework of informal workshops organized by the Prefectural authorities. The idea was embraced by the local Chambers of Commerce and the local society, resulting in the establishment of the first energy, new generation cooperative in Greece in 2010.

ESEK was supported by a variety of actors: the initiators (AN.KA. S.A. and its Collaboration Incubator; local Chambers), the local society as well as collaborating researchers and scientists. The initiative of the Prefecture to bring together key-actors, facilitate the exchange of novel ideas and their implementation encouraged wide participation in the scheme. The willingness of the local society to act as the sponsors of ESEK, given the uncertainty concerning the time span for reaping the benefits of their investment, should also be underlined. Nowadays, their pellet production unit, co-financed by the local LEADER programme, is fully operational.

ESEK aspires to create jobs and incomes for the local society and sustainable energy production. In addition, farmers now have a way to utilise biomass, while the knowledge gained is shared nationwide to subsequent energy coops

Efkarpon-Hellenic Super foods is a new generation, i.e. vertical farmers’ cooperative (NGC) cultivating, processing and marketing four super foods according to organic standards. It is the first agricultural NGC in the Thessaly region and a pioneer of the sector all over Greece

Starting from the idea of two friends to cultivate super foods (blueberries, goji berry, aronia, sea buckthorn) on a commercial basis through a collective scheme, the NGC Efkarpon was established in 2012. Its establishment was supported by the Collaboration Incubator of the local Development Agency of Karditsa, the Harokopion University of Athens and the Cooperative Bank of Karditsa.

Efkarpon NGC responded to the need of innovative smallholders, facing land constraints, e.g. small and fragmented land ownership, to cultivate alternative crops. Membership includes new-entrants who joined farming due to the economic crisis in Greece. In joining the cooperative, which includes a processing unit co-financed by the local LEADER programme, the smallholders get the chance to participate in a vertically integrated production scheme producing and marketing fresh and processed superfoods.

The main benefit of Efkarpon membership is that smallholders are involved in an innovative initiative in terms of both the crops cultivated and organizational scheme. This allows them to capture the added value throughout the value chain. Additionally, Efkarpon presents other farmers with a new organizational scheme and opportunity.

A traditional dairy barn is expensive to build. One of the reasons is the floor area, which is not being optimally utilised. This is due to the feeding wagon which requires a wide alley inside the building. Driving the feeding wagon inside the building also increases the risk of diseases. A Finnish architect developed a solution – the Feed Wall System – and optimized the system in collaboration with dairy farmers. The Feed Wall System is all about driving the feeding tractor outside the barn and delivering the feed through a foldable visor to a bunk that is integrated into the barn wall.

Tikka farm, a large organic dairy farm in Kurikka, Western Finland, needed to build a new barn. The Feed Wall System was integrated into an existing barn and later in a new-build barn.

During the process they improved the system by changing the operation from pneumatic to hydraulic, and also by correcting some constructional weaknesses. The end product is ready for the market and it has already been sold to several countries.



The benefits for the end-users who use the Feed Wall System are:

- More economic building costs because the width of the barn is reduced

- The system can also be fitted to an existing barn so that more cows will fit in

- The hygienic quality of the feed is increasing

The Kirkkokallio Agroecological Concept development was triggered by an EU directive that was given after the outbreak of BSE disease in some EU countries. The directive requires that animals that die on farms must be treated in centralized treatment plants. To fulfil the requirement in Finland, such a unit was established in Honkajoki town in Western Finland.

This treatment plant produces a lot of energy and by- products, and Kirkkokallio agroecological park was founded around it. A local cluster of over 10 companies are using the by-products and waste-heat of the treatment plant for making biodiesel, biogas, and for heating greenhouses. In the future Kirkkokallio wants to become a stronger food-based hub. Agriculture can be a valuable partner in this cluster since its by-products are mostly suitable for recycling.

The benefits for the end-users are disseminated through the local cluster of companies. Companies are benefiting from each other’s energies and by-products and therefore improved the efficiencies of material and energy use. The co-operating principle of the companies is unique because it is based on trust between the actors so that the important decisions, such as letting new companies join the concept, are made jointly. The cluster has been created based on the strong will and motivation among the key figures in the area.

Investment Support Team & Building Blog at Keisala Farm : A multi-actor investment support team and an online blog helped the farmer in the process of building an economically viable barn.





The Keisala Farm, a dairy farm in Töysä, Western Finland, wanted to build a new barn. The project management of this kind of investment is mostly challenging. External consultancy is often needed. The need for consultancy also changes as the construction phase progresses. ProAgria did set up a The Investment Support Team to help Keisala Farm with the process. The team consist of experts with different backgrounds: design, economics, plant production, dairy production, etc. according to the needs of the project.



The Investment Support Team is an example of how an advisory service can help the farm with making choices and run a large investment. ProAgria also suggested starting up an online blog, which was used as a communication tool throughout the process.



The benefits for the end-users are that Keisala Farm could have systemic approach to the barn investment process so that different aspects of the solution were discussed. The construction phase itself went rapidly because of the extensive planning phase. Through the blog a large number of farmers – who were planning to build a new barn – got useful information about building process that would have been otherwise hard to get. The Keisala farm received a lot of mental support from other farmers through this blog. The blog also provided publicity for the ProAgria advisory service.

Pig farmers located close to an urban area often receive complaints from neighbours about odour and traffic of farm machines due to the slurry that needs to be transported.



To address this problem, Pellon Group, a Finnish company that offers solutions among others to increase welfare of animals and production, developed Biosampo. It is a biological slurry treatment unit that reduces the odour and the need for transport.



Biosampo, was tested at farm level in Eerola pig production farm. Biosampo-unit separates the dry and wet fractions and removes the nitrogen. The logistical costs are reduced, since the liquid part can be spread near the farm, and the dry part has enough phosphorus to make it economically viable to transport it a longer distance. In addition, high-pressure water spraying and manure cooling with heat pumps were tested at farm level.



