Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PRUDENT (Promoting Green Nudging for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry)
Berichtszeitraum: 2024-03-01 bis 2025-08-31
PRUDENT (“Promoting Green Nudging for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry”) aims to accelerate Europe’s transition towards sustainable, climate-neutral, and smart agriculture and forestry through behavioural interventions (“green nudges”) that support environmentally friendly practices and technologies. The project identifies and evaluates effective nudging strategies in both experimental and real-world settings, complemented by innovative digital tools (web/mobile apps) to enhance engagement, self-regulation, and long-term behavioural change.
PRUDENT addresses four major systems across Europe: (1) arable crops (wheat) in Lithuania, (2) perennial crops (grapevines) in Italy, (3) livestock (bovines) in Belgium, and (4) forests (boreal) in Finland—capturing Europe’s diversity. Findings are transformed into social innovations, business models, and policy recommendations aligned with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027 and the European Green Deal.
The consortium comprises 15 partners from 6 EU countries, including 6 research institutes/universities (AUA, POLIMI, CMCC, EVILVO, UNITN, AUEB-RC), 3 consulting/advisory bodies (Q-Plan, BBP, BNVL), 1 policy organisation (G&D), 1 international research body (EFI), 2 innovation clusters (ABE, AFL Digital Innovation Hub), 1 farmer association (ASNACODI), and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). This diverse network ensures multi-actor engagement, co-creation, and wide dissemination.
Expected outcomes include:
– Evidence-based policy recommendations for agriculture and forestry.
– A portfolio of 20+ social innovations and business models.
– A policy toolbox integrating behavioural insights into EU/national frameworks.
– Capacity-building for farmers, foresters, and advisors.
PRUDENT ultimately aims to deliver measurable environmental and socio-economic impacts, including reduced GHG emissions, waste, and biodiversity loss, and improved farmer resilience and competitiveness.
PRUDENT addresses four major systems across Europe: (1) arable crops (wheat) in Lithuania, (2) perennial crops (grapevines) in Italy, (3) livestock (bovines) in Belgium, and (4) forests (boreal) in Finland—capturing Europe’s diversity. Findings are transformed into social innovations, business models, and policy recommendations aligned with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2027 and the European Green Deal.
The consortium comprises 15 partners from 6 EU countries, including 6 research institutes/universities (AUA, POLIMI, CMCC, EVILVO, UNITN, AUEB-RC), 3 consulting/advisory bodies (Q-Plan, BBP, BNVL), 1 policy organisation (G&D), 1 international research body (EFI), 2 innovation clusters (ABE, AFL Digital Innovation Hub), 1 farmer association (ASNACODI), and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). This diverse network ensures multi-actor engagement, co-creation, and wide dissemination.
Expected outcomes include:
– Evidence-based policy recommendations for agriculture and forestry.
– A portfolio of 20+ social innovations and business models.
– A policy toolbox integrating behavioural insights into EU/national frameworks.
– Capacity-building for farmers, foresters, and advisors.
PRUDENT ultimately aims to deliver measurable environmental and socio-economic impacts, including reduced GHG emissions, waste, and biodiversity loss, and improved farmer resilience and competitiveness.
During the first 18 months, the consortium submitted 18 deliverables and achieved 4 milestones on time. Activities followed a multi-actor, bottom-up approach, with strong engagement between Use Case (UC) leaders and researchers.
WP1 established the scientific and participatory foundations. A systematic literature review and multi-country survey (404 respondents) assessed perceptions of green nudges. About 45 behavioural factors, 80 nudges (8 categories), and 50 sustainable practices were identified. Surveys were expanded to Switzerland, Spain, and France for broader coverage. Four regional co-creation workshops engaged farmers, foresters, and policy actors to identify barriers and design tailored nudges. Use Cases were formally launched in Belgium, Finland, Italy, and Lithuania, with governance and monitoring frameworks in place.
WP2 prepared for field and natural experiments on green nudges. A preliminary experimental plan aligned all UCs, defining scope, methodology, and stakeholder engagement. UC-specific training sessions and teams co-designed experimental protocols. A major milestone was a large-scale natural experiment in Belgium, conducted with the Flemish Agency for Agriculture and Marine Fisheries, testing information nudges on enrolment in the Soil Passport Eco-scheme.
