To end this first year of AF4EU, all members traveled to Ireland, more specifically to Clonakilty, in County Cork. This small town surrounded by green fields is home to Clonakilty Agricultural College, where we were warmly welcomed by our colleagues from Teagasc.
As usual, the meeting began with a summary of what has already been done and what lies ahead, with very interesting presentations on business models, extension services, RAIN and project coordination, and both dissemination and communication activities.
The Innovation Brokers from each RAIN also had their moment, reflecting on what went well and what can be improved from their experience at the first meeting, but always planning for the next one – which, by the way, will come sooner rather than later.
The last day was full of expectations. Most of the members carpooled to the west of the county, to the town of Bantry. There, the International Agroforestry Forum took place, where exciting agroforestry experiences, innovations and realizations were shared. It was an enriching opportunity for AF4EU members to exchange with other agroforestry experts and also to show off our brand new AF4EU T-shirts.
We are very grateful to our hosts, the Teagasc team, who not only made sure we had a great stay, but also gave us a helpful workshop on soft skills. And a special thanks to our fantastic advisory board members, Elaine Springgay and Priya Pajel from FAO and Lungile May Sisoka from the Global Research Alliance: we look forward to hearing from you again!
And now, back home, we just have to work hard until our next face-to-face destination!