The benefits for the end-users are that odour is decreased and less slurry needs to be transported from the farm. Eerola farm will save money and is able to enlarge the farm despite its proximity to the urban area. Pellon Group Ltd will get realistic, full-scale experience and data to be used in product development.

A bio-district is a bottom-up initiative where farmers, citizens, tourism operators, and public authorities enter into an agreement for the sustainable management of local resources, based on organic production and consumption. Examples of activities include setting-up short supply chains and purchasing groups, and serving organic food in public canteens. Essential for bio- districts is to link the promotion of organic produce with the promotion of the region. The key point of the model is that, instead of taking measures to help individual farms, it brings together a variety of local actors to create links that benefit everyone involved. The benefits for the end-users are the following: organic farmers get better market access and exposure; consumers have access to fresh, organic local products; tourism operators can offer new destinations (eco-trails and farm holidays); and public authorities can meet the food needs of local communities.

The first bio-district was established in Cilento (Italy) in 2004. The Cilento Bio-district now includes 33 municipalities and 450 organic farms. 14 more bio-districts were set up across Italy, as well as several more in other countries. In the last 2 years, the turnover of organic farmers and companies in the Cilento district increased with 20% and also the share of organically managed land has increased.

The Youth project originated as an answer to the high number of people leaving rural areas, mainly caused by a lack of job opportunities. The project is introduced in order to activate and encourage participation of young people from the countryside in rural businesses and social life. Participants are young people aged 18-30 years who want to learn how to start or develop their business in a rural area.

During the training program the Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LRATC ) trains young people in the identification and analysis of a business idea, business plans and projects development, entrepreneurship, market research and competition analysis, funding possibilities, EU projects, marketing activities and branding, business plan writing, bookkeeping and presentation skills. Some successful business examples are presented as well.

During the program, different classic activities are discussed - such as making children’s clothing and the organisation of cultural events. Also some more untraditional ideas came up, such as ice cream from hemp milk, and wooden pedal cars for kids.

During the sessions LRATC helps young people to implement their ideas. Afterwards the participants can submit their business plan for competition in one of 4 categories and compete for prizes. Total prize fund – 30 000 euros.

Trainings are ongoing in all districts of Latvia (25). Each year more than 50 young people finalize their business plans and 25-35 new enterprises are set up.



The benefits for the end-users are:

• Grant for implementation of best ideas;

• Intense leaning program and good platform for contacts;

• Personal and close cooperation with professionals.

The dairy sector became unstable due to the world economic crisis in 2008 and the purchase price of milk decreased considerably. It was very essential to give a helping hand to farmers, who were struggling with bank payments and farm operating costs.

Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LRATC), in collaboration with the ministry of Agriculture of Latvia, came up with an operational program that looked at the farm with an holistic approach and dealt with farmers and banks, helping to resolve debt problems and improve the farm’s everyday work.

It was clear that the main problems farmers were dealing with were lack of knowledge of how to reduce costs, large debts and cash flow problems.

Inspired by the experience of ProAgria (Finland) and SEGES (Denmark), LRATC decided to create advisory teams to solve farmer problems. To provide the service, LLKC developed 8 advisory teams for elaboration of production plans.

The advisory teams were trained to work together. They bundled all the issues of the farms, allowing for a general analysis and a holistic approach.

Farmers from all over Latvia could apply for the program through an open announcement in 2009 and 2010. LLKC received 140 applications from farms all over the country: 97 dairy farms, 31 arable farms and 12 other farms (goat, sheep, etc.).

With financial support from the Rural Network 140 farms got support to develop their production and optimise their plans in order to become stable again. 137 of those farms are operating today still.



The benefits for the end-users are:

• Acceptance for changes in investment plans for banks;

• Farmers got holistic view on their business;

• Reduction of costs by more effective use of resources.

Scientists often decide on their own what problems should be addressed when carrying out studies. The ‘Herbivorous project’ has made a change. It offers farmers, advisors and scientists the opportunity to sit around the table and discuss which problems are most important and should be addressed first. The project helps all three actors to work together and get suitable and understandable ideas for everyday work on the farm.

The Herbivorous project is responding to farmer’s needs for better and cheaper maintenance of cattle. The aim is to develop rational recommendations for livestock farms, using commercially reasonable, good practice farming methods on a trial basis, and manufacturing analysis, by promoting the transfer of knowledge in the livestock sector.

Farmer NGOs, farmers, scientists and advisors work together to decide what demonstrations should be given each year, and which problems make the biggest impact on farming.

In demonstration sessions, farmers can see the real effect of different innovations for cattle. The public events for farmers are very well recognized and farmers are willing to try out the good practices in their own farms.

The main challenges through the process are to translate scientific language into a vocabulary that farmers understand (and vice versa). The project looked specifically for farmers that were willing to accept the new introductions and maintain them as planned by advisors and scientists.



The process started in 2012 and is still ongoing.



The benefits for the end-users are:

• Farmers involvement for setting up demonstration topics;

• Quick response to farmer’s needs;

• Learning from results built by science, advisor and farmer together.

Often entrepreneurs face the biggest problems during the first two years of operation. Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre has made a program to work with rural entrepreneurs and farmers during those first years, supporting them with advice and some free services – such as accounting, marketing or other, if required.

The program helped most of the farmers involved to keep their businesses and set them up for a sound future.



The business incubator approach for farmers and other rural entrepreneurs responds to the needs of rural areas that are being abandoned. The cause often lies in the lack of job opportunities, which causes migration and stops economic growth. The program started out in the Latgale region for the first few years later expanded to the whole territory of Latvia. It now focuses not only on agricultural enterprises but also on start-ups and non-agricultural businesses. Each year about 250 small farmers from all over Latvia participate in the program.

The participants are entrepreneurs who want to learn and want to start or develop their business in rural areas.



At the start of the cooperation with the enterprise, advisors study the workflow, discuss ideas and their viability, comment on development plans, book keeping and finances. If needed, specialized advisors are invited.

