06/05/2018

This workshop brought together more than 100 participants from 15 different countries, including Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Members of national rural networks and managers of innovation measures at the regional and national levels were also present.

The main objectives of the workshop were:
• Connect the various actors of the Operational Groups and members of other research projects .
• Exchange good practices and success stories.
• Identify common challenges and explore potential solutions.
• Promote cooperation beyond the workshop.

The Commission, through DG Agri and DG Environment, described the legal and regulatory framework governing aid and presented the results of two important water-related Focus Groups : Water & agriculture: adaptive strategies at farm level and the Focus Group on irrigation, energy and environment .

The Operational Groups and other projects presented their activities through posters, photographs, and other products. Various greenhouse visits were also organized, where participants could see cutting-edge technologies for improving water resource management based on four themes:
1. Quantity of water: irrigation technologies and techniques
2. Water quality: protection of groundwater and surface water through the implementation of good agricultural practices
3. Reuse, treatment and purification of water
4. Integration at different scales for the conservation and efficient use of water resources.

During the visits, the innovations that generated the most interest were the possibility of combining water from different sources (desalinated, rainwater, leachate-purified, etc.) for use in irrigation, along with water purification with microalgae.

Group discussions were held in relation to the following areas of interest:
- Water quality (contaminants, phytosanitary products and nutrients)
- Quantity of water (irrigation technology and techniques)
- Integrated water management (governance, water resources, etc.)
- Recycling and reuse of water

The workshop concluded with an interactive session addressing participants' main concerns with the aim of promoting future collaboration. These challenges include a lack of data interoperability , the high price of water in certain regions, highly fragmented regulations, the need to improve knowledge, training, and engagement among farmers , and finally, the lack of a shared vision and the presence of a multitude of stakeholders, often with conflicting interests (municipalities, farmers, environmentalists, the tourism sector, etc.).

The workshop, organized by EIP-Agri , was held in cooperation with the following institutions: the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development of the Andalusian Regional Government and the General Directorate of Rural Development and Forestry Policy of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment.