About

PRO AKIS aimed to answer the following question: How and from what sources can farmers get reliable & relevant knowledge, as well as orientation & support, in order to continuously evolve, to successfully solve problems, and to respond to external expectations & development opportunities? 

Agricultural knowledge & information systems (AKIS) describe the exchange of knowledge and supporting services between many diverse actors from the first, second or third sector in rural areas. AKIS provide farmers with relevant knowledge and networks around innovations in agriculture. See also Overview of AKIS in Europe

Advisory services are one essential means to enhance problem solving, information sharing and innovation generating processes. In a functioning AKIS these services can be provided by various actors, among them formal extension services, training and post-secondary education bodies, NGOs but also by members of administration or research institutions. Since 2009, there is a European regulation obliging member states to set up a ‘Farm Advisory System’.

Inventory

PRO AKIS has compiled an inventory of the AKIS organisations, institutions and their linkages in EU-27 on the basis of the analytical framework.  

The inventory consists of

• country reports (AKIS and advisory organisations in each country),
• country posters (AKIS diagram and summary points from the report),
• a synthesis report (volume I and II),
• a searchable database of the core information describing advisory services  and 
• a searchable directory of advisory organisations in Europe (with the opportunity for agricultural advisory organisations to add their details).

The findings on the inventory for all 27 European countries were presented and discussed with participants at three semi-public regional workshops in Denmark, Poland and France in February and March 2014.

If you would like to get in touch regarding the searchable database of advisory organisations in the EU-27 and the directory, please select the contact for your country here.

Objectives

PRO AKIS had the following objectives:

• Develop a conceptual framework for the assessment of AKIS

• Provide an inventory of the AKIS institutions & interactions in the EU-27 as a searchable database

• Using case studies, investigate challenges around:

1. small-scale farmers’ access to relevant & reliable knowledge
2. bridging scientific research topics & farmers’ demands
3. offering appropriate support for diverse rural actors that form networks around innovations in agriculture & rural areas

• Reveal successes, strengths & weaknesses of the specific knowledge systems through comparative analyses & assessments of these case studies

• Develop policy recommendations for strengthening European agricultural innovation systems

Case Studies

PRO AKIS carried out case studies in selected countries to explore the effectiveness of selected forms of conventional and newly emerging advisory services within the broader context of AKIS in Europe.  Findings were presented and discussed at one of the three synthesis seminars across Europe. The map illustrates the locations of the case study research according to the three topics.

Topic 1 The effectiveness of advisory services to respond to demands of diverse types of small-scale farmers (marked with ● on the map) 

Topic 2  The capability of extension and advisory services to bridge research and knowledge needs of farmers (marked with ◼︎ on the map) 

Topic 3  How to design, implement and maintain (rural) innovation networks that enhance farmers ability to innovate in cooperation with other rural actors (marked with ▲ on the map)

Publications

Information notes 

A brochure on selected findings is available in high resolution and in low resolution. It is also available in Bulgarian, French, German, Polish and Portuguese.

A brochure explaining how AKIS were characterised along a spectrum from strong to weak and from integrated to fragmented.

PRO AKIS Summary Leaflet: English     Polish    Portuguese

Journal papers

Knierim et al. (2015) The AKIS concept and its relevance in selected EU member states. Outlook on Agriculture 44(1): 29-36. View the first page. (If you cannot access the paper, please email the corresponding author.)

Reports

Case study reports on all 12 case studies covering small-scall farming, research-practice interaction, and innovation networks.

Country reports - Inventory - read comprehensive descriptions of the AKIS and advisory services in the EU 27.

Systematic review of academic literature for evaluating the effectiveness of farm advisory services. Preliminary findings based on a case study about farm advice and occupational health (Deliverable WP2-2) by Pierre LABARTHE, Catherine LAURENT, Thomas ANDRIEU, Aldo MORA, Monica CAGGIANO. December 2014.

Concepts and theories to describe the functioning and dynamics of agricultural advisory services(Deliverable WP2-1) by Pierre LABARTHE, Monica CAGGIANO, Catherine LAURENT, Guy FAURE, Marianne CERF, in collaboration with Artur CRISTOVÃO, Andrea KNIERIM, Ismaïl MOUMOUNI, Katrin PRAGER, Lee-Ann SUTHERLAND. October 2013.

Conference papers and other outputs

Duckett, D., R. Creaney and S. Lee-Ann (2015). Crofters and their advisory services: An analysis of crofters and their advisory services on Skye, Harris and Lewis, The James Hutton Institute.

Advisory Services in Agricultural System of Knowledge and Information in Poland (Abstract and full paper). Presented at the IFSA (International Farming Systems Association) Symposium, Berlin, April 2014 by Jozef Kania, Krystyna Vinohradnik, Agnieszka Tworzyk. 

Short paper published in the Polish magazine "Wies i Doradztwo" (Rural areas and agricultural extension) dedicated to Polish advisory organisations. The paper gives an overview of the Hungarian advisory services. December 2013. 

Short paper published in the Polish magazine "Wies i Doradztwo" (Rural areas and agricultural extension) dedicated to Polish advisory organisations. The paper gives an overview of the PRO AKIS project. June 2013.

Presentations

PROAKIS on the radio: 

Katrin Prager (James Hutton Institute) speaks about innovation in farming on BBC Radio 4 (from 30 seconds in) broadcasted on Monday 18 May 2015.

