Research project Co-creation toward agroecology in Living Labs

General introduction

CoolFarmLab supports the transition to agroecology at the farm level through co-creation in Living Labs (farmers and researchers who create innovations together and test them in practice). The project promotes practices that enhance biodiversity, reduce chemical inputs, encourage natural pest and weed control, restore soil fertility, and increase resilience. The aim is to use resources more efficiently by closing cycles and thus developing future-proof cropping systems.

Research approach

The project tests and validates agroecological practices such as local varieties, wider crop rotations and mixed cropping, restoration of soil fertility, use of beneficial microorganisms, and organic fertilization. These practices are explicitly compared with current practice. In Living Labs, farmers, researchers, and other stakeholders jointly design the trials, carry them out on farms, and assess their agricultural, environmental, and socio-economic impact. In Flanders, CoolFarmLab is setting up a Living Lab focused on organic mixed cropping of protein crops with cereal or oilseed crops.

Relevance/Valorization

Agroecology offers a broad range of solutions to challenges in the agri-food system, but translating general principles into context-specific practices remains difficult. Moreover, ecological principles are often implemented without sufficiently considering the socio-economic aspects—co-creation, active participation of farmers, and fair chain incomes. CoolFarmLab addresses this by organizing both practical feasibility and socio-economic validation in Living Labs, so that applicable and supported agroecological practices can emerge.

Financing

Agentschap Landbouw & Zeevisserij