Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Grazing4AgroEcology (European Network to promote grazing and to support grazing-based farms on their economic and ecologic performances as well as on animal welfare)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-09-01 do 2024-02-29
Grazing-based production systems have the proven potential to produce high quality food, to be beneficial to the competitiveness of farmers and animal welfare, as well as for other ecosystem services. However, for many reasons grazing is generally declining in Europe, which is a threat for many ecosystem services. In Grazing4AgroEcology (G4AE), grazing farmers are for the first time at the centre of a thematic network, complementing other thematic networks such as Inno4Grass, EuroDairy, SheepNet, BovINE, HNVLink, etc. in providing solutions for sustainable, integrated grazing-based animal production systems. G4AE has 18 partners including farmers’ organisations, extension services, education, and research in eight countries (France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, & Sweden). G4AE puts the farmer at the centre through the establishment of the Partner Farm Network of 120 Partner farms (15 per country). These networks will enable the capture and implementation of best-practices and innovations to promote grazing for agroecology. Our 3-tier multi-actor approach based on co-creation and knowledge sharing will actively involve all relevant actors of the grazing AKIS including farmers, industry, researchers, advisors, society, etc. This will improve the uptake of the innovation capital and significantly contribute to the improvement of the transferability of best practices and innovations and will also enable cross linkage of OGs. G4AE will innovate the grazing sector by strengthening the capacity of farmers to understand more objectively their own agroecological performance through an integrated self-assessment. This will trigger farmers to strive for innovation. G4AE will boost digitalization through webinars, digital interactions, videos and multi-media training. G4AE will provide a rich set of practical hands-on knowledge and training material for a vast community of grazing farmers, available in a Knowledge & Information Management System.
Technical results:
D2.2 List of indicators for self-assessment as result of Task 2.2 (M12)
In collaboration with the Scientific & Techical Working Group, an international panel of experts within the G4AE project indicators for farmers self-assessment were creaed. The indicators were defined on the basis of the principles of agroecology. The indicators are described in the report.
D2.3 120 Practice abstracts in EIP-Agri format (incl. videos) describing one practice per farm promoting AgroEcology as result of Task 2.3 (M20)
The Practice Abstracts and Practice Videos are to be linked to each other and describe an innovative management at farm level. 120 videos and practice abstracts were created and will be released through social media and the project website. Each FA received training on storytelling, video making and editing beforehand.
D3.8 Guidelines for the Context Analysis as a result of Task 3.2 (M6)
Creation of guidelines for context analysis for innovative practices implemented by grazing-based farming systems in an agroecological perspective. The Context analysis is a process that combines best practices with scientific knowledge to enhance the transferability and adoption of innovations, thus providing a tool making the dissemination and application of innovations more efficient.
The context analysis is meant to provide a link between the innovator and the wider farming community. In order to make things work there should be a certain ´degree of identity´between the ´sender´and potential ´receivers´. In this sense, the ´sender´is the innovation in the context of origin and the receiving end is the environment which is supposed to be improved through implementing this innovation. The assessment of this degree of identity is crucial for a successful transfer.
The Scientific & Technical Working Group (STWG) performs the context analysis. The STWG plays a major role in synthesizing, validating, and enriching knowledge, including narrative and case-specific information, enhancing the transferability of innovations and best practices to diverse contexts. The collection of farm-level data ensures a comprehensive understanding of the implications of the innovation.
D6.1 Data Management Plan (M6)
Development of a Knowledge and Innovation System
Design for interaction with EU-FarmBook Database
The project website for Grazing4AgroEcology has been set up in M1-6 (Deliverable 6.2) and was launched on February 16th 2023 under the address www.grazing4agroecology.eu . The website is also reachable under the short link www.g4ae.eu and will be hosted for at least five years.
D6.5 1st Self-assessment tool of sustainability of grazing-based farms and associated results as a result of Task 6.2 (M6)
Based on a repository a meta-data structure to describe and evaluate existing tools was created. Considering the situation that no existing tool match the requirements, it was decided to establish a simple excel tool based on the indicators and focussing on the topics that are considered essential for the project and for the farmers involved in the farmers’ groups. A three-step approach was implemented to establish a tool for self-assessment. Based on the indicators a project-own self-assessment tool was created. This tool will be applied within the PF-Network. The self-assessment tool is available online for public access and use.
