Today’s farming innovations go beyond equipment and techniques—they also depend on how well knowledge is shared. That’s why having clear information, strong networks, and training materials tailored to farmers and advisors is so important.
Often useful insights come from individual projects, but there’s no big picture to connect them. That’s where Horizon Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) projects come in. These projects focus on cooperation between researchers, policy-makers, and farmers, and help bring practical solutions to the people who need them most.
CSA projects gather and translate useful knowledge into real tools you can use, like:
- 📘 Illustrated manuals
- 🎥 Training videos
- 📱 Interactive apps
- 🗂️ Handy policy guides
- 🎧 Audio toolkits
These tools support better decision-making and help improve results on the ground. Depending on your role—whether you’re a farmer, advisor, or policymaker—different types of materials are available and applicable.
🌱 Ghent University’s Resource Lab is a partner in the CSA STRATUS project, which focuses partly on bio-based fertilizers. The lab also contributes to other CSA projects in this area.
Below, you’ll find a quick overview of the training materials now available:
- The Stratus project focuses on farm advisors as primary target group and has chosen to create factsheets for detailed information exchange on an easy to consult platform (under development). Furthermore training material (leaflets, video’s etc) towards advisors will be created and demonstrations and cross visits for hands-on exchange of experiences will be organised.
- The Novafert project directs itself to a broader range of stakeholders (the quadruple helix with an emphasis on farmers) and has developed a comprehensive suite of learning materials to promote the adoption of alternative fertilisers. Training materials are 1) a Massive Open Online course (MOOC) on the scientific, economic, environmental, and societal aspects of nutrient pollution and the benefits of alternative fertilisers, 2) a database containing a comprehensive overview of available alternative fertilizers and their most important characteristics and 3) an atlas of EU nutrient related living labs identifying the front farmers, companies or research institutes.
- The Nutriknow project is designed predominantly towards farmers, researchers and practitioners and offers a free self-paced 6 module MOOC focused on sustainable nutrient management with an emphasis on learning and practical understanding. Interestingly, NUTRI-KNOW has established a community of practice. This platform connects farmers, researchers, and practitioners across Europe, and enables to ask / consult questions to regional actors enabling the sharing of experiences, challenges, and solutions related to nutrient management across Europe.
- The Ferti&Grow Academy, led by MyTrainingBox, is a European initiative that offers high-quality digital training on organic fertilizers and growing media. It’s designed for farmers, agricultural trainers, and professionals, helping them understand how to use these products effectively and sustainably. The courses are free, available in four languages, and include videos, podcasts, and interactive materials — all hosted on (www.mygreentrainingbox.com)
All these projects form a nice example on how learning materials add practical usability and systemic value which top down approaches often fail to do effectively on an individual basis. As such they form an important tool in bridging the gap between innovation and implementation.
Author: Evi Michels – Ghent University