European-Wide
Its first objective is to create and animate a diverse network of organic advisors throughout the 27 EU Member States and 7 other European countries.
Our network welcomes experienced organic advisory services and advisors, but also conventional advisors and young graduates and newcomers willing to acquire skills in organic advice.
The project will ensure the animation of the network through various in-person and online opportunities for knowledge exchange and training. As part of the in-person exchange, 30 Cross Visits across five geographical zones will be organized: 20 Cross Visits for the arable and ruminant sectors, and 10 for the vegetable, fruit and viticulture sectors. The project goes beyond technical aspects of organic advice and will also give the opportunity to learn and discuss about different advisory methods by proposing 5 Soft Skills Trainings.
Online animation of the network is also foreseen with the development of e-learning modules covering diverse agricultural topics as well as online networking opportunities to enable peer-to-peer exchange, providing online community spaces for the overall network and 5 thematic networks (Organic Arable Production, Organic Vegetable Production, Organic Fruit Production, Organic Viticulture, Organic Ruminant Husbandry).
Its second objective is to strengthen the development of organic advice through policy recommendations. This will be achieved by mapping the educational systems and further training opportunities for organic advisors, analyzing the financial support of organic advisory services across Europe and identifying promising business models.
The OrganicAdviceNetwork aims to build a strong Europe-wide community of advisors, inspiring and empowering them to support the transition to organic farming through enhanced knowledge, innovative advisory methods, and strategic policy recommendations.
The primary goal is to create a strong European-wide network of advisors with expertise in organic farming. This will involve connecting advisors and advisory networks from different sectors and countries. The project will support continuous exchanges between advisors and different advisory networks, fostering collaboration and shared knowledge. Another key focus is to create greater visibility for advice on organic farming, improving its accessibility, particularly within traditional extension services.
The project aims to inspire and challenge the mindsets of both advisors and farmers by developing narratives that highlight the benefits of organic farming. These narratives will include examples of good practices from various sectors and European regions. Additionally, the principles of organic farming and related concepts, such as agroecology and regenerative agriculture, will be explained. The project will compile relevant data and materials for advisors and farmers, covering the impacts of organic conversion at the farm level, such as finances, input sourcing, market access and available support.
To enhance advisors’ knowledge of organic farming practices, the project will offer online courses and create opportunities for in-person exchanges, such as cross-visits. In addition, relevant materials will be translated into multiple languages to ensure broader accessibility for advisors across Europe.
The project will also work on improving advisory methods by raising awareness about different types of advice, such as group coaching, impartial and farm-tailored advice, peer-to-peer exchange techniques, and conversion planning. Furthermore, it will provide a wide range of soft-skills training to enhance advisors’ effectiveness.
To build the organisational capacity of advisory services, the initiative will highlight successful business models for providing advice. It will also support the establishment of mentoring networks, pairing beginners with experienced organic advisors and farmers to foster professional growth.
The project will assess the current status of policy measures aimed at supporting organic farming and will develop policy recommendations for administrations and policymakers. These recommendations will help strengthen the support available for organic advisory services.
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OrganicAdviceNetwork is funded by the European Union (Grant no. 101134850) and by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (Grant no. 23.0639, 101134850). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, European Research Executive Agency or Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. Neither the European Union nor any other granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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