Creation of scientific publications:
D4.1 Report on mind-set of young farmers and best methods to reach them in different regions as a result of Task 4.1 (M12)
This Deliverable aimed i) to understand the mind-set of the young farmer with respect to grazing, and ii) to explore the best methods to reach young farmers with new information, either from Grazing4AgroEcology or beyond. An extensive online survey was conducted across the 8 countries of the consortium to study mind-set with respect to grazing, barriers for grazing and drivers to grazing as perceived by farmers younger than 40 and students. We collected 1,410 valid responses. There were clear differences in perceived barriers and drivers between regions related to the local contexts. Results were discussed with groups of young farmers/students. Peer-to-peer learning (farmer to farmer) and learning from experts were seen as best methods to reach them. Furthermore, social media was often mentioned, especially YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Results of the survey were submitted as scientific paper to the European Grassland Federation.
D2.2 List of indicators for self-assessment as result of Task 2.2 (M12)
In collaboration with the Scientific & Techical Working Group, an international panel of experts within the G4AE project indicators for farmers self-assessment were creaed. The indicators were defined on the basis of the principles of agroecology. The indicators are described in the report.
D2.3 120 Practice abstracts in EIP-Agri format (incl. videos) describing one practice per farm promoting AgroEcology as result of Task 2.3 (M20)
The Practice Abstracts and Practice Videos are to be linked to each other and describe an innovative management at farm level. 120 videos and practice abstracts were created and will be released through social media and the project website. Each FA received training on storytelling, video making and editing beforehand.
D3.8 Guidelines for the Context Analysis as a result of Task 3.2 (M6)
Creation of guidelines for context analysis for innovative practices implemented by grazing-based farming systems in an agroecological perspective. The Context analysis is a process that combines best practices with scientific knowledge to enhance the transferability and adoption of innovations, thus providing a tool making the dissemination and application of innovations more efficient.
The context analysis is meant to provide a link between the innovator and the wider farming community. In order to make things work there should be a certain ´degree of identity´between the ´sender´and potential ´receivers´. In this sense, the ´sender´is the innovation in the context of origin and the receiving end is the environment which is supposed to be improved through implementing this innovation. The assessment of this degree of identity is crucial for a successful transfer.
The Scientific & Technical Working Group (STWG) performs the context analysis. The STWG plays a major role in synthesizing, validating, and enriching knowledge, including narrative and case-specific information, enhancing the transferability of innovations and best practices to diverse contexts. The collection of farm-level data ensures a comprehensive understanding of the implications of the innovation.
D6.1 Data Management Plan (M6)
Development of a Knowledge and Innovation System
Design for interaction with EU-FarmBook Database
The project website for Grazing4AgroEcology has been set up in M1-6 (Deliverable 6.2) and was launched on February 16th 2023 under the address www.grazing4agroecology.eu . The website is also reachable under the short link www.g4ae.eu and will be hosted for at least five years.
D6.5 1st Self-assessment tool of sustainability of grazing-based farms and associated results as a result of Task 6.2 (M6)
Based on a repository a meta-data structure to describe and evaluate existing tools was created. Considering the situation that no existing tool match the requirements, it was decided to establish a simple excel tool based on the indicators and focussing on the topics that are considered essential for the project and for the farmers involved in the farmers’ groups. A three-step approach was implemented to establish a tool for self-assessment. Based on the indicators a project-own self-assessment tool was created. This tool will be applied within the PF-Network. The self-assessment tool is available online for public access and use.
Creation of scientific publications:
D4.1 Report on mind-set of young farmers and best methods to reach them in different regions as a result of Task 4.1 (M12)
This Deliverable aimed i) to understand the mind-set of the young farmer with respect to grazing, and ii) to explore the best methods to reach young farmers with new information, either from Grazing4AgroEcology or beyond. An extensive online survey was conducted across the 8 countries of the consortium to study mind-set with respect to grazing, barriers for grazing and drivers to grazing as perceived by farmers younger than 40 and students. We collected 1,410 valid responses. There were clear differences in perceived barriers and drivers between regions related to the local contexts. Results were discussed with groups of young farmers/students. Peer-to-peer learning (farmer to farmer) and learning from experts were seen as best methods to reach them. Furthermore, social media was often mentioned, especially YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Results of the survey were submitted as scientific paper to the European Grassland Federation.
A new Self-Assessment (SA) tool based on indicators identified in this project was created and made public as no existing SA-tool was available to fulfil the needs for farmers self-assessment.