During the cooperation, the advisors visit the entrepreneurs, discuss business activities and changes, and make plans for the period that they cooperate. The book keeping service is offered for free, if needed.

The benefits for the end-users are:

• direct connection with advisor;

• feedback from advisor in business development phase;

• saved time for acceptance of changes in business plan.

Everyone wants to be successful in his work. For this one decisive factor is the human being, that means the personal competence. Andreas Hermes Akademie (AHA) offers trainings in order to develop the personal competence of people in agriculture.

The topic of AHA-AgriSpin-case is the power of personal skills. So we talk about a continu¬ally support of people by advanced education. End-user of the trainings are farmers and the advisors.

Problems of the end-users are:

• many challenges,

• different problems

• high complexity

• no or less time/ space for working on the strategic level and for creating new ideas.

Supporting agriculture by trainings means to address these problems by developing the personal skills – on 3 levels:

• 1. level: trainings for farmers,

• 2. level: trainings for advisors,

• 3. level: introducing and supporting the mutual influence between both

The trainings will displace people in a position to be innovative - for an innovative agriculture.



The benefits for the end-users are that trainings on personal skills are able to open the mind and develop the attitude of people for using new or other tools, for creating new ideas and for using the power of networks – for being innovative.



The benefit of our advisors from AHA-trainings is, that our advisors ..:

1. have a wider perspective on all factors in farms,

2. are strengthened for the various consulting situations,

3. benefit through their own personal development.

If an advisor wants to support a farmer or a farmer’s family effectively, she/he needs training in advisory methods. Advisory services in Central and Eastern European Regions are particularly interested in CECRA, and have expressed a need for skills development for consulting personnel. This is necessary because the consultants generally have good technical qualifications, but largely lack skills in the methodical and social fields.

Today, innovation often requires a cooperative strategy. Rural advisory services automatically find themselves in situations where they have to facilitate and steer cooperative learning processes. In these kind of processes, the interests of different partners have to be mediated. Key tasks include handling social learning, conflict management, organizational development and professional negotiation. These skills are covered in CECRA advisory training courses.

The Foundation of the Rural Advisor Services’ Network EUFRAS in 2013 canalised and catalysed the CECRA expansion process. In June 2015 a cooperation and usage agreement was established between IALB (Internationale Akademie land-und hauswirtschaftlicher Beraterinnen und Berater) and EUFRAS (European Forum For Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services). In 2017, a train the trainer programme has been rolled out across Europe.



Advisory services all over Europe think about using the new EU EAFRD funding option for advisory work. To activate the EU funding in the regional rural development programme, a qualification concept for advisors such as CECRA is required.





The benefit for the farmers is that they can get better support and advise from their advisors.

Rural advisory organizations in Europe are facing quite similar challenges: They have to adapt rapidly to the changes of their clients and they have to develop new business models in order to be economically sustainable. Systematic and open exchange on best practices and experiences between managers of advisory organization are very rare in practice. A number of advisors in cooperation with Entra and Andreas Hermes Akademie initiated such exchange and developed appropriate event formats for such exchange. Between 2003 and 2011 five workshops and conferences were carried out.

Benefits: Besides the networking effect and an increased openness for cooperation between participants there are also a number of concrete projects and impacts, to which this professional exchange could contribute:

• Introduction and dissemination of Coaching methods in rural advisory in Germany

• Implementation of appropriate methods for strategy advisory for small and middle sized farms in several advisory organizations in Germany and Austria

• Team-organization of advisors as a useful leadership concept in advisory organizations (specialization, cross selling, knowledge – exchange, leadership, role-spreading towards clients)

• Heightened awareness and increased know-how about Marketing of advisory service (designing of offers, effective billing, effective marketing measures)



Today Entra works as a professional consultancy in the field of organizational development and professional training especially for advisors and advisory services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and cares for exchange of knowledge and best-practices between its clients.

The question is: “How can I make better quality wine and simultaneously improve the organization of the field and winery activities?”



Technicians and oenologists need to know when is the best moment to harvest the grape and how to control the aging process to produce quality wine. Frequent monitoring of grape and wine components is crucial. In order to detect the polyphenol content in the grapes and in the wine, the technicians need to use expensive and time-consuming analysis.

The idea of wine cooperative ‘Colli Fiorentini” supported by Institute for Development in Viticulture, Enology and Agroindustry and VINIDEA (a brokerage organisation) was to develop a predictive analytical control system to aim at a concrete improvement in the management of the phenolic fractions of the wines produced from ‘Sangiovese’ grapes.



The polyphenol content is important for wine quality determining the taste, and the flavour profile of aged wines. Monitoring the polyphenols during grape maturation and during different stages of the vinification results gives quality and technological advantage. Within the project, the partners developed a protocol aimed at testing a patent Australian tool from AWRI the: ‘Tannin portal’, adapting it to the climatic and environmental conditions of Tuscany. When the Pol-TP project was completed, the Tannin Portal was named ‘Wine Cloud’.

Benefit: Around 600 technichans are now using this tannin portal that improved the working condition

through:

• detect the polyphenol content in the grapes and during the wine making process

• save time and reducing costs

• produce quality wine

• control the aging process to produce quality wine.

Orti ETICI has the main goal to promote social integration through the production of food around the principle of social economy.

The project intend to provide innovative services to the local community through a partnership between farmers, social cooperatives and local authorities. In this context, people with disabilities work to produce vegetables for the direct sell to local consumers.

The project Orti ETICI started with the aim promoting the idea of ‘responsible innovation’ in the field of agricultural production and social inclusion. The project combines sustainable farming and social rehabilitation through the employment of people who belong to vulnerable groups.



This innovation is currently implemented on a local scale. People with disabilities have been included in the project and among them around 40% developed a good technical competence to produce vegetables for selling directly to local consumers.



Different actors are involved in the project: the University of Pisa, a social cooperative, an organic farm.

