Biodiversity-Focused Farm Visits and Workshops in 12 European Countries
After the momentum created during the first round of workshops led by our NN leaders, the second workshop marked a decisive step forward. Throughout September, October and November, our partners gathered farmers, foresters, researchers, advisors, and other key stakeholders working in agriculture and biodiversity to shape the next phase of action for protecting biodiversity. Here are the key highlights!
National Network Slovenia
The second workshop in Slovenia, organised by the NN lead SFI, took place on 25 September, followed by a Farm Walk the next day. The workshop began by revisiting the objectives of the first workshop to give participants a clearer understanding of the purpose and context of the current session. During these discussions, space was opened to identify several systemic challenges in Slovenia’s governance of agricultural land and activities, such as the precariousness of agricultural subsidy incentives, the difficulties farmers face when adopting alternative practices, and the inertia of distrust rooted in societal attitudes and long-standing conventional farming habits. Participants also highlighted specific characteristics of the Slovenian biosphere and cultural history that help explain the general incongruence between Slovenia’s BFF ratings and those observed in other EU countries.
The following day, the Farm Walk took place at the Govec forest food farm. The two-hour visit began with participant arrivals and introductions, followed by a presentation of the Farm Walk’s aims within the context of FarmBioNet’s target objectives. The rest of the walk was led by the farm owner, Robbert van Haaften, who showcased the key approaches used on the farm to enhance soil quality, soil biodiversity, and the diversity of fruit trees, herbs, and garden vegetables.
During the visit, participants also learned about biodynamic farming, including its certification process and the environmental and economic benefits it can provide. The day concluded with planning for future FarmBioNet events and an invitation to participants to join the project’s upcoming international event.
National Network Germany
The German workshop was organised in collaboration between the NN lead for Germany, FiBL DE, and ZALF. Held on 8 October, it brought together nine participants, including researchers, farmers and agricultural students. The session began with a presentation of the most recent survey results, followed by an in-depth discussion on relevant biodiversity measures.
National Network Ireland
Led by our coordinating organisation, Teagasc, the second workshop took place on 10 October and brought together 22 participants. Dr. Saorla Kavanagh, Niall Walshe, Claudia Barry, Meritxell Grau Butinyac (Teagasc) and Gary Goggins (NPWS) welcomed attendees and provided an overview of the project’s objectives, along with key outcomes from FarmBioNet’s first workshop.
The participants began by revisiting BFF practices that had previously been deemed irrelevant for Ireland. They discussed why these practices were considered unsuitable, whether they had any personal experience with them, and how regional conditions influenced their applicability.
Attention then turned to BFF practices rated highly for both biodiversity and long-term economic benefits. For each practice, attendees explored the reasons behind the high scores, shared their own implementation experiences, and examined the motivations or barriers affecting adoption.
Participants also discussed practices that were attractive from a biodiversity perspective but less appealing economically. They reflected on implementation experiences, assessed feasibility at both farm and regional levels, and identified potential co-benefits that could support wider adoption.
The workshop then addressed practices rated low for both biodiversity and economic benefits. Attendees explored the reasons for these low scores, considered any circumstances in which the practices might still be adopted, and highlighted practical or feasibility challenges.
Next, participants examined practices that were economically beneficial but offered limited biodiversity value. They shared experiences of implementation, considered feasibility, and reflected on why these practices often generate financial returns without corresponding ecological gains.
To wrap up, attendees participated in a knowledge-needs fishbowl discussion. They identified the resources and support needed to adopt new BFF practices, highlighted knowledge gaps, and discussed requirements for information exchange and advisory services.
The workshop concluded with a farm walk led by Colm Gavin on the Bundorragha river catchment, Delphi Valley, Co. Mayo.
National Network Italy
UNIFI hosted the second Italian NN workshop, bringing together 12 participants. After a project introduction, the group focused on clarifying the topics planned for this workshop and reviewing the outcomes from the previous session. The afternoon featured field visits to an organic olive farm during the harvesting period, an olive oil mill, a vegetable garden, and beehives, where participants discussed a pollination monitoring system that has been functioning for over three years.
National Network Romania
The Romanian workshop, held on 15 October, brought together 15 participants, including horticulture and cattle farmers, advisors, representatives from public authorities (DAJ), and media professionals. The five-hour session began with an analysis of 14 BFF practices and their ratings from the first workshop. Participants compared Romanian data with European examples and examined how these practices were evaluated in terms of both biodiversity benefits and economic advantages, using the Romanian “Go-Zone” graph as a reference.
In the second part of the workshop, participants gathered information about needs and knowledge gaps related to BFF practices. Key needs identified included: education (across all forms), mentoring, and exchange of good practices.
Farmers actively shared their experiences and practical insights, such as:
Creating a small pond that attracted swallows helping to control insect populations.
Observing European green lizards preying on snails.
