Insights from FarmBioNet’s First Workshops Across Europe
In just ten months, FarmBioNet has grown from an idea into an active European network. We have made significant progress in bringing together farmers, foresters, researchers, advisors, and other key stakeholders working in agriculture and biodiversity.
Our 12 National networks are steadily growing and becoming more active each day, united by a shared goal – protecting and promoting biodiversity. These networks have already organised their first workshops, providing participants with the opportunity to learn more about biodiversity-friendly farming (BFF) practices and to exchange valuable knowledge and experiences.
During the workshops, participants took part in a Group Concept Mapping exercise: they reviewed 58 statements about BFF practices collected during the National Network kick-off meetings, removed statements that did not apply to their farms, suggested missing practices, then rated and grouped the statements into clusters, giving each cluster a descriptive name.
This was an important first step toward creating a European Concept Map that will combine input from all 12 National Networks in the FarmBioNet project.
Read more about the first workshops across the countries!
Ireland’s Farming and Biodiversity National Network Unites Experts Across Sectors
Ireland’s National Network held its first workshop on May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity, at McCall’s Farm in Calverstown, Kildare. Farmers along with experts from research, industry, advisory, and policy sectors, came together to discuss biodiversity-friendly farming practices and their benefits for both nature and farm economics.
The workshop was led by project coordinator Saorla Kavanagh and Niall Walshe from TEAGASC, and Jana Bundschuh from ZALF.
Switzerland’s Farming and Biodiversity National Network Holds First Workshop at Organic Farm
On June 3, the Swiss FarmBioNet national network held its first workshop at the organic farm Farngut in Grossafoltern. The workshop was organised by the National Network coordinator AGRIDEA. Participants from a range of stakeholder groups came together to assess existing biodiversity measures, focusing on both their economic and ecological impacts.
One key insight from the discussion was that many biodiversity measures can be economically challenging in the short term, particularly without direct payments, but they offer significant long-term benefits. These include improved resilience, water retention, pollination, and plant protection.
Diverse Stakeholders Unite at Slovenia’s National Network First Workshop
The first Slovenian workshop took place on June 5, organised by Slovenian Forestry Institute (SFI). Together with some associated members, participants visited the Čilčevi farm, where they discussed several challenges faced by breeders of native sheep and goat breeds, particularly the difficulty in securing sufficient grazing land. As part of the workshop, participants filled out a questionnaire and took part in a discussion on how biodiversity-friendly farming (BFF) practices affect both biodiversity and the economic sustainability of farms.
The workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including young and experienced farmers, researchers, government representatives, and staff from nature parks and non-governmental organisations.
Italy’s National Network Discusses Biodiversity-Friendly Farming During Farm Visit at Tenuta di Paganico
The first workshop activity took place on 27 May, organised by the NN coordinator UNIFI. The event provided an opportunity not only to delve deeper into the core activities of the FarmBioNet project but also to meet in person and exchange perspectives on the future of national agriculture and BFF practices.
The day also included a convivial lunch, followed by a guided tour of the farm, led by Jacopo Goracci, project coordinator at Tenuta di Paganico. During the visit, participants explored a remarkable example of silvopastoral farming, featuring the Maremmana cattle breed integrated within a Turkey oak (Cerro) forest, a model case of agroforestry management successfully applied at the farm scale.
For those unable to attend the workshop in person, a remote participation option was available.
First Workshop of Germany’s National Network Kicks Off at Ökofeldtage
On June 19, 2025, the first workshop of Germany’s Farming and Biodiversity National Network took place during the Ökofeldtage (Organic Field Days) at the Bioland farm Wassergut Canitz in Saxony. The workshop was led by Charlotte Loos and Mia Schoeber from FiBL Germany and brought together a diverse group of farmers, researchers, advisors, and practitioners from across the agricultural sector.
All participants received a complimentary day ticket to attend the Organic Field Days, providing an ideal setting for both learning and networking. The workshop focused on sharing experiences and knowledge about biodiversity-enhancing measures in agriculture. Discussions ranged from the practical implementation of biodiversity-friendly farming (BFF) practices on the ground to their broader evaluation from ecological, economic, and operational perspectives.