The organizations involved is a temporary association of enterprises in order to share rights, duties and tasks.

Benefit: This innovation is currently implemented on a local scale and the idea is to create a model of cooperation that can be replicated in other territories

through:



• permanent working and training courses on social farming

• create and sell in a local market

• new technics on vegetable crops

The question is: how can we make Tuscan viticulture sustainable, stronger and better recognised? In order to sustainably produce a better quality of wine, the farmers have to improve on several key issues.

IMViTO incentivizes them to improve their knowledge of organic and biodynamic techniques, to focus on saving genetic resources and proving the traceability of the wines to focus their marketing strategies on these important points.

Fonterutoli winery have been producing unique wine with a long tradition. The philosophy behind this project is to let the grapes tell the story of its land, with respect to the diversity and nature. In order to do so, viticulture has to be sustainable, taking precautions to preserve the delicate hydrogeological balance, protect the soil from erosion, and maximize the water reserves in the soil.



This could be achieved by undertaking several measures. Smart farming makes use of sensors and implements good agricultural practices. Grape varieties that traditionally grow in the area are recognized because of their natural adaptability to the territory. Innovative methodologies are used to identify the cultivar’s DNA, related to the phenolic and aromatic profile of the wine. A platform was created to allows producer and consumer to track each step involved in the wine’s supply chain.

Benefit: The result is rolled out in several regional and national farms in Italy

trough:

• enhance traditional and local wine

• produce better quality of wine

• respect sustainability

• permit the traceability: consumers know exactly what they are buying.

• take care of natural resources

The question is: How can we produce good pecorino Toscano PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese with a low cholesterol content? Pecorino is considered to be a food rich in calcium and proteins. However it also contains a high proportion of fat.

Formanova has allowed the development of a feeding system that is able to transfer some characteristics to sheep’s milk, in order to make it suitable for people with mild hypercholesterolemia.

Maremma represents a particular territory in Tuscany where sheep breeding and the production of pecorino cheese, as well as fodder production, are the traditional farming practices.



The cooperative cheese factory of Manciano in Maremma was founded in 1961. It collects and sells sheep’s milk mainly in the municipality of Manciano, but also in other neighbouring municipalities. In 1985 the cooperative built a new, bigger building for the cheese factory to produce Pecorino Toscano cheese which became a PDO. In 2011 the cooperative cheese factory started the project “FORMANOVA”. Their aim was and still is to produce PDO pecorino cheese with a high level of Omega 3 fatty acids. Fodder crops and the introduction of flax - are needed to obtain one innovative product: Pecorino cheese with nutraceutical properties



Benefit: in product and process innovations for farmers that produce the PDO pecorino toscano

trough:



• differentiation of market opportunities for farmers by introducing a new product;

• optimizing the agronomic management of forage and pasture;

• reducing nitrate pollution in water through the spreading of flax cultivation in Tuscan farms.

• produce sheep’s milk with better chemical and nutritional characteristics

How produce cereals and improve our farm to make it more profitable and sustainably managed?



In a rapidly changing world, famers need to reflect on their strategy and think about how to organize better their business. To improve the cereal’s quality, save genetic resources and recover heritage varieties, the farmers must rearrange their agronomic, organization and production skills, and increase their neighbors’ involvement.

The initiative grew from Floriddia Rosario and his brother, they started farming organically their parents’ 300 ha farm to grow at a technical and economic level.

This project has an impact on the local community and at a broader level, because of the involvement of national and international networks working on preservation and seed exchange. In 2005, they obtained the authorization to process and sell food in the farm and started producing their own flour. They began to make bread sold at the farm and in local bakeries. Direct sales of their own products were expanded: from only being available to purchase on the farm to some local bakeries and through local Solidarity Purchasing Groups (SPG).



Benefit: Collaborative approach in creating a network with different actors (farmers, researchers, advisors, consumers, associations) strongly linked

trough:

• sustainable principles

• equal dignity of knowledge and skills among actors;

• valorization of peer-to-peer exchange of knowledge

• share and spread sustainable farming and production practices.

• free knowledge-sharing network attracted by this different model of management and the possibility of finding a more satisfactory outcome

After the social events against the high cost of living in 2009, and the general strike of 1,5 months in Guadeloupe, the Interdepartmental Convention on Overseas looked at ways to improve standard of living in Guadeloupe.

Among the outcomes of the Convention: the need for diversification of the agricultural sector (animals and plants), while keeping in place the pillars of local agriculture (sugar cane and banana).

The proposal was to put together all stakeholders skills and wills, so as to to consolidate research, development and training, particularly in the field of transfer. As a result, the agricultural innovation and transfer network (RITA) was launched in 2011 in order to promote the diversification of agriculture in the overseas territories (DOM) and to contribute to the development of a local production of quality foodstuffs.

The objective was to gather the stakeholders of agricultural development, working in a coordinated manner, in order to identify and rank the needs of the professionals, to lead to a co-construction and achievement of experiments, demos, and dissemination actions and also to exchange between overseas territories.

In this perspective, the main measures are focused on the creation of a network of actors who work in a concerted, coordinated and non-redundant manner with the implementation of multi-partners projects. The network responds to the farmers’ needs, uses the outputs of research and values the previous works. The dissemination and transfer of the result will benefit directly at farm level, keeping in mind the aspect of innovation and promotion of the transition towards agro-ecological practices.

In Guadeloupe, there is the desire of local authorities to preserve local yam (edible tuber) production, despite strong competition with imports from Central America and Cost Rica. Since 2011, the RITA (Réseau d’Innovation et de Transfert Agricole dans les DOM) facilitates and supports the creation of a multi-stakeholder varietal breeding programme and an evaluation platform to meet the needs of the consumers and market expectations.

In Guadeloupe, the yam is a local product with a traditional value and a wide varietal diversity. 40 yam varieties are currently grown and each farmer usually cultivates several ones. It has become common practice for farmers to use vegetative multiplication for replanting. But this practice fosters a high level of anthracnose pressure (and other diseases).

