To date, there is no agreed ‘best practice’ in facilitating the establishment of demo-farming networks. Therefore, we need to identify and characterise the needs of current and potential actors involved in demo-farming networks and to provide conceptual and empirical support to the proceeding WPs on developing effective networks for farm demo activities. This information will be used to engage Demo-farmers and to produce Dynamic Action Plans. This approach should result in creating ownership of the networks by farmers. The specific WP 1 objectives are to:
  • Assess what is already known about establishing effective knowledge networks between farmers in the and best practices of peer-to-peer learning, to inform development of the demo-farm network;
  • Develop a conceptual approach describing the attributes and supports necessary for demo-farm network;
  • Engage potential network participants in needs identification and network construction;
  • Produce recommendations for subsequent WPs about network development;
  • Develop and monitor dynamic action plans for network development on the 10 NEFERTITI themes.
The specific WP 1 approach is following: WP1 will build on the research from ongoing and previous projects on EU AKIS and thematic networks to identify the requirements for successful network development and on this basis, contribute to the effective design of the NEFERTITI demonstration networks in subsequent WPs. It will integrate insights from these projects with the specific needs identified by current and potential participants in Demo-farming networks in the 10 thematic areas and engage project participants from the beginning of NEFERTITI. The approach empowers stakeholders to further networking and enables long lasting results.