Practice Abstract - Research and innovation

Explore, align with stakeholders and develop opportunities to align with regional rural goals on biodiversity and water and farm management​

Farmers may feel being managed in how to do their job as well as being piled under by rules and regulation leading to displeasure, unhappiness and resistance farmers at the expense of their relations with influencers, stakeholders, policy makers and society. Approaches that encourage collaboration, discussion and working on perspectives that are carried more broadly can help to steer and reach multi-stakeholders’ targets, wishes and desires. One such approach is applied in the Netherlands under the name ‘De Marke Model’. The model is based on ideas and wishes from farmers to collaborate with a regional network of responsible parties. The network in this model consists of parties such as dairy companies, banks and government. Collectively they are termed the ‘Council'. Once established, it can be expanded with other parties as well. Together,  a regional development plan is developed, setting targets on water, biodiversity, conservation agriculture and ammonia and nitrate emissions. Achievements result in farmers receiving predetermined rewards. The more, the greater the financial reward. This incentivizes farmers to work on these targets as part of their self-determined business development plan (BDP). In this manner farmers decides themselves on the targets and pace. The implementation of the BDP is further supported by  a farmers network that share knowledge, insights and experience.​ In The council can take up other roles by facilitating farmer

Source Project
Resilience for Dairy
Completed | 2021-2024
Main funding source
Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Geographical location
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Spain, Slovenia, Netherlands, Northern Ireland
Project details