In the 70s there was an outbreak of anthracnose disease. The lack of a farmers’ organization wasn’t helping to solve the problem. As a response, two independent yam breeding programmes were launched by two research institutes, INRA and CIRAD, to create anthracnose-resistant varieties.

These breeding programmes resulted in new resistant yam varieties that have been adapted and evolving over the years as a result of the recurrent anthracnose crisis.

A collective thinking and planning between ACTA and CIRAD, IT2 and the Chamber of Agriculture will lead to the implementation and monitoring of a collective breeding programme. In this way, the end-users will benefit from new anthracnose-resistant yam varieties and adapted to farmers’ needs. Several extension flyers and technical meetings will be used to spread the results of the programme.

In 2012, the citrus greening disease rapidly infested the Guadeloupe Island, killing lemon, orange and other citrus trees. In order to manage and reduce the pressure of the disease, a healthy seedling plant, new plantation practices, and varieties tolerant to citrus greening were selected and disseminated.

However, this sanitary crisis triggers a diversification trend in the farming community, leading to the growth of other local crops.

From 2012, the Guadeloupe citrus orchards were gradually destroyed by the “citrus greening” disease for which there is no cure. The maintenance and revival of the production required the mobilization of all players in the citrus sector as well as government and civil society for the coordinated implementation of several actions contributing to maintaining parasite pressure at the lowest possible level.

It was the young fruit growers’ association of Guadeloupe, ASSOFWI, that mobilized the actors of the sector to design and implement a disease management plan. With the support of the RITA, missions in Corsica and Reunion Island were organized to enable stakeholders to have access to technical references, tolerant plant material, and control methods already available in these areas.

From December 2013 the following actions were carried out: the introduction of healthy plant material supplied by the Corsican partners, the creation of an amplification block and a dissemination greenhouse, and variety tests. The opportunities for end-users are the development of a biological control method against the vector of the disease and the conservation of local varieties of citrus.

60% of all honey consumed in Guadeloupe is imported, despite the fact that good local honey is available. In addition pest pressure (Varroa mite), climate hazards and non-rational use of pesticides cause high mortality among hives which impacts on honey production. Faced with these threats, Guadeloupian beekeepers decided to defend and develop their industry by increasing the colony through selection of prolific queens, and differentiating from imported honey through creation of a “Miel de Guadeloupe” brand.

To deal with Varroa mites, new prolific queen bees have been bred, selected and supplied to beekeepers in Guadeloupe. This process has enabled beekeepers to maintain their bee colonies at an economically viable size in the area.

This innovation process was and still is strongly driven by the beekeepers and the beekeepers’ association, APIGUA. In 2012, the first selected queen cells were made available to producers. Since 2015, beekeepers can buy queen cells, swarms or already-mated queens.

In order to boost the local honey market in Guadeloupe, a honey characterization programme enabled certification of the geographic origin labelling for Guadeloupe honeys, its authenticity and quality, as well as improved livestock management. This characterization of honeys had been made possible with support from the government, which was facilitated by RITA (Réseau d’Innovation et de Transfert Agricole dans les DOM).

The main benefits for end-users are the establishment of a queen bee breeding station, the improvement of honey supply, and the initiation of collaborations between outermost regions, especially on queen bees selection programs, common databases of honey plants and pollens, bee health and common training programs.

The SWAP pen was developed to meet legislative demand for lactating sows in a farrowing pen without simultaneously increasing the mortality rate among the piglets. Both legislature and consumers demand an increase in animal welfare. The pig producers are therefore interested in making sure that new pig pens meet the legislative requirements while enabling them to remain competitive.



Both Danish and EU legislature requires a transition to loose sow systems. In the pork industry, the goal is that 10% of all farrowing sows are loose by 2020.

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The idea for developing the SWAP pen arose in 2011 at the Danish Pig Research Centre. They collaborated with researchers from the university of Copenhagen and with Jyden, (private company). The first pen was built in 2013. Several farmers were involved as test hosts and the local advisory service also participated. By the end of 2013, 72 SWAP pens were completed and by 2014 this number increased to 300 pens.

The approach to constructing the pen for lactating sows is to build some of the advantages of the crate into the pen and to make sure that the sow is only tethered when necessary. A test done by the University of Copenhagen showed that the SWAP pen reduced piglet mortality and lowered the stress level of the sows.

The current status of the SWAP pen is that it is recommended to farmers who are investing in new buildings or renovations. The production level is promising but not yet quite at the same level as the systems of tethered sows.

The benefit for the farmers is to have possibility to choose a production system that lives up to his need for a profitable production and to legislature and consumer demands.

The idea of using LEAN and SOP at dairy farms arose among SEGES’ advisors who saw the need for more efficient workflows and better communication between the farmers and their employees. SEGES started developing the SOP tools for 5 farmers in 2008. When realising in 2009 that SOP is part of LEAN, SEGES visited several companies, including LEGO, and started testing LEAN tools used in the industry on Danish farms.



LEAN is essentially about what creates value on the farm, identifying activities that do not create value, and creating a production flow with as few stops and shifts of responsibility as possible. It is also about letting the customer’s needs decide what to produce and when and making ongoing improvements. By using LEAN tools, this can be reached by eliminating “waste” at any level on a farm. Typical waste areas are surplus production, transportation, wait time, excessive processing, inventory, errors and mistakes, movement, and unexploited knowledge. The first LEAN tool that SEGES introduced on a dairy farm was the week planner which helps the farmer create an overview of the workflow at his farm.



The SOP tools are work instructions which can be posted in the cowshed. They are pedagogical descriptions of how to best solve the tasks at the farm. They help the farmer streamline the production, save time and money and improve results.



Today, the LEAN tools are used by 800 dairy and pig farmers. The SOP tools are used by approx. 120 farmers and the agricultural colleges.

