Eleven European partners launched a participatory research project based on the expertise of farmers and involving players and stakeholders in the concerned regions. Called SIMONE, the project is designed to propose agroecological innovations adapted to the objectives of each territory. Innovations will be tested on the farm, at the scale of the cropping system, after prior consultation with the local stakeholders. The four-year project led by ARVALIS will be deployed in various cross-border territories in the North-West Europe.
"With field expertise from farmers, agroecological transition approach at the territorial scale, and the European dimension of the project, SIMONE is particularly relevant to meet todays' and tomorrows' challenges" explains Pascaline Pierson, SIMONE project leader
What makes this project so unique is its field-based approach: the deployment of agroecological practices must involve the representative players in a given area around the expertise of our farmers. On-farm experimentation makes them the primary players in the project.
SIMONE is driven by a set of ambitious objectives:
- Develop on-farm innovative solutions, in co-operation with regional stakeholders
- Test and deliver multi-performance solutions that work well in real farming situations
- Provide easy-to-use tools and methods for farmers to improve their technical, environmental, and economic performance
Innovate, multi-actor approach
SIMONE is a European cross-border participatory research project serving farmers, local players and researchers. It aims to offer farmers operational innovations adapted to each territory, combining economic, environmental, social and societal performance. To achieve this objective, an innovative methodology is being used. It consists in creating seven cross-border territorial networks (living labs) of agricultural actors, and beyond, whose mission will be to collectively initiate an agroecological transition that responds to the specific challenges of their territory and sectors. Combinations of innovative systemic measures will then be identified and tested directly on the farm to encourage their adoption by farmers. Innovative practices validated and evaluated in this way will be widely shared with industry players, public authorities, etc. In this project, the multi-actor, territorialized approach is in itself a methodological innovation for developing more inclusive research.
The SIMONE project targets three areas of systemic innovation:
- weed management in the context of reducing the use of phytosanitary products;
- plant nutrition in relation to soil fertility;
- and crop establishment in a context of climate change.
Project impact
SIMONE aims to catalyze the agroecological transition in the North-West Europe region, addressing critical challenges faced by farmers. By co-developing and testing innovative solutions on farms, SIMONE strives to create a lasting impact on agricultural sustainability and resilience.
Partners
SIMONE is a collaboration of 11 partners from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland and Germany: Arvalis (FR), Inagro (BE), Hiphen (FR), MTU (IE), Agroscope (CH), Vives (BE), VanDenBorne (NL), CRA-W (BE), SPNA (NL), ABC (FR) and Bionales (DE).
Partners located on the map of NWE:
