The EU CAP Network conference on “Water resilience in agriculture: innovation in practice” took place in Hamburg from 19–21 May. The event was organised by the EU CAP Network in collaboration with the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity, the German CAP Network (DVS), the EIP Agriculture and Innovation Network Lower Saxony, and the Innovation Office EIP-AGRI at the Chamber of Agriculture Schleswig-Holstein.
As climate change continues to intensify challenges such as water scarcity, the WATERMELLON PRIMA Project aims to contribute innovative solutions to improve water resilience in agriculture. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for the project consortium to share its objectives, activities, and expected results with a wide range of organisations and stakeholders from across Europe.
A key focus of the conference was achieving practical impact on the ground through the sharing, uptake, scaling-up, and dissemination of innovative solutions and project results. This practical approach strongly resonated with participants and encouraged collaboration among different stakeholders across the agricultural sector.
During the event, the WATERMELLON PRIMA Project presented its activities within the innovation market space through a project poster and participated in a dissemination workshop organised within the framework of the conference. The consortium contributed with the experience of INICIATIVAS INNOVADORAS in communication design, dissemination strategies, and results exploitation for innovation projects.
The dissemination workshop offered a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and reflections with advisors, farmers’ associations, researchers, and agricultural stakeholders on how to improve the outreach and impact of innovative solutions for agriculture, particularly regarding crop resilience to climate change.
The discussions highlighted several key aspects for effective dissemination and stakeholder engagement, including:
- Adapting communication styles to different audiences
- Using accessible language and relatable examples
- Encouraging participation and peer-to-peer learning
- Building trust through dialogue and feedback
- Connecting research with real agricultural practice
- Making innovation understandable, practical, and applicable
The event also provided an enriching space to share experiences and learn from different perspectives across the agricultural value chain, reinforcing the importance of communication and collaboration in driving agricultural innovation forward.
More than 250 participants from across Europe, including farmers, foresters, advisors, researchers, and other agricultural stakeholders, gathered in Hamburg to exchange knowledge, experiences, and innovative practices for improving water resilience in agriculture.
The WATERMELLON PRIMA consortium would like to thank the organisers and all participants for the inspiring exchanges and meaningful conversations that contributed to the success of the event.