The benefit for the farmer is optimizing work on the farm, minimizing of errors and implementation of improvements.

The challenge for many arable farmers in Denmark is to achieve a financially viable production in the field while still complying with the EU Water Framework Directive and the Nitrate Directive with regard to the emission of nitrate and phosphorous. Mini wetlands have proven to be instrumental in securing this.



In 2005 some researchers and agricultural advisors went on a research trip to Sweden to see an early version of a mini wetland. Ole Lyngby Pedersen, a farmer from Jutland, did not go on the trip but picked up on the idea and wanted to put it to the test. An operational group was established, consisting ten local farmers, the local farmers’ association, SEGES, Danish as well as international universities, local authorities, and private companies. The combined knowledge and funding of all these actors contributed to the setup of the first successful mini wetland in Denmark which was established in 2008.



By means of field experiments, it has since then been demonstrated that by implementing a mini wetland, an arable farmer is able to fertilise higher lying areas without a high emission of nitrate and phosphorous to parcels lying lower. The drainage water is led to an open reservoir of the mini wetland where the oxygen-free environment, carbon in the form of plant residue as well as microorganisms reduce the concentration of nutrients before the water moves on.



The benefit for the farmer is to get a tool to be able to profit from farming and comply to EU Water Framework Directive and the Nitrate Directive

Staying on top of the status of pesticides which they are allowed to use, is quite a challenge for the farmers. As of November 2015, there were more than 1750 phased-out products and the number is rising. The Danish authorities supervise farmers closely and issue heavy fines if illegal pesticides are found on the farm. Fines are even larger if the chemical products have been applied. To avoid this, the Chemical Control app was developed.



In July 2012, the arable farmer Hans De Neergaard asked his advisor to invite Jens Erik Jensen, a senior specialist at SEGES, to develop an app which could scan barcodes on cans and bottles and generate a product status from the codes by extracting the information from a database. The farmer had been inspired by the Vivino app which gives the user information about a wine when scanning the wine label.



The specialist of SEGES developed the app which is linked to the Middeldatabasen.dk, a database holding records of approved pesticides in Denmark.



As of November 2015, the app has more than 900 users. Besides farmers, the app is used by private consultants. But also authorities use the app when they pay control visits to Danish farms.



The benfit for the farmers: The Chemical Control app is an example of how one farmer’s good idea turned into a technological product that is relevant for a lot of farmers because most farmers have to address the issue of whether their pesticides are legal or not.

Globally, livestock is an important source of methane emissions. Among domesticated livestock, ruminant animals produce significant amounts of methane as part of their normal digestive process. In addition, the use of fuels in agricultural machinery contributes to the emission of CO2. In this context, Neiker, the Basque agricultural research institute, was trying to solve both issues. At the same time, a shepherd producing the Designation of Origin sheep’s cheese Idiazabal was looking for alternatives to soya to feed his herd. As they knew each other before, they teamed up.



This cooperation led to the start of the LIFE SeedCapital in 2013. The project aimed at extracting rapeseed oil as a sustainable replacement for diesel fuel in agricultural machinery. In addition, the residual cake can be used for improved animal feed with a higher fat content, resulting in lower methane emissions from the ruminants. All these processes were tested on the shepherd’s farm, resulting in the creation of a farm-level circular economy.



The project results provide interesting from which the farmers, as the one involved in the project could benefit from:



• Obtain an alternative feed source to soya that works well in the area’s climatic conditions, produces quality feed for sheep and reduces costs;

• Obtain biodiesel oil as fuel for tractors;

• Demonstrate that the consumption of biofuels can be increased by about 20-40% without causing major problems in farm machinery, and

• Reduce enteric methane production by about 13% without impacting the producer’s income level.

Karabeleko is an agroecological farm created in 2014 by a nursery (Blasenea), a landscape architecture company (Kimu bat) and an association of families with mentally ill family members (AGIFES). Their aim was to develop pioneering research into organic agriculture; develop rehabilitation, therapy and inclusion work for people with mental illness; and promote and disclose the values of the project, i.e. health, biodiversity, local, participation, knowledge and culture.



Since the creation of this innovative project, it has managed to provide the following benefits for the end-users:



• 45 people with severe mental illness are involved, of which 30 go voluntarily on a weekly basis, with an average of 10 volunteers per day;

• 10 prisoners have received training in horticulture as part of their therapy, also offering them ideas and healthy lifestyle tips for their future lives;

• Professional and amateur farmers have access to new knowledge on varieties in organic farming, adapted to the conditions of the Basque Country;

• Support to the integration into society and the labor market of mentally ill people by raising awareness temporarily hiring two people with mental illness in 2015.

• Children have the opportunity to receive education and communications about organic and care farming through school visits. 15 in total by the end of 2015.



All these had an impact in the surrounding community, which showed their involvement by helping Karabeleko with an overwhelming support when it suffered from floods at the beginning of 2016.

In the long term, they want to continue growing but in a sustainable way, and not in terms of profitability.

Due to the mountainous topography of the Basque Country, livestock breeders often lose track of their herds.



With the support and knowledge of several farmers, a very motivated technician from HAZI Foundation developed the GEOPOS device in 2012. This innovative device is a robust, small and light necklace with great features, including:

• Photovoltaic panels, together with high-performance batteries, giving unlimited autonomy, allowing the farmer to forget about charging the device.

• An Alarm system to the user via SMS/mail when the livestock enters/leaves the plot, inactivity, low battery…

• A Follow-up of the herd through a technological platform (available both for computers and mobile phones) that has been adjusted to the needs of the farmer.

From the beginning, the aim in creating this device was to make the life of the mountain livestock farmers easier. There was close collaboration with the farmers, who tested the device in real conditions; and HAZI, who carried the risks and costs of this development.

Today, the device is being used by around 20 small and medium farmers with extensive livestock production. Using the GEOPOS device has improved the working conditions for the farmers through:

• Improved safety.

• Saving time for the farmers as they don’t have to make daily visits to their plot anymore.

