EIP-AGRI Brochure Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems: Boosting innovation and knowledge flows across Europe

Knowledge and innovation play a crucial role in helping farmers, foresters and rural communities meet current and future challenges. To ensure that knowledge is shared between everyone who uses and produces it, and that people are connected, effective Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) are needed across Europe.

Stronger knowledge flows benefit agriculture, forestry and rural communities, but also food and non-food systems, biodiversity, the environment, climate and consumers. Efficient AKIS support generating innovation and exchanging knowledge between advisors, farmers and foresters, researchers, rural networks, national and regional authorities, media, all people involved in education and training, and consumers. When knowledge is co-created, used efficiently, and shared widely, this will further support the development and scalingup of innovative solutions that work in practice. This brochure highlights a number of key features, inspiring examples and projects that help build stronger Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems across Europe.

In a well-functioning AKIS, advisors are essential. The role of advisors in the new CAP is much broader and all advisors must be integrated into the AKIS. They offer farmers, foresters and rural entrepreneurs up-todate and tailored information to support their daily decisions. Advisors can also provide innovation support by connecting people and helping to prepare and develop EIP-AGRI Operational Groups or other interactive innovation projects. Specialist advisors can offer additional support with knowledge on specific, practical themes. Advisors regularly exchange with national and international researchers and with CAP networks that collect and share innovative project results. Their knowledge helps to create national or wider knowledge reservoirs that can benefit everyone in the AKIS ecosystem.

To strengthen knowledge and innovation flows, it is essential to connect researchers, farmers and foresters, advisors, students at agricultural schools and others. By getting involved in Operational Groups or other innovative, practical projects, researchers can help develop solutions for real needs from the field. These projects allow farmers or foresters to test new ideas, innovative technologies or methods, co-create solutions to the challenges they face or benefit from peer-to-peer learning. Networking events, project collaboration, discussion groups, social media exchanges and on-farm demonstrations can all bring people together and boost knowledge exchange, sparking innovative solutions that are created together, widely shared, and ready to be taken up in the field.