The FABulous Farmers project, officially launched February 14th in Belgium and financed by INTERREG North West Europe (NWE) program, aims at developing Functioning AgroBiodiversity (FAB) solutions. This set of techniques allow the reduction of external inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and foster ecosystem services such as pest and disease control, pollination and soil and water quality. These methods already exist by the knowledge is fragmented and insufficiently embedded in agricultural practice. FABulous Farmers’ goal is to accelerate the implementation dissemination of FAB solutions in society by collecting, deepening and sharing knowledge and practical experiences about FAB between farmers, scientists, citizens and policy makers in 12 pilot regions in NWE over 5 countries (FR, NL, UK, BE and LUX).
10 FAB solutions are developed in a region-oriented manner, tested and demonstrated across 315 farms and evaluated for ecological performance and economic profitability, with the aim of reducing the dependence on external inputs by an average of 30%. In each pilot region, a FAB learning network is set up in which farmers exchange knowledge and experiences and draw up a FAB action plan. In addition, we collaborate with local actors, citizens, policy makers and value chain partners to embed FAB more widely in society, policy and market.
The AC3A is a partner for this project, in collaboration with the chambers of agriculture of Brittany, Normandy and Pays de la Loire, and responsible for the activities aimed at maximizing the long term effects of FABulous Farmers: presenting FAB solutions as viable alternative to policy makers in order to embed these practices into public policies, and developing FAB learning networks that will outlive the project. The regions of Normandy, Brittany and Pays de la Loire will each have the responsibility of a pilot site.
Every partner attended the Kick Off Meeting for FABulous Farmers in Westerlo in Belgium the 14th and 15th of February. These two days of meetings have allowed each partner to know every of their coworkers and detail the activities that will be led throughout the four years of the project. Participants also visited a agricultural exploitation specialized in state of the art technology for milk production which will be one of the pilote site for FABulous Farmers.
FABulous Farmers’ website will be created soon
AC3A 