Addressing regional challenges for climate-resilient agriculture
In the face of ongoing environmental challenges, transitioning to a climate-smart agriculture requires a strategic approach that brings together business, education and research. Across Europe, people are dealing with the need to adapt to region-specific changing conditions, yet they share common goals for sustainable farming practices.
At the EVECSA meeting hosted by Aeres in the Netherlands in January 2025, Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) partners discussed key trends, best practices, and regional needs to foster climate-smart agriculture. The exchange highlighted both regional differences, for instance, between Sicily and Ostrobothnia, and shared challenges, such as the need to strengthen collaboration among education, business, and research.
Each CoVE needs to invest in establishing trust with their many stakeholders, from the vocational education providers to the farmers and agricultural professionals, in order to be successful in their aim of bringing about climate-smart agriculture. Only by involving every actor in their local and regional environment can they ensure a solid collaboration among them all, and the chance to create real impact when it comes to promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
This approach is already a reality: the Danish Agrifoodcluster is a non-competitive network that connects entrepreneurs, education, government, and research across the open field production chain. It has been leading a multi-stakeholder approach to drive agricultural innovation in its region.
Rein van der Wal, Knowledge Lead at Agrofoodcluster, presented this inspiring model in detail to the EVECSA partners. The cluster plays a central role in fostering collaboration on sustainable agriculture, with a focus on all aspects of open field cultivation. Through its active and extensive network, it drives innovation and shares knowledge to address challenges in climate-smart agriculture and resource management.
Defining the future training offer of EVECSA
During the meeting, partners also worked on identifying the key topics for the future training offer, focusing on:
- Agroecology & regenerative agriculture
- Soft skills
- Renewable energy
- Technology & precision agriculture
- Water & soil management
The meeting took place across different locations, including Nunspeet, Barneveld, Dronten, and Elburg, with a highlight lecture by Ruud Hendriks at Warmonderhof, from Aeres, on climate-smart agriculture.
This meeting was a crucial step in shaping EVECSA’s strategy for sustainable agriculture. The next steps will focus on refining the training curricula and strengthening business involvement in education, two key elements of addressing real-world challenges and promoting long-term change in agriculture.
