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Newsflash 46 - 23 November 2021 by the Support Facility 'Innovation & knowledge exchange | EIP-AGRI'
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Focus Group call


 

Experts wanted for EIP-AGRI Focus Groups: deadline 11 January 2022

Do you have practical experience or specific knowledge on:


Read the call text and apply for the three new Focus Groups (you can find the link to the application form in the PDF call text)


If you have experience with one of these issues and could help find practical solutions, then please apply! If you know other people who may be interested, then please forward this email to them.
Closing date for applications:
Tuesday 11 January 2022 23:59 hrs CET (Brussels time)

Apply here

Focus Group: Sustainable ways to reduce the use of pesticides in pome and stone fruit production

First meeting: 23-24 March 2022


Question: How can alternative methods reduce the use of pesticides in pome and stone fruits and support the productivity of the sector in a sustainable way?

Fruit growers face many challenges. To produce a competitive yield with desired quality, many growers rely on pesticides. Compared to other crops, fruit production uses a significantly higher quantity of pesticides to control pest and diseases, weeds and to regulate growth (e.g. apples are treated with various pesticides 20-30 times a year). Pesticides are also applied to meet consumer demand in terms of aesthetics, while maintaining nutritional value and hygiene standards [1].
These pesticides affect the environment (soil, water, air, biodiversity), non-target organisms, animals and human health. It is estimated that only about 10% of the pesticides used are actually effective against target-organisms, about 90% end up on non-target organisms [2].
Therefore, EU and Member State policies seek to reduce the reliance on pesticides in agriculture by designing and implementing more integrated and sustainable approaches, while at the same time safeguarding the competitiveness of EU agriculture. To reduce the risks and impact of chemical synthetic pesticides on human health and the environment, one of the concrete targets of the Farm to Fork strategy is to reduce pesticide use by 50% by 2030 at European Union level [3].
Developing and/or promoting non-chemical practices could contribute to achieving this aim and to reducing the risks linked to the use of these chemicals. Sustainable techniques will range from preventive to curative strategies (e.g. breeding of resistant or tolerant varieties, use of beneficial insects, pheromones, plant strengthening agents) and could include agro-ecological principles, practice from organic agriculture and even ‘forgotten practices’ that could be adapted in an innovative way. Also, monitoring combined with decision support tools could help to rationalise and limit the use of pesticides.
Although a great variety of different fruits are cultivated, apples are the dominant fruit crop in the EU. This Focus Group will concentrate on two important fruit groups: pome (apple and pear) and stone fruits (peach, cherries, plum, apricot). These fruits are present in all climate zones, under high pressure of pests and diseases, which impact quantity and quality and represent a significant part of the fruit area in the EU.
 
[1] https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/479/publikationen/texte_72-2020_umwelt-_und_klimarelevante_qualitaetsstandards_des_leh_fin.pdf
[2] Zaller, J. (2018): Unser täglich Gift. Pestizide die unterschätzte Gefahr. Deuticke im Paul Zsolnay Verlag Wien.
[3] https://ec.europa.eu/food/horizontal-topics/farm-fork-strategy_en

Focus Group: Digital tools for sustainable nutrient management

First meeting: 15-16 March 2022


Question: Which are the key conditions, functions and technical requirements to develop, promote and facilitate the use of digital applications for farm nutrient management?

An efficient resource management will enhance both economic and environmental farm performance. Better knowledge and understanding of natural processes affected by farming operations is a key aspect for improving efficiency. Digital solutions can support farmers in generating that knowledge as well as in taking better farm management decisions (for instance related to plant nutrition and health, irrigation, animal feeding, etc.).
Advisory systems within the future CAP framework [4] will be requested to use digital application(s) to provide on-farm decision support on plant nutrition management, with focus on nitrogen and phosphate (such as the European Commission`s Farm Sustainability Tool – or FaST). These applications are expected to provide relevant information on nutrient balance and soil at field scale, as well as relevant IACS data and legal requirements on nutrients. In this regard the European Commission aims to develop a modular platform [5]  for the generation and re-use of solutions for farmers, based on machine-learning applied to image recognition, as well as the use and reuse of IoT data, various public sector data (e.g. space data), and user-generated data for sustainable and competitive agriculture.
These developments provide an opportunity to speed up farmers’ uptake of digital solutions going beyond the sphere of nutrient management, adding and connecting to other potential functionalities. For instance, campaign management with import of IACS/GSAA farmer data, planning crop operations based on weather/climate data, Earth Observation applications for precision application of water, pest management, assessment of GHG emissions and removals (ie. Carbon Farming), among others.
Therefore, FaST and other related digital tools will provide solutions for sustainable and competitive agriculture helping farmers, Member State Paying Agencies, farm advisers, and developers and service providers of digital solutions to improve their respective capabilities across agricultural, environmental, and sustainability-focused activities.


[4] Proposal for a REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the Common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council

[5] For further info, please see: http://www.fastplatform.eu

Focus Group: Water: Nature-Based Solutions for water management under climate change

First meeting: 22-23 March 2022


Question: How nature-based solutions could have an impact on water management and water availability at farm level and contribute to sustainable farming under climate change?

Interactions between climate change, water and agriculture are numerous, complex and region-specific. Climate change can affect water resources through several dimensions: changes in the amount and patterns of precipitation, impact on water quality through changes in runoff, river flows, retention and thus loading of nutrients and through extreme events such as floods and droughts. These changes in the water cycle can deeply affect agricultural production in all regions of Europe.
The European Commission defines nature-based solutions (NBS) as “Solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience. Such solutions bring more, and more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions.”
Nature-based solutions for water management implemented at small scale - farm level - tackle the issues of water quantity and/or quality in small agricultural catchments supporting agricultural production and resilience, mitigating climate change and enhancing nature and biodiversity. These small-scale nature-based solutions for water management at farm or local level can be applied for soil health, soil moisture, carbon mitigation (through soil and forestry), downstream water quality protection, biodiversity benefits etc. in order to achieve net-zero environmental impacts while achieving food and water security [6].
This Focus Group aims to promote a better understanding of the practical application of nature-based solutions at farm level and to facilitate knowledge and innovation exchange between farmers, farm advisors, researchers, other relevant actors in the field at local, regional and national levels. The identification of existing nature-based solutions in different farming systems under different European pedo-climatic regions will contribute to understanding and quantifying the socio-economic and environmental benefits of these measures and by combining these strategies at a higher scale, additional needs for river basin/regional strategies will be highlighted.
The Focus Group will focus on identifying, analysing and, if possible valuing NBS at farm level, estimating the benefits in water management in terms of optimisation of water availability and resilience to climate change impacts, considering both quantity and quality, at a given point in time.


[6] Miralles-Wilhelm, F. 2021. Nature-based solutions in agriculture – Sustainable management and conservation of land, water, and biodiversity. Virginia. FAO and The Nature Conservancy. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb3140en
The EIP-AGRI has run over 40 Focus Groups on a wide variety of topics. Watch the animated video on EIP-AGRI Focus Groups to find out how Focus Groups work, how they inspire innovative actions in research and in practice, and how their results can be of value to you in your daily work.



EIP-AGRI Focus Groups


EIP-AGRI Focus Groups bring together 20 experts, including farmers or foresters, advisers, researchers and agri-business representatives, to collect and summarise knowledge on best practices in a specific field, listing problems as well as opportunities.

They take stock of the state of play in research and practice and highlight possible solutions to the problems identified. Based on this, the groups suggest and prioritise innovative actions.

They identify ideas for applied research and for testing solutions in the field, and propose ways to disseminate good practices and inspire further action.

Read the EIP-AGRI brochure on Focus Groups
(available in: EN – EE – ES – FI – FR – IT – RO - SI)
 
The EIP-AGRI Support Facility is based in Brussels. You can reach us from Monday to Friday from 9:00 – 17:00. By phone +32 2 543 73 48 or email servicepoint@eip-agri.eu

Further information can be found on the EIP-AGRI homepage

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