Kontext

bioconfarm will use a holistic approach in which all stakeholders along the entire value chain of agriculture and plant production will be considered, especially the farmers, SMEs, cooperatives and scientists. The bioconfarm consortium will establish an international “living” network of experts and stakeholders in the field of alternative plant protection and plant strengthening research & innovation, paving the way to reduce the application of chemical and synthetic pesticide products in agriculture and forestry. The bioconfarm thematic network focuses on the topic of smart plant protection research findings and innovation fulfilling the needs of farmers and plant breeders. bioconfarm will apply a user-centred approach (the bioconfarm living farm labs), which will act as a kind of open-innovation ecosystem, operating in a territorial context (certain region) and integrates concurrent research and innovation results and processes. A sustainable and long-lasting network of living farm labs will be established and take-up of research findings by farmers increased. Knowledge exchange in rural areas is mainly based on physical meetings and direct relationship between people and can be organized in a way that facilitates the mutual learning process. For example, demonstration farms are an effective means for knowledge exchange as farmers and researchers directly meet each other and build long-term relationships. The living farm lab approach of bioconfarm applies a multi-actor approach in order to integrate all relevant actors and stakeholders along the several value chains concerning plant health in agriculture. bioconfarm structure consists of five comprehensive and inter-related Work Packages with key outputs as deliverables, as well as major milestones plotted along the workplan. bioconfarm comprises 13 project partners (11 main beneficiaries, 1 affiliated entity and 1 associated partner) representing expertises in agriculture, plant protection, digital tools.

Objectives

bioconfarm paves the way to achieve a sustainable use of smart plant protection measures (smart mix of pesticides, organic/alternative products, plant and soil strengthening products) in the EU by reducing the risks and impacts of pesticide use on human health and the environment and promoting the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and of alternative approaches or techniques, such as non-chemical alternatives to pesticides. The Directive 2009/128/EC is based on the thematic strategy on the sustainable use of pesticides. bioconfarm reflects on the changes in the production systems and will implement approaches that go even beyond integrated pest management systems (IPM).

Activities

bioconfarm will set up a thematic network with experts from all fields involved in the agro supply chains of plantbased food and feed production. The bioconfarm network will apply actions within a living farm lab approach and related services and tools. We will start with an initial pilot living farm lab in Slovakia and extend the network to further four living farm labs in Germany, Italy, France and Spain. bioconfarm will strengthen the transfer of information, social dialogue and the development of regional and national strategies by providing a “living” platform to ensure a close communication between farmers as well as researchers, innovators, policy makers, economists, consumers and citizens. bioconfarm implements a “Farmer2Farmer” approach. There is a huge amount of information, concepts and methods available online. But farmers rely more on information and knowledge from personal contacts with other farmers than from online sources or consultants from industry. bioconfarm project defines living farm labs as physical locations and a space for interaction, in which farmers and other relevant stakeholders are collaborating for presenting, testing and validating of agriculture related new technologies, services, products and systems in real-life contexts as well as for raising awareness, educational and debate activities. bioconfarm will use an Open Digital Hub to engage and connect stakeholders, farmers, companies and even consumers. Each location will become a focus point for smart plant protection measures of regional importance. The bioconfarm Digital Hub aims to be a digital enabler that integrates the project tools and outputs for complementing (not replacing) existing dissemination channels and processes currently used in the EU.

Other comments

bioconfarm is a Coordination and Support Action (CTA).