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NEFERTITI: Networking European Farms to Enhance Cross Fertilisation and Innovation Uptake through Demonstration (2018-2021)

Nefertiti logo image
NEFERTITI will establish an EU-wide highly connected network of well-specified demonstration and pilot farms, which is designed to enhance thematic knowledge exchange, cross fertilisation among actors and efficient innovation uptake in the farming sector through peer-to-peer demonstration of techniques.

NEFERTITI will establish an EU-wide highly connected network of well-specified demonstration and pilot farms, which is designed to enhance thematic knowledge exchange, cross fertilisation among actors and efficient innovation uptake in the farming sector through peer-to-peer demonstration of techniques.

Project objectives

  • Characterise demonstration actors and networks’ needs (in terms of knowledge and know-how) taking into account the diversity of EU AKIS.
  • Facilitate demonstration activities and peer-to-peer learning in line with the different farming sectors’ expectations, in order to efficiently spread and promote knowledge up-take among farmer.
  • Establish a knowledge reservoir of demonstration activities incorporating ready-to-use knowledge from other national, EU and EIP related projects, organised by themes and sectors.
  • Network demonstration and pilot farms at regional, national and EU levels by sectors and themes (and with the EIP related projects/landscape) to boost knowledge exchanges and cross fertilisation.
  • Foster the learning process, demonstration of best practices and monitoring the effectiveness of the network activities.
  • Improve the policy dialogue and networking the regional ESIF managing authorities to ensure the network sustainability.
  • Promote an effective environment for implementation and uptake of project results by communicating and disseminating the practical-oriented outcomes adapted at local level.

NEFERTITI will facilitate networks of demonstration farms to be established on the following sectors and topics:

Main Outputs

  • A network of well-connected demonstration-farms across Europe by themes and sectors.
  • A network of outstanding thematic experts who will gather and exchange relevant practical-oriented knowledge several times a year.
  • Reinforced links between relevant RDI actors and networks (including EIP-OGs, agricultural schools and universities, experimental stations, etc.) at national/regional level to enhance cross fertilisation among actors and themes.
  • Cross thematic visits at EU level to boost cross-fertilisation among the ‘coaches’ and demonstration pilot farmers.
  • Interaction with non-EU Demonstration farms  through inviting their representatives to the project annual meetings and visiting them two times in the project life  to share best practices.
  • A synthesised list of i) relevant outcomes from H2020 PLAID and AgriDemoF2F projects on the dynamics of demonstration actors and networks and ii) relevant information from AKIS-related projects (e.g. AgriLink H2020, PRO AKIS FP7, Solinsa FP7), focussing on key factors for successful network establishment.
  • Complementary studies and surveys to capture the needs of the specific AKIS by themes and regions, in order to develop Dynamic Action Plan which are tailored to the local realities.
  • Develop Dynamic Action Plans in each country for the demonstration activities, knowledge exchange and learning processes, adapted to the national/regional AKIS, the sectors and themes and following the evolution of the demonstration and pilot farm EU landscape. The project will annually monitor its own activities to adjust the ‘Project Dynamic Action Plan’ to enhance its effectiveness.
  • Tailored support for the preparation of peer-to-peer demonstration activities organised on commercial farm and also to the ‘pilot farmers’ in facilitating the peer-to-peer demonstration activities organised on commercial farm.
  • Demonstration activities on experimental stations to improve interaction between science and practice and knowledge transfer activities.
  • Collective reflection time frames after peer-to-peer demonstration activities organised on commercial farm to analyse the learning process and the relevance of the activities (knowledge and best practices) and also after demonstration activities on experimental stations to steer research from practice.
  • A knowledge (and communication) web-based platform highly connected to the EIP-AGRI Service Point web-platform.
  • Thematic knowledge reservoirs (from RDI actors, the farming community, the EIP related projects) focussed on demonstration activities’ methodologies (fact sheets, tools, videos).
  • Thematic practice-oriented material put at the disposal of the ‘end-users’, which is embedded in with the ‘AskValerie.com’ search engine tool.
  • Regular participation (twice a year) in the SCAR SWG AKIS  to ensure the smooth monitoring of the project dynamic and achievements.
  • Development of a monitoring and evaluation approach for demonstration farms including a self-monitoring toolbox, to bring in reflexivity within the Dynamic Action Plan.
  • Demonstration of ‘self-monitoring toolbox’ for farmers.
  • Training session on the ‘best practices’ toolbox coming from RUR 11 projects.
  • Analysis of the collective reflections organised on commercial farms after the demonstration activities to improve collective peer-to-peer learning and on experimental stations after the demonstration activities to improve interaction between science and practice and tailored knowledge transfer activities.
  • Analysis of the collective reflections organised during the cross-visits at network and EU level.
  • Recommendations to improve collective learning and practice change in demonstration activities, best practices and training sessions for ‘advisory services’ activities linked to demonstrations in cooperation with the RUR-14-2016 project.
  • A web-based platform adapted to each national/regional cluster and translated in all languages of the project partners.
  • Relevant thematic, practical, technical and methodological videos and other multimedia material to be translated in all languages of the project partners.
  • A social media strategy  to widely disseminate multimedia material and other practical outcomes at EU, national and local levels.
  • Dissemination of the project outcomes and material through different channels used by the farming sector at EU, national and local levels.
  • Two international conferences on demonstration activities and AKIS.

