• A Focus Group is a working group of experts created to find practical solutions to a specific issue and share knowledge.
• The new working groups' topics are "Regenerative Agriculture for Soil Health," "Crop Partnerships Including Milpa and Protein Crops," and "Competitive and Resilient Mountain Areas."

Focus Groups ( FGs) are working groups formed in the field of innovation and comprised of experts who meet to find practical solutions to a specific need or issue, as well as to share knowledge and results.

The European CAP Network   ( European CAP Network ) has published 3 new focus groups for the agricultural and rural innovation sector with the following topics :

• GF on “Regenerative Agriculture for Soil Health”
• GF on “Crop associations including milpa and protein crops”
• GF on “Competitive and Resilient Mountain Areas”

In addition to seeking solutions to the sector's specific challenges, the Focus Groups facilitate the participation of rural and agricultural stakeholders in determining new rural and agricultural development policies. Therefore, the CAP Network encourages, stimulates, and invites all stakeholders in the agricultural and rural sectors to participate in them so that Spain is broadly and well represented.

Characteristics

1. GF on “Regenerative Agriculture for Soil Health” : How can regenerative agriculture practices help farmers restore, protect, and improve soil health and productivity?

• Goals:

Take stock of regenerative agricultural practices, highlighting their benefits, challenges, and opportunities from environmental, economic, and social perspectives.

• Discuss and identify possible solutions to the identified challenges and propose possible innovative solutions.

• Collect and present success stories of regenerative agriculture practices in different regions and farming systems across Europe.

• Suggest innovative ideas for EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and other innovative projects.

• Meetings :
  • November 28-29, 2023
• Registration : Until 11/09 at 23:59 CET (Brussels time) at the GF link.

2. GF on “Crop associations including milpa and protein crops” : How to integrate crop associations to increase agricultural resilience while reducing dependence on external inputs?

• Goals :

• Identify, with appropriate examples, existing or new plant associations adapted to each agricultural system within its landscapes and local/regional conditions.

• Analyze the impact of the most promising crop associations on the environment, productivity, profitability, and farmers' resilience to climate change.

• Identify success and failure factors and barriers to implementation and adaptation in different regions.

• Propose potential actions and innovative ideas for the Operational Groups to stimulate the use and improvement of crop associations at the farm level, considering the impact on the landscape.

• Meetings :
  • November 28-29, 2023
• Registration : Until 11/09 at 23:59 CET (Brussels time) at the GF link.

3. GF on “Competitive and Resilient Mountain Areas” : : What activities linked to agriculture, forestry and bioeconomy can promote the development of mountain areas and their communities?

• Goals :
• To gather inspiring success stories about new ways to capitalize on agri-food, forestry, and other bioeconomy products, including ways to address the challenges posed by climate change, land abandonment, improving coexistence between agriculture and large carnivores, and leveraging new opportunities such as social farming and agritourism.

• Identify challenges and opportunities to strengthen the competitiveness and resilience of mountain areas. These may relate, for example, to business models, markets and value chains, access to traditional and local knowledge and capacity building, new technologies, and digital solutions.

• Propose ideas for potential Operational Groups and other innovative projects.

• Meetings :
  • November 21-22, 2023

• Registration : Until 11/09 at 23:59 CET (Brussels time) on the GF link, except for the Focus Group on “Crop associations including Milpa and protein crops” , whose deadline has been extended to 17/09.

Requirements

To join any of the Focus Groups, you must have knowledge of each topic, as well as a firm commitment to participate in all meetings and related activities.