Main research question/goalThe overall aim of the European H2020 AgriDemo-F2F research project was to enhance peer-to-peer learning between farmers. The project highlighted the potential learning outcomes of demonstration activities within the commercial farming community and investigates how we can maximize the impact of farmer-to-farmer learning on demonstration farms in Europe. The focus on demonstration practices on farms takes place at the crossroad of science, experiential knowledge of farmers and technological innovation. In order to reach this goal, we examined as many learning opportunities occurring between farmers as possible.
Research approachFirst we constructed a European inventory of open commercial farms that engage in demonstration activities. These activities may focus on demonstrating research results on commercial farms (science driven), or sharing innovative farming practices among practitioners (innovation driven). Next, derived from the inventory, we selected and analyzed 24-36 case studies on 1) their network structure (actors, roles and governance characteristics), 2) the mechanisms and tools used for recruitment, interaction and learning, and 3) the effectiveness of the different approaches, assessed through an evaluation of the extent and nature of learning.
Relevance/ValorisationBased on the case study research, a series of good practices have been developed for organizing on-farm demonstrations. We identified 7 key points, including defining a clear goal, creating a balanced program that responds to different learning styles of the participants, and paying sufficient attention to group dynamics to support the peer-to-peer learning process.
The FarmDemo Design guide, developed as part of the project, provides in 6 easy steps, tips and tricks for the preparation, delivery and evaluation of on-farm demonstrations, and 4 policy briefs were developed with concrete recommendations for a more supportive policy.
Finally, AgriDemo-F2F worked closely with sister projects PLAID and NEFERTITI to develop The FarmDemo.eu platform, which gathers the main results of all projects, including the inventory of demonstration farms, and a training kit offering inspiration for anyone who needs to develop on-farm demonstrations.
