The second workshop of the Belgian RAIN was held on 30th of January 2024, organized by the UGent team, led by Joris van Acker and Tobi Hallez.
The meeting took place at the facilities of INAGRO, an agricultural research and advisory institute located in West-Flanders, and ended with a field visit to some test plots. A combination of practitioners (active and retired farmers), private partners, advisors (linked to INAGRO) and researchers attended the meeting.
The session began with a review of the current state of the Knowledge Platform, with participants providing feedback on its visual aesthetics, features, and user experience through a Mentimeter questionnaire. Suggestions for additional features such as a news brief and contact information repository were proposed to enhance the platform’s functionality. Similarly, designs for various types of Dissemination Materials were presented and evaluated, with most participants affirming their usefulness and offering minor suggestions for improvement, particularly regarding the Innovation Tutorials.
In the Advisory Session, the focus shifted to validating the most important CECRA modules for Belgian Advisors. Module 6 (Project Management), Module 16 (Shaping Innovation Processes), and Module 12 (Advising Groups and Teams) were identified as key modules to be taught, with altered slightly from the voting in the first workshop.
After that, the Business Model Session commenced with presentations on the business models of the three Case Study Farms: Verschil Naturel, Green Valley, and Heirbaut aLgriculture. This led to engaging group discussions among the attendees, sparking insightful conversations and exchanges of ideas, particularly given that not all participating farms are currently practicing agroforestry. Following this, value chains for both fruit and nut-related products were mapped out, further enriching the discussion and providing valuable insights into potential avenues for economic growth and diversification.
The day concluded with an informative field trip to experimental fields and plots at INAGRO, allowing RAIN members to witness firsthand some experimental agricultural and agroforestry practices. This experience fostered additional dialogue and reflection on agroforestry and its potential implementations in Belgian farms, encapsulating a fruitful and insightful day of learning and collaboration.