• Reducing costs, especially by saving fuel because unnecessary car journeys can be avoided.

• Contribution to animal behavior research as the device shows the pattern of movements that can be analysed in different growth phases, seasons, weather conditions.

The dairy sector in the Basque Country was having difficulties implementing innovative ideas on their farms. In this context, the ITERA_AA project was established to assist the dairy farmers with their innovation needs, in order to:

• Maintain the added value of their agricultural production and develop "differentiated" products for the market.

• Align the offering and the supply more closely to the territorial needs.

• Start from farmers’ needs when building up training sessions and pathways for assistance, making existing resources more affordable.

A dairy farmer in the Basque Country was growing in size in line with market demand, but this led to several issues in terms of sustainability and time management. He decided to ask his advisor in the Abelur Advisory Centre for help. That’s how the farmer entered the ITERA_AA project, together with others facing a variety of sustainability issues. The project coordinated by Lursail (which englobes 5 advisory centers in the region), helped the farmer to establish a direct selling supply chain of milk through vending machines. The assistance provided allowed the farmer to reduce the number of cows and the issues surrounding getting bigger. The benefit for the farmer as end-user was the capacity to maintain his income with less cows, due to the higher prices obtained by direct selling. This was possible because the farm is located close to San Sebastian, a city providing enough consumers for direct selling. Nowadays, the farmer sales 9% of his milk through the vending machines, which covers almost a quarter of his income.

In total, the ITERA_AA project supported 8 innovative dairy farms using tailor-made advice for the participating farms.

Today's consumers expect more than just commodities in a store. Food has to fit their current needs and habits. Therefore user-friendly and ready-to-eat products are very popular. In response to these needs, active entrepreneurs and food companies are continuously working on product development and innovation. Also farmers selling farm products on their farm want to invest in new product development. But how does one start with this? Where do you get your ideas? And how to you channel them into a marketable product? These questions are addressed during a food innovation academy tour.



The Food Innovation Academy on Tour concept was initiated by Flanders DC and Innovation Support Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development (Innovatiesteunpunt). During a bus tour to supermarkets in Canterbury (UK), farmers were immersed in the world of marketing and product development. A product design consultant and a concept design consultant joined this innovation tour. Producers attended the tour with an open mind, to learn first-hand about product and packaging development & design. From the supermarkets visited in Canterbury, they brought home some refreshing ideas. As a result of participating in this Food Innovation Academy tour, Belgian Saffron has developed 2 new products together with a chocolatier, in which saffron is processed. One of the products is the Saffron praline, with which they won the Belgian Beauty award for Best Souvenir 2016.



Benefits : Participating an Academy On Tour improved the Product Innovation capacities of the farmers. They learn how to spot new opportunities and how to develop them into concrete market products or concepts.

Local producers of for instance cheese, meat, fruit, often experience difficulties selling their products business to business. Based on an existing distribution model “Pick, Drive & Deliver” in the Netherlands, Innovatiesteunpunt developed a local distribution model for farmers



Distrikempen is a B2B logistics platform, with which a range of producers from the North-Antwerp region enter into a collaborative agreement to sustainably bundle their logistics flows (goods and administration). In a structured way, all B2B orders are consolidated, sent through to the individual businesses, prepared, collected, picked up and delivered to the end customer in the region (Circle Concept). Participating producers’ administrative and financial flows are also consolidated. The system operates sustainably, because both collection and delivery are dealt with on the same round, thus reducing kilometers, stocks and risks. Food wastage through distribution is reduced to almost ‘nil’. All the work is managed by an independent profitable distributor working exclusively for them on a fixed cost percentage. This distributor is also the ‘ambassador’ for the total partnership.



Benefits : It is all about facilitation: the farmer keeps on producing, knows his customers, and is able to specialize in his product; whilst an independent third party takes care of the associated administrative burden.

As more people are working on the farms, farmers need to learn how to manage the organization. For example, they need to reflect on their strategy and communication, think about the best organization and look for ways to involve the employees.

Agrocoach is a learning network that helps farmers to become more entrepreneurial, more problem solving. For 8 evenings, agricultural entrepreneurs from different sectors learn about and discuss the concepts of innovative labor organization at their farm.

Over the years more than 80 farmers participated in an Agrocoach network. One of the companies is Belgicactus, an ornamental company with a very diverse workforce. Owner Jan Gielis attended because of the upcoming generational change and the growth of the company. Jan designed a first action plan and got more support of a private labor organization consultant and Innovatiesteunpunt. As a result Belgicactus revised their vision and strategy. They currently aim to produce one new specialty every year and to link the communications strategy to product innovation. They have also taken steps to encourage their employees to work more as a team and to be more entrepreneurial, e.g. the staff are now responsible for quality control and hold team meetings regularly.

Benefits: Participating in an Agrocoach network has improved the managerial competences of the farmers

• Improved vision for the future

• More trust in its employees and more delegation of tasks towards employees

• Better understanding of the processes & teamwork

• New look at their own leadership style

Farmers are often in doubt about how to develop their business: Should they reduce or enlarge their product range? Should they respond to the opportunities of tourism? What would the financial impact of this? Since farmers often don’t have an education in strategy and financial management, they lack the specific knowledge they need in order to make some decisions. The establishment of an Advisory board, composed of external experts, who give advice on these topics, can help farmers to make decisions.



‘De Polle’ is a goat farm with 600 goats. Approximately 60 % of the goat milk is processed into a variety of products such as cheese and ice-cream. These products are sold on farm, at local markets and in catering establishments. The farmers had doubts about how to develop their business further. Innovatiesteunpunt helped them to establish an Advisory Board consisting of a CEO of a biscuit factory, a manager of a hospital and a retired CEO of a cheese factory.

Based on a SWOT analysis, the first meeting with the advisors determined the issues that the Advisory Board would tackle in its first year.

