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Description
Agriculture plays a significant role to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture accounts for 10% of all EU greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, the report of the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Climate change adaptation in the agriculture sector in Europe says that “climate change has already negatively affected the agriculture sector in Europe, and this will continue in the future". The EEA Executive Director notes that adaptation at