Can a stand at a local fair help transform Europe’s landscapes? With nearly 600 new farmers and foresters already engaged, the answer is yes.
When it comes to building landscape resilience, the real change-makers are often standing in a field, not sitting in an office. That’s why the Horizon ResAlliance project includes a task built on a very hands-on approach: meeting farmers and foresters where they already are — at trade fairs, exhibitions, and sector-specific events.
The goal is clear: to transfer practical knowledge and concrete solutions gathered through the project directly to those managing the land, and to engage at least 760 new practitioners through participation in 38 national and international events, inviting them to join LandNet — the networking platform designed to foster new collaborations and expand knowledge on solutions and best practices for landscape resilience across the Mediterranean basin.
Project partners involved in this task are responsible for organising at least two info sessions (four for main country partners) during local, regional, or national trade fairs and exhibitions. These are not traditional conferences: the formats vary and include direct presentations, group discussions, live demonstrations, and info-desks offering tailored support, adapting to the context to maximise relevance and participation.
From info sessions to LandNet: a practical toolbox
During these sessions, participants are introduced to LandNet, the best practices developed in the LandLabs, and the resources available through the project’s toolbox. Methodological guidance is provided by the Community of Practice, which supports each partner in identifying the most effective formats for engaging stakeholders.
In addition, these events offer information on best practices gathered through the project and on the MOOC, which can be accessed once registered as a member of LandNet. All these actions are part of the project and are now publicly available, aiming to share and expand knowledge on methods that help increase the resilience of the landscapes we live in.
And the results are starting to show! So far, thanks to 20 national and 9 international events organised by the partners, we have already engaged 554 new farmers and foresters — now active members of LandNet. These are real practitioners, hands-on professionals who are now part of a living, growing European network, with ongoing access to knowledge, tools, and updates that support more sustainable land management.
Turning engagement into long-term change
From small local exhibitions to high-profile international fairs, every opportunity to connect holds strategic value, turning knowledge into action and building relationships that will continue to have an impact well beyond the project’s timeline. All of this helps ensure that the work carried out through ResAlliance activities does not remain buried in archives, but becomes part of the lived knowledge of those who work and live in the Mediterranean basin (whose daily activities are key to strengthening resilience in the near future).
Adapting to and mitigating the climate and environmental challenges of the Mediterranean is not possible without joining forces and sharing approaches.
Visit ResAlliance’s official website
This article was originally written by:
D.R.E.Am. Italia, leader of ResAlliance Task 4.1 “Engagement through farmers’ and foresters’ channels”
