The fifth online discussion round on November 27^th, 2024, explored practices to promote an agroecological transition. Kristín Vala Ragnarsdóttir, from the University of Iceland, explained the transition of Nordic countries into economic success, as explained in The Nordic secret. A European story of beauty and freedom, by Lene Rachel Andersen and Tomas Björkman. In the 19th century, the emergence of folk schools, where farmers discussed ideas and organised cooperation projects, had a transformative role in Nordic society and lead to the implementation of enlightenment ideals in rural education. The concept of Bildung, a combination of personal growth, social responsibility and intellectual development, was at the core of folk schools’ activities.  Vala proposed the adaptation of folk schools’ scheme to the present, aiming at developing sustainable agricultural systems. Vala’s book Transformation Literacy. Pathways to Regenerative Civilizations is available open access.  

Dóra Drexler shared her experience as a scientist at the Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi), which has had a certified Living Lab since 2020. ÖMKi aims at conducting simple experiments fitted into the farmers everyday practices to answer practice-oriented questions, based on the Mother-Baby Trials approach. This methodology clashed with the more traditional scientific community at first, but eventually gained recognition. Farmers can apply the results of these experiments to their own fields directly when the development of trials involves them. ÖMKi is a leader in agricultural innovation in Hungary, promoting sustainable food systems and serving as a networking point for farmers. ÖMKi also aims at involving the young population in agriculture and is currently collecting information on the differences of revenues between conventional and organic farming systems.