Agroforestry innovation networks (AFINET): Knowledge Transfer and Innovation

Agroforestry is recognised as climate-smart agriculture, being a powerful tool for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Considering knowledge transfer a capital challenge to overcome the needed transition towards this for the European Commission, the AFINET (AgroForestry Innovation NETworks) project intended to boost agroforestry through a multi-actor approach by defining challenges and providing solutions for end-users. Knowledge transfer is key to maximize dissemination, being innovation networks an instrument that allows the source of knowledge to reach end-users straightforwardly. As part of AFINET, a list of agroforestry innovations was elaborated according to the challenges and bottlenecks raised by end-users enrolled in the project. To obtain the list, regional groups of local stakeholders (RAINS) were created in the nine covered countries involving over 1400 participants. Regional Innovation Network (RAIN) meetings were organized with innovations as focus, providing finally 96 innovations grouped in topics; i) technical challenge, ii) economical challenge, iii) communication/education challenge and iv) policy and governance challenge. Education for consumers, CAP as a major agricultural and forest land use driver, but mainly technical innovations linked to design and farming systems and economic challenges were highlighted by actors on the importance of woody perennials use in agricultural lands or performance from forestlands in Europe.