Staff involved

Lee-Ann Sutherland, Annie McKee, Claire Hardy, Carol Kyle

Integrating Woodlands on New Entrant Farms and Crofts – a NEFERTITI virtual demonstration

The virtual demonstration event ‘Integrating Woodlands on New Entrant Farms and Crofts’ was held on Tuesday 22nd September 2020. The event was chaired by Dr Annie McKee, The James Hutton Institute and NEFERTITI Scottish Hub Coach. The webinar was ‘hosted’ by new entrant crofters Lynbreck Croft, including a presentation by Lyn Cassels of Lynbreck outlining their practical experience of agroforestry. The webinar also included a presentation from Lyn White of Scottish Forestry regarding available grants and support for new entrants, and a visit to the Glensaugh Agroforestry Project with Dr Claire Hardy. You can watch the webinar recording below:

For more information about the EU-funded NEFERTITI project, please visit the project website or follow the NEFERTITI Scottish Hub on Facebook.

Please find guidance for registering on the NEFERTITI platform here.

Please find newsletters for the Scottish NEFERTITI Hub from 2020 here and from 2021 here.

Other project partners

  • Association de coordination technique agricole (ACTA)
  • Advisory Service Croatia (ASC)
  • Agricultural Advisory Center in Brwinów (AAC)
  • Agrolink Vlaanderen (AL)
  • Assemblée permanente des chambres d’agriculture (APCA)
  • Biosense Institute - Research and development institute for information technologies in biosystems (BIOS)
  • University of Almería (UAL)
  • Forschungsinstitut fur Biologischenlandbau Stiftung (FiBL)
  • Gruenlandzentrum Niedersachsen / Bremen e.V. (Centre for Grassland (GLZ)
  • Széchenyi István Egyetem (SZE)
  • Innovation for Agriculture (IFA)
  • INOVISA - Associação para a Inovação e o Desenvolvimento Empresaria (INOVISA)
  • Inra Transfert (IT)
  • International Federation Of Organic Agriculture Movements (European Union Regional Group (IFOAM EU)
  • National Agricultural Advisory service (NAAS)
  • ProAgria Etelä-Pohjanmaa (ProAgria EP)
  • Province of Zuid-Holland (PZH)
  • Regione Toscana (RT)
  • Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK)
  • Teagasc - The Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Teagasc)
  • Tecnologías e Infraestructuras Agroalimentarias (INTIA)
  • Wageningen Research (WR)
  • Öko-Obstbau Norddeutschland (ÖON)

Key contacts

Lee-Ann Sutherland

Project Information
Project Type: 
Active Project

Research

Areas of Interest


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The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.