The PROAKIS project organised a session at the European Seminar on Extension and Education April 28 - May1, 2015 in Wageningen, The Netherlands. Presentations included:

Heidrun Moschitz: Processes of co-evolution, joint reflection, and facilitation in & of learning networks. Reflections from SOLINSA. 

Livia Madureira, Katrin Prager, Kinga Boenning, Monica Caggiano, Andrea Knierim, Annie McKee, Dora Ferreira: Agricultural/ rural networks: Features which enhance farmer’s ability to co-innovate in cooperation with other actors. 

Lee-Ann Sutherland, Lívia Madureira , Violeta Dirimanova, Timothy Koehnen, Miguel Pires, Malgorzata Bogusz, Krystyna Vinohradnik, Jozef Kania, Dominic Duckett, Rachel Creaney:  Knowledge Networks of New Entrants in Europe’s Periphery.

Presentations at conferences 2013 to 2015:

August 2015 - McKee, A.; Prager, K.; Creaney, R.: The role of social and experiential learning in agricultural innovation networks: a case study of the Scottish Monitor Farm programme. European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 18-21 August 2015, Aberdeen, Scotland. 

August 2015 - Prager, K.; Creaney, R.: Achieving practice change through facilitated group learning. A comparison of two models in agriculture. European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 18-21 August 2015, Aberdeen, Scotland.

May 2014 - Pierre Labarthe, Catherine Laurent, Monica Caggiano: Advisory service for multifunctional and sustainable farming: theoretical and empirical elements for a discussion. International Workshop on System Innovation Towards Sustainable Agriculture 22-23 May 2014

April 2014 - Monica Caggiano and Pierre Labarthe: From the "best fit" to the "big fuss": the lost opportunities of the Italian advisory services. Abstract. International Farming Systems Association Symposium 1-4 April 2014 in Berlin, Germany

April 2014 - Katrin Prager, Rachel Creaney, Altea Lorenzo-Arribas: Advisory services in the United Kingdom: exploring 'fit for purpose' criteria. Abstract. International Farming Systems Association Symposium 1-4 April 2014 in Berlin, Germany

April 2014 - Andrea Knierim, Kinga Boenning, Monica Caggiano, Artur Cristóvão, Violeta Dirimanova, Timothy Koehnen, Pierre Labarthe and Katrin Prager: Advisory services within national AKIS- concepts and empirical evidence from selected EU member states. Abstract. International Farming Systems Association Symposium 1-4 April 2014 in Berlin, Germany

Sept 2013 - Artur Cristóvão, Alberto Baptista, Andrea Knierim, Timothy Koehnen, Lívia Madureira:  Where and how is Extension today in Portugal? Revisiting AKIS in a Time of Crisis and Challenges. Abstract. European Seminar on Extension Education 2 - 6 Sept 2013 in Antalya, Turkey

July 2013 - Monica Caggiano, Guy Faure, Pierre Labarthe, Catherine Laurent, Ismail Moumouni:  Multifunctional farming and advisory services: a literature review. Abstract. European Society for Rural Sociology Congress 29 Jul - 1 Aug 2013 in Florence, Italy 

A brief introduction to PRO AKIS presentation 

Regional Workshops

The findings on the inventory for all 27 European countries were presented and discussed with participants at three semi-public regional workshops in Denmark, Poland and France. The workshops took place in February and March 2014.

An overview of workshop locations and countries covered is provided below.

Synthesis Seminars

PRO AKIS investigated case studies in selected countries to explore the effectiveness of selected forms of classical and alternative forms of advisory services within the broader context of AKIS in Europe.

Findings from the case studies were shared in three synthesis seminars. The location of the seminars and their topics are listed below.

Final Conference

The Final Conference took place in Brussels 19-20 May 2015 at the University Foundation, Egmontstraat 11, rue d’Egmont.

Aim of the conference

The aim of the final conference was to present and discuss findings from the project with a wider audience, thereby marking the official end of the project. Based on the conceptual framework for assessing AKIS, the project compiled an inventory of AKIS institutions and interactions in the EU-27 as a searchable database and detailed reports. Using selected case studies, it has investigated specific knowledge systems through comparative analysis and assessments revealing successes, strengths and weaknesses which were discussed in three synthesis seminars. Based on these findings, policy recommendations for strengthening European agricultural innovation systems were developed. 

A detailed agenda is available here. 

The presentations from the day are available below:

• Opening Speech by Tom Tynan, Europa.
• Introduction to the project and the programme for day one. Andrea Knierim
• Introduction to the project and the programme for day two. Andrea Knierim
• Extension evaluation - lessons from the South. Chris Garforth
• Farm advisory services in international debates. What can we learn from evaluation of farm advisory services. Pierre Labarthe et al.
• Key findings from the case studies. Lívia Madureira & Józef Kania, Kinga Boenning, Pierre Labarthe, Timothy Koehnen, Violeta Dirimanova

Contact & Partners

- University of Hohenheim, Germany, Andrea Knierim

- Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF) e.V., Germany 

- The James Hutton Institute, United Kingdom, Katrin Prager 

- Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France, Pierre Labarthe

- Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Portugal, Timothy Koehnen

- Uniwersytet Rolniczy im. Hugona Kollataja w Krakowie (UAK), Poland, Jozef Kania

- Agricultural University Plovdiv (AUP), Bulgaria, Violeta Dirimanova 

- Videncentret for Landbrug (VFL), Denmark, Heidi Hundrup Rasmussen