Roundtable 1

French and Irish perspectives on new extension methods (farmers' group and demo) to support sustainability transitions

Wednesday 12th, 09:00-11:00 – Amphitheater MB 1

This roundtable built on French and Irish perspectives to discuss about the potential and specific caveats of new forms and methods of advice (group advice, signpost farms, demo…), as tools to support agroecological transitions. The questions addressed included: How to make the groups sustainable over time? How to guarantee the bottom-up functioning of the groups, while maintaining the support of the accompanying structures? What are the skills/knowledge needed from advisors? How to make sure that the benefits of the groups disseminate beyond the direct participants? In terms of governance: how to engage in networks in a multi-actor context?

Participants to the rountable:

• Calypso Picaud (Regional Chamber of Agriculture, France), in charge of coordinating and facilitating networks of advisors in charge of farmers’ group
• Nelson Guichet (chamber of agriculture of Ariège, France) local advisors facilitating local farmers’ groups
• Christophe Mur (DRAAF, France), policy maker in charge of funding local farmers’ group
• Tom O’Dwyer (Teagasc, Ireland)

Roundtable 2

Intercontinental exchange about current trends in agricultural extension & education public policies

Thursday 12th, 09:00-11:00 – Amphitheater MB 1

This roundtable proposed a discussion gathering Intercontinental perspectives on new trends in farm advisory services public policies in a context of sustainable transitions. The challenges addressed included: Digitalisation, Privatisation, Global issues: carbon markets, climate change

Participants to the roundtable:

• Ruth Nettle (Univ. Melbourne, Australia)
• Fernando Landini (Conicet, Argentina)
• Ataharul Chowdury (Univ. Guelph, Canada)
• Andrea Knierim (Univ. Hohenheim, Germany)