Keeping foxes away using female dogs (male dogs were less effective).
Eliminating Asclepias syriaca.
Transforming flower pots into bumblebee houses to improve pollination.
Composting and using manure for fertilisation.
Planting repellent species like
Lophanthus anisatus to deter rodents.
Managing biodiversity through regenerative grazing practices.
The workshop also served as a platform to present FarmBioNet ideas with the wider public. A short report about the event was broadcast on Radio Romania Actualități / Obiectiv România.
National Network Spain
Spain held its second NN workshop on 21 October, organised by the NN lead in Spain, ASAJA. The workshop focused primarily on analysing the results of the practices evaluated in the previous session and, more importantly, on identifying knowledge gaps and areas where farmers need additional support to better understand and implement biodiversity-friendly practices. In total, 13 participants took part in the workshop.
National Network Switzerland
Switzerland also held its second NN workshop on 21 October, organised by the NN lead AGRIDEA. The session began with a review of the results from Workshop I, followed by discussions on selected biodiversity measures and the identification of knowledge gaps and needs among farmers. In total, 19 participants attended the workshop. After the workshop, participants took part in a two-hour farm visit.
National Network Austria
Austria’s second workshop took place on 22 October and was organised by BIO AUSTRIA in collaboration with Suske and Studia. The event began with a brief presentation of the results from the first workshop. Participants then discussed the BFF practices that had been excluded, exploring the reasons behind these decisions. These discussions offered multifaceted insights into the challenges and motivations related to BFF implementation, as well as the time scales that matter most to farmers.
The workshop also included a field visit to sheep pastures. These pastures are managed under the “EBW” funding programme, and participants discussed the associated management requirements, agreeing on the importance of this instrument for supporting sustainable grazing systems.
Further topics included pasture management with regard to plant composition and the pressure of neophytes, as well as practical experiences with herding dogs and livestock guarding dogs.
National Network Bulgaria
The NN Bulgaria workshop was organised by UF on 24 October and took place as part of the “Culinary Treasures from Near and Far” festival in Sofia, which is hosted by Hrankoop. The two-hour workshop began with an introduction by Stanimira Ivanova and Assoc. Prof. Hristina Bancheva, followed by participant introductions, where attendees shared their expertise.
The session then reflected on the outcomes of the first workshop and led into a discussion to identify the needs and gaps of farmers in implementing BFF practices. The workshop brought together nine participants, fostering a focused and interactive exchange of ideas.
National Network Slovakia
On 28 December, the NN lead from Slovakia, ILE SAS, organised its second workshop. The event brought together 15 participants at Peter’s Eko-rege farm.
During the workshop, participants were presented with the results of the PPPB evaluation conducted in Slovakia and 11 other European countries. The discussion focused on the causes and underlying reasons for the final PPPB assessment of Slovak participants from the first working meeting held in Smolenice on 5 June 2025.
Participants also discussed additional PPPBs that could be included in the list due to their relevance and potential benefits for Slovakia. Regenerative agriculture was highlighted as a particularly important topic and resonated strongly with the participants.
In the afternoon, the group visited the Eko-rege farm. Mr Peter Viktorín introduced participants to the regenerative agriculture practices he applies in both animal and plant production on his farm.
National Network Netherlands
The second workshop in the Netherlands, organised by NN lead Avalon, took place on 31 October. A group of 12 participants, including farmers, farm advisors, consultants, and students, visited Vreugdehoeve, an organic farm with 450 sheep.
The farm implements a variety of biodiversity-friendly farming practices and has been a partner of Natuurmonumenten, the leading Dutch nature conservation organisation, for many years. During the visit, participants had the opportunity to observe these practices firsthand and discuss their benefits and challenges in a real-world farming context, while also identifying the gaps and needs of farmers.
National Network Croatia
On 5 November, NN lead, ECOLOGICA, held the second workshop in Croatia. The workshop lasted 1.5 hours and was attended by 27 participants.
The session began with a short presentation of the results from the first workshop, with a particular focus on the GoZone Map. This was followed by a lively discussion on selected BFF practices, especially their economic benefits.
Participants also identified farmers’ specific knowledge gaps and needs related to BFF practices. Key issues included mindset and cultural change, understanding BFF practices and their benefits, access to information, advisory services and training, economic sustainability and public support for BFF measures, as well as the complexity of administrative procedures associated with these measures.
Conclusion
Bringing together diverse stakeholders to discuss the key needs and pressing knowledge gaps faced by farmers across 12 European countries is an important step toward promoting biodiversity-friendly farming. The second round of workshops and farm visits provided valuable opportunities for knowledge exchange and identifying practical challenges and solutions.
Stay tuned for upcoming events and the activities of the FaB national networks by following the project’s website, as well as Facebook, Linkedin, X, Instagram and YouTube, Bluesky.