On 7 November 2023, Daniel Bennett, Researcher on the CAP Network Ireland project, participated in the first in a series of Multi-Actor Advisory Panel meetings, led by the University of Galway Rural Studies Centre, for selected Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) stakeholders from across policy, research and practice located within the Atlantic-North Sea Macro-Region as part of the new PREMIERE Horizon Europe Project.
The PREMIERE project aims to strengthen the multi-actor approach by supporting the development of more relevant, coherent, and well-prepared project proposals. This includes improving the search for suitable partners, building the project partnership, co-designing the work plan, and negotiating an appropriate budget. A particular focus of the project is on the involvement of new partner organisations that have not previously been involved in multi-actor projects, including those that have made previous unsuccessful project proposals.
Daniel was invited to offer his perspective on the value and potential of the multi-actor approach, drawing on previous involvement on the National Rural Network (NRN) project and current involvement with CAP Network Ireland.
Daniel shared some reflections from engaging with EIP-AGRI projects to date, which included:
• The most successful EIP-AGRI projects are bottom-up, led by farmers passionate about the future of farming and the environment in local communities. Projects gain from the local knowledge and first-hand perspectives of these farmers.
• A legacy of EIP-AGRI Operational Groups (OGs) lies in the networks formed and the communities that have been brought together to work on a shared problem or interest.
• Collaboration with the broader local community is required for any EIP-AGRI project to make a true impact at local level – not those solely involved in farming.
• EIP-AGRI is much more than solely an agri-environmental initiative. It targets the environment and biodiversity, but also seeks to address a wider range of issues around farm safety, health and wellbeing of farmers and succession challenges in farm families, to name a few.
Daniel also spoke about CAP Network Ireland’s role moving forward in supporting the networking of a diverse range of stakeholders under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027 across the fields of agriculture, rural development and innovation.
You can find out more about the PREMIERE Horizon Europe project here.
Image source: University of Galway Rural Studies Centre