🌍1st European Panel for Agroecology Transition on December 10-11 (2024) in Brussels
The first European Panel for Agroecology Transition (EPAT) took place at Fondation Universitaire Stichting in Brussels on December 10-11, 2024. It was organized by Stéphane Bellon (INRAE, FR), Emmanuelle Cariou (ANR, FR, AGROECOLOGY Partnership co-coordinator) and co-organized with Maria Gernert (TPOrganics, IFOAM Organics Europe), Hubert De Jonge (AU, DK), Johannes Bender (BLE, DE), Stefano Grando (MASAF, IT) and many more.
The hybrid session on the 10th of December 2024 kicked off with an overview of the AGROECOLOGY Partnership Work Package 2, which is all about improving the science-policy-society interface, capacity and exchange among the actors to achieve the agroecology transition. Ivana Trkulja (ICROFS, DK), gave us preliminary results of a survey done on policy impact linked to AE at the regional and national level in 7 countries of Europe. Stéphane Bellon highlighted the importance of learning from agroecology history. It seems that AE is emerging as an inception of social movements. Aude Lefèvre (LISIS, FR) shared lessons from her PhD on how the French agri innovation policy mix contributes to fostering socio-technical change in agriculture. Livia Ortolani (MASAF) discussed the importance of agroecology scientific material based as inputs for policy.
The second day, 11th of December 2024, started with an interactive session: participants were invited to think about what they would ask from research and policy, respectively. Scaling up agroecology through research funding was stressed repeatedly. It was also pointed out that alignment is needed between policy and sciences, but there is a risk to get stuck in status quo.
Marta Rivera Ferre from Universitat Politècnica de València (ES), set up the scene sharing diverse approaches and visions shaping agroecological transitions and their complexity.
The panel discussion with ERIAFF, European Coordination Via Campesina, UCLouvain, Flanders Environment Agency and European Commission (DG AGRI and DG ENV) highlighted the importance of narratives and framing.
In interactive parallel workshops facilitated by representatives from CIHEAM Bari (IT), SEGES Innovation (DK), Aarhus University and ULiège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (BE), participants were invited to delve into contrasting situations about water management practices in situations of droughts and flooding as well as collective management with regenerative hydrology, including SEKKEM farm Group with its organic and biodynamic farming activities and products in Egypt.
In a final session, David López-García from Institute of Economics, Geography and Demography, Spanish National Research Council presented regional and city cases for translation into public policies at infrastructural level. Agroecology Coalition was presented by Mark Cropper (DG-Agri) as a highly successful initiative at international level with both governments and organisations as members.
🎤 Thank you to all our fantastic experts and speakers, from science, policy sides!