Four focus areas were determined by the Advisory Board: finding a better bank, improving the pricing of the product, improving the product flow in the cheese production and improving the production planning with regards to personnel.

This resulted in a better financial situation for the farm and made it possible getting the goat farm ready for the future by executing the necessary investments.

Benefits: using an advisory board can improved the managerial competences of the farmers. It provides a second opinion when dealing with difficult decisions.

Quinoa is used in the Netherlands as a superfood because of the high protein content.

Dutch Quinoa Group (DQG) triggered farmers to grow quinoa for human consumption. Moreover, growing quinoa in the Netherlands lowers the need of importing protein crops and creates a new business opportunity for farmers. By diversifying their cultivation, they spread their risks.



Rens Kuijten was looking for a more protein-rich fodder for the cows. He explored the possibilities of growing quinoa in the Netherlands. Besides the cultivation of this crop, he was also interested in organizing a short supply chain for quinoa, with fewer links in the value chain and more revenue for the farmers. Therefore, Rens cooperated with a marketing and a cultivation expert, and launched the Dutch Quinoa Group. The aim of the DQG is to help farmers with the cultivation of quinoa and to establish a transparent, short supply chain that makes quinoa more accessible for consumers.

The farmers’ organization ZLTO and LIB (funded by ZLTO and province) shared their network and offered seed money for starting up this new project.

The farmers involved in the DQG gained knowledge of a new crop, learn about new marketing, learned how to think more from the consumer’s perspective, and spread their risks as they grow more varieties of crops. In 2014, a total of 33 ha of quinoa was cultivated on 13 different farms.

The benefits for the end-users are new business opportunities growing and commercializing quinoa.

Vair Varkenshuis, a new pig housing and marketing concept, deals with pig farming in a different way. It’s a way of pig farming that enables the farmer to run the business in a publicly accepted and economically feasible way. This concept allows pigs to display their natural behavior, as they can go outside whenever they want. They sleep in small bunkers, where they can find shelter. They entire supply chain is specialized in producing, processing and selling the concept. Every link in the supply chain supports this method of producing pork meat and therefore the concept can be sold as a niche.



Marijke Koenen and her business partner, pig farmers devised a new pig- housing concept focusing on natural behavior and no antibiotics. The farmers were interested in what consumers find important when it comes to pigs and pork. They questioned consumers and used this valuable information as direct input for creating this new pig-housing concept.

The farmers learned from researchers from Wageningen University and an a ZLTO advisor about the natural behavior of pigs and new stabling concepts. They searched for new insights outside agriculture, a marketer organized the dialogue between the pig farmers and their neighbors and fellow citizens.

After this the farmers made a plan, asked their neighbors for feedback, and Vair Varkenshuis was born.

The benefits for the end-users are an appealing alternative to conventional pig housing systems, appreciated by consumers and pigs.

Jacob Van den Borne is a pioneer in Precision Agriculture (PA). He combines data in the total growth cycle and learns the effects of the applied new practices.

With 400 ha, Jacob Van den Borne is a large-scale potato farmer from a Dutch perspective. He is a pioneer in using smart farming technologies, with a passion for innovation. Jacob looks for the best available techniques and integrates them optimally into the farming system. He measures soil quality with EM-conductivity, checks soil structure with ploughing resistance, uses weather stations and soil moisture poles, explores field and crop characteristics by satellite and drone, and measures quality and harvest yield with the newest vision techniques. Subsequently, he gathers all the collected data in his ‘cloud farm’ database, from which he analyses the effect of the applied techniques.

Jacob himself is the main driving force behind the establishment of his innovation support network. Van den Borne is supported by ZLTO (farmers’ association in the Netherlands), LIB (Landbouw

Innovatie Brabant, from ZLTO and Province), Boerenbond (farmers’ association in Belgium), agricultural education (HAS, Helicon, UGent), research organizations like WUR (NL) and ILVO (BE) and technicians from the machine industry and ICT.

The benefits for the end-users are to get better insights in smart farming, and at the end increase yield by 10-15%, and lower inputs by about 2-5% on average. This means higher efficiency and thus better revenue.

Purpose:

The Spiral of Innovations is a tool for reconstructing the story behind a specific innovation. It helps to understand how an innovation came about, and to appreciate specific interventions to cope with barriers and for speeding up the process.



Origin:

After several attempts to make sense out of the observations made by the visitors, the Spiral was introduced in AgriSpin. The tool helped to visualise the history of the innovation in a specific case study.



Contents:

The Spiral distinguishes 7 phases in an innovation process: initial idea, inspiration, planning, development, realisation, dissemination and embedding. Each phase has its own activities, actors to connect with and pitfalls to avoid. Sometimes it is needed to step back to an earlier stage to take another run. A Spiral analysis helps to identify crucial interventions for making progress, going from one phase to the next.



Results:

The analysis with the Spiral made support agents aware of actually having been much more active in the early stages of the innovation process than what was commonly thought. It brought to light how important this had been for creating pathways for people with good initiatives.



Recommendations:

The tool is helpful for reflection on innovation processes. This reflection time should be planned for. Skilful facilitation is advisable.

Purpose:

Cross Visits have proven to be a valuable method to learn from and with each other. The method is effective for persons doing similar work in a different context.



Origin:

In the AgriSpin project the method emerged from 13 cross visits for innovation support agents from 15 organisations in 12 countries. 55 persons participated in one or more cross visits.



Contents:

Teams of 7-12 colleagues from different partner organisations study during 3-5 days cases prepared by the host partner. The methodology offers guidance in preparation, programming, observations to make, collecting results of field visits, analysis of the results, giving feedback to host partners, and evaluation after the visit.



Results:

After the cross visits, participants reported that the visits had changed their minds about what their job was actually about. Furthermore, many innovative ideas were taken home and implemented. Relationships have been forged offering perspectives for collaboration in new activities.



Recommendations:

It requires good methodology and skilful facilitation to make a cross visit more than tourism with an alibi. The cross visit manual is available on the AgriSpin website.