The main goal was to gather practical insights, assess the feasibility of BFF practices in everyday farming, and explore the trade-offs and potential benefits.
Collaborative Assessment of BFF Practices at Austria’s National Network First Workshop
The Austrian National Network held its first workshop on May 26 in St. Michael, Styria, organised by BioAustria, the network’s national coordinator. The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from across the agricultural sector, including farmers, researchers, policymakers, advisors and NGOs, to collaboratively assess biodiversity-friendly farming (BFF) practices.
Using the Group Concept Mapping method, participants worked in three groups (arable, permanent crops, grassland/livestock) to sort, cluster, and rate a range of BFF practices, with the goal of gathering diverse evaluations of each practice’s ecological impact and economic feasibility.
Assessing BFF Measures Across Slovak Agricultural Landscapes
On June 5, 2025, ILE SAS organised the first workshop of the National Network in Slovakia. The workshop brought together 14 farmers, advisors, and scientists within the network, as well as other stakeholders from the agricultural landscape development and conservation sector. The event focused on sharing experiences with biodiversity-friendly farming practices.
In the first part of the meeting, after introductory presentations on the FarmiBioNet project and the purpose of the first workshop, the participants divided into three working groups, in which they evaluated 58 agricultural practices in terms of their benefits for biodiversity and the financial costs to farms in the form of a free discussion. The evaluated practices were further divided into clusters according to their focus. Finally, representatives of each subgroup presented their results during a plenary session. The team concluded that most practices were rated very highly by all participants in terms of biodiversity, and some clustering approaches were common to all subgroups. Different views were expressed, for example, on the need for land consolidation and its consequences, which is a specific issue for land ownership in Slovakia.
In the second part of the meeting after lunch, participants moved to the Galloway Organic Farm – Vlčie Hory Smolenice, where Mr Rastislav Matiašovič gave them an interesting presentation on the procedures for restoring permanent grasslands that are favourable for biodiversity, introduced them to the farm’s production function and its focus on cattle breeding, and shared his experiences with the implementation of agroforestry measures.
Although it is not easy to motivate people to join the network and workshops, those who accepted ILE SAS’s invitation and came, even if there were not many, their opinions and enthusiasm for biodiversity and ecological farming were encouraging. Participants approached the discussion very actively.
Spain’s First NN Workshop in the Dehesa Landscape
Organised by ASAJA, the first National Network workshop in Spain took place on June 18 in San Nicolás del Puerto. The event brought together members of the Network, along with farmers, researchers, policymakers, and other key stakeholders from the agricultural sector.
During the workshop, participants identified a range of biodiversity-friendly measures that can be implemented in agricultural areas. These were then evaluated in terms of their environmental benefits and economic feasibility.
The day also included a field visit to Dehesa Angostura, a farm located in the same municipality. There, the Gallego family presented the various practices they apply to conserve the dehesa and safeguard the rich natural heritage of this unique agroecosystem.
First Workshop of Croatian National Network Held at Krka National Park
On May 22, the Environmental Institute ECOLOGICA organised the first workshop on agricultural biodiversity. The date was chosen to coincide with the celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity, marked globally under the theme “Be Part of the Plan”. This workshop was held as a side event of the First Croatian Agricultural Biodiversity Festival, organised in partnership with Krka National Park and the associations BIOM and BED.
The workshop brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including farmers, agricultural advisors, scientists, NGO representatives, and managers of protected natural areas.
Workshop participants discussed biodiversity-friendly farming practices and their benefits for both nature and farm economics. Participants agreed that a few BFF practices relevant to Croatia are missing from the proposed list of practices. Therefore, the following five practices were added and further discussed during the workshop: (i) maintaining traditional extensive olive groves; (ii) grazing in extensive olive groves, (iii) autochthonous livestock breeds, (iv) flowering/grass strips between rows in orchards and vineyards and (v) traditional varieties of crops.
