AFINET News

Alongside researchers and practicioners, within the group there were advisors, Rural Development technicians, representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, and member of the National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre.

A presentation of the project and its objectives was given as an introduction, after which participants were asked to identify bottlenecks/knowledge gaps and opportunities/constraints to agroforestry development in the area.

The stakeholders were invited to form three groups and discuss, by the participatory approach, of a specific issue related to the olive oil chain: climate and environment, socio-economy and policy. Each group of participants moved from a table to another in order to take part to any discussion.

30 RAIN members attended the meeting, which started with the presentation of the project, objectives and RAIN concept. During the meeting the participants were asked to identify bottlenecks/knowledge gaps and challenges/innovations from agroforestry systems covering silvopastoral, silvoarable and tree hedgerows systems. 

The meeting started with a walk around the farm where the people could see how the farm works, witness sheep herding with a sheep dog in practice, and share experiences about farm management, agroforestry and management of wood pastures.

The event was attended by nearly 30 participants, almost half of them practitioners. Within the group there were farmers, advisors, Rural Development technicians, members of the Galician Office of Climate Change, and the Galician Innovation Agency.

On the 22nd of July, a report on agroforestry was broadcasted on the Belgian national radio channel ‘Radio 1’. Furthermore, the same day an article on agroforestry was published at the news website www.deredactie.be. 

The meeting started with a visit to an experimental agroforestry field at ILVO, where a variety trial of hazelnut trees was recently established, and where the effects are studied of combining short-rotation coppice (willow) or hazelnut trees with laying hens on free-range use, animal welfare, soil conditions and plant growth.

Legislative obstacles were analyzed and ways of improving Agroforestry situation regarding its implementation and trees protection were discussed.

Over 200 people attended each event and the AFINET project was promoted in a variety of ways, with pull up banners and project leaflets and postcards on display on information stands at each event.