EU-FarmBook at first German AKIS Meeting
From November 27 to 28, Felicia van Tulder and Aysegül Yasari from the EU-FarmBook project presented the online platform for agricultural and forestry knowledge at the first German AKIS meeting in Hannover. Over 100 participants from politics, research, advisory services, associations and practice attended the event, organized by the German National Rural Network (Die Deutsche Vernetzungsstelle Ländliche Räume – dvs).
In November, EU-FarmBook participated in the first German AKIS Meeting. The German National Rural Network – responsible for the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – along with the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the Association of Chambers of Agriculture (VLK), invited participants to explore the question: “How can knowledge be made effective?” Over 100 participants from research, advisory services, associations, and practical agriculture exchanged ideas about the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Europe. AKIS, part of the EU’s CAP, aims to promote knowledge and innovation.
Presentations, workshops, and audience discussions highlighted the importance of making research and innovation understandable and practical for those working in agriculture. As a European online platform for practice-oriented knowledge from research and innovation (R&I) projects, EU-FarmBook is expected to play a key role in the success of AKIS. Felicia van Tulder from the University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde and Aysegül Yasari from Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University showcased EU-FarmBook at the “Marketplace of Opportunities”, a part of the event, with a poster presentation, joined by colleagues from the sister projects modernAKIS and ATTRACTIS.
Leonie Göbel from dvs (German National Rural Network) welcomed representatives from politics and practice, including Inge Van Oost from the European Commission (DG AGRI), Martina Weber from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection, and Ursula Monnerjahn from the BMEL and the AKIS Coordination Body Germany. AKIS is not a uniform system; each country has unique structures and conditions. Representatives from Italy, France, and Austria shared insights into their national foundations and activities. Farmers also contributed by discussing their experiences and voicing their needs to address current and future challenges.
Katja Brase, coordinator of the Network for Animal Welfare, presented how her project successfully established practical knowledge for animal-friendly and sustainable livestock farming at the national level. By consolidating and preparing research results alongside practical knowledge, the network facilitates the flow of information in both directions.
AKIS brings together stakeholders and structures regular exchanges, first at the national and then at the European level. While building a well-networked AKIS across Europe is a challenge, participants agreed that it is worth the effort to ensure knowledge and innovation reach agricultural practice more quickly. The next German AKIS meeting is scheduled for two years from now.
EU-FarmBook already offers project leaders of Horizon Europe and Horizon 2020-funded projects the opportunity to share and disseminate their research results and practical knowledge: eufarmbook.eu/contributors.