There were very lively discussions in all workshop sub-groups. Special attention was given to the challenges faced by small-scale farmers, and discussions highlighted not only the environmental, but also the cultural and social value of maintaining traditional BFF practices in Croatia.
It was relatively easy to reach a consensus about the advantages of BFF practices. However, coming to a consensus about the economic costs and benefits of certain measures was much more challenging. Thus, participants found it interesting to come to the conclusions about certain BFF practices as a result of the joint effort. Participants were also pleased to learn that this exercise is part of a larger effort within the FarmBioNet project framework and that similar work will be conducted in 11 other countries. They were keen to get informed about the overall results.
Biodiversity Workshop Held on the eve of Enyovden in Bulgaria
On June 21st, the University of Forestry in Sofia held the first workshop as part of the Alter Agro Festival, timed to coincide with the celebration of Enyovden, one of Bulgaria’s most cherished nature-related holidays, also known as Midsummer Day.
The workshop brought together researchers, scientists, farmers, agricultural advisors, students, and representatives of NGOs and other stakeholders engaged in conservation and rural development. Together, participants explored and analysed farming practices that support biodiversity within the Bulgarian landscape.
Participants exchanged knowledge, experience, and ideas on agroforestry and sustainable farming practices that support biodiversity in the Bulgarian landscape. Discussions focused on identifying and promoting good agroforestry practices.
Among Bulgaria’s most highly valued biodiversity practices are planting flowering strips on arable land, maintaining wetlands, afforestation with resilient species, preserving deadwood, and controlling invasive species.
During the festival, participants also visited Hrankoop’s inspiring project to restore the Old School in Negushevo into a Community Center for New Agriculture, showcasing practical examples from permaculture and biodynamic farming.
Valuing Life in All Its Forms: Romania's NN first workshop
On June 26, ADEPT Foundation organised a workshop meeting in Romania under the title: “Agriculture and Biodiversity – Valuing Life in All Its Forms.”
The workshop was held at the Research and Development Institute for Game Management and Mountain Resources in Miercurea Ciuc, where participants were involved in assessing BFF practices based on their effectiveness in enhancing biodiversity and their long-term economic viability. The session was facilitated by Ben Mehedin, who began by introducing the Group Concept Mapping method and explaining the workshop’s main objective: to create a map of preferred BFF practices across different European countries through collaborative evaluation.
A total of 28 participants, most of whom were farmers, were divided into four groups named Trifolium, Salvia, Sanguisorba, and Campanula. Group sizes ranged from six to eight participants (7–7–8–6). Each group was tasked with organising a list of BFF practices into categories and evaluating each one in terms of its biodiversity benefits and economic sustainability.
The event also drew media attention and was attended by journalists from Informația de Harghita.
Ben Mehedin emphasised the importance of farmers’ active involvement, noting that they best understand the economic realities and implications of each measure. He shared a concrete example from the Ghimeș area, where local farmers deliberately leave an unmown strip in the field to allow plants to reach maturity and disperse seeds. According to the farmers, this practice supports biodiversity conservation and contributes to better animal health.
In the afternoon, the group visited Kongo Farm in Merești at the invitation of one of the network members. There, participants explored how regenerative agriculture is being applied in practice to support biodiversity on responsibly managed pastures and meadows.
Netherlands’ National Network Workshop Sparks Dialogue on Biodiversity
On June 10, the Netherlands’ National Network held its first national workshop and farm visit, organised by Avalon. The event focused on sharing experiences with biodiversity-friendly farming practices in the Dutch context.
The workshop involved an introductory presentation about the project and a review of BFF practices’ relevance and feasibility in the Netherlands, scoring them based on their environmental benefits and economic viability.
As often happens, what is best for biodiversity is not always the most economically feasible, sparking lively discussions and occasional debate among participants. The diversity of views, researchers, policymakers, farmers/agricultural professionals, made for a balanced and insightful exchange, strengthening the quality of the assessment.
Conclusion
By combining local experiences and expert knowledge, these initial workshops across the 12 national networks represent the first step in FarmBioNet’s work, providing valuable insights and helping to identify opportunities and challenges in different European contexts. 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.