WP3 developed a portfolio of 20 good practices across UCs, covering sustainable business models, social innovations, and cooperation modes. These promote improved resource efficiency, renewable use, waste valorisation, new market access, collaboration, and scalable sustainability solutions.
WP4 performed a policy analysis based on 50 semi-structured interviews (28 policymakers and 22 farmers/foresters) across EU and national levels. Findings revealed administrative complexity, weak EU–national alignment, and limited support systems, while identifying opportunities for behavioural integration (feedback, reminders, peer learning). Insights underpin PRUDENT’s forthcoming policy recommendations and tools. WP4 also co-organised, with ForestAgriGreenNudge, the “Green Nudges in Agriculture and Forestry” conference (May 21, 2025), including a pan-European policy workshop hosted by G&D.
WP5 established strong foundations for communication, dissemination, and exploitation. A Dissemination and Communication Plan defined KPIs and outreach strategies. The project website and social media channels attracted 9,300+ visitors, 11,000+ visits, and 850+ followers, with 200+ posts generating 34,000 impressions. Joint activities included a Brussels policy workshop, webinars with sister projects, and national events in Italy, Belgium, Greece, and Finland. The first five Practice Abstracts were delivered in EIP-AGRI format.
WP5 also advanced Exploitation and Sustainability Plans, identifying 8 key exploitable results (KERs) and performing a SWOT analysis of digital nudging tools, confirming strong post-project potential. Cross-project collaboration with BEATLES, ENFASYS, VISIONARY, and QuantiFarm enhanced policy visibility, while engagement with FAO, JRC, CAP Network, and COPA-COGECA fostered broader dissemination and cooperation.
WP1 established the scientific and participatory foundations. A systematic literature review and multi-country survey (404 respondents) assessed perceptions of green nudges. About 45 behavioural factors, 80 nudges (8 categories), and 50 sustainable practices were identified. Surveys were expanded to Switzerland, Spain, and France for broader coverage. Four regional co-creation workshops engaged farmers, foresters, and policy actors to identify barriers and design tailored nudges. Use Cases were formally launched in Belgium, Finland, Italy, and Lithuania, with governance and monitoring frameworks in place.
WP2 prepared for field and natural experiments on green nudges. A preliminary experimental plan aligned all UCs, defining scope, methodology, and stakeholder engagement. UC-specific training sessions and teams co-designed experimental protocols. A major milestone was a large-scale natural experiment in Belgium, conducted with the Flemish Agency for Agriculture and Marine Fisheries, testing information nudges on enrolment in the Soil Passport Eco-scheme.
WP3 developed a portfolio of 20 good practices across UCs, covering sustainable business models, social innovations, and cooperation modes. These promote improved resource efficiency, renewable use, waste valorisation, new market access, collaboration, and scalable sustainability solutions.
WP4 performed a policy analysis based on 50 semi-structured interviews (28 policymakers and 22 farmers/foresters) across EU and national levels. Findings revealed administrative complexity, weak EU–national alignment, and limited support systems, while identifying opportunities for behavioural integration (feedback, reminders, peer learning). Insights underpin PRUDENT’s forthcoming policy recommendations and tools. WP4 also co-organised, with ForestAgriGreenNudge, the “Green Nudges in Agriculture and Forestry” conference (May 21, 2025), including a pan-European policy workshop hosted by G&D.
WP5 established strong foundations for communication, dissemination, and exploitation. A Dissemination and Communication Plan defined KPIs and outreach strategies. The project website and social media channels attracted 9,300+ visitors, 11,000+ visits, and 850+ followers, with 200+ posts generating 34,000 impressions. Joint activities included a Brussels policy workshop, webinars with sister projects, and national events in Italy, Belgium, Greece, and Finland. The first five Practice Abstracts were delivered in EIP-AGRI format.
WP5 also advanced Exploitation and Sustainability Plans, identifying 8 key exploitable results (KERs) and performing a SWOT analysis of digital nudging tools, confirming strong post-project potential. Cross-project collaboration with BEATLES, ENFASYS, VISIONARY, and QuantiFarm enhanced policy visibility, while engagement with FAO, JRC, CAP Network, and COPA-COGECA fostered broader dissemination and cooperation.
Field and natural experiments will begin in autumn 2025, with first results—such as from the Belgian natural experiment—expected soon after. Ongoing co-creation activities will refine experimental content, digital tools, and business models, ensuring inclusive development of innovative, evidence-based, and behaviourally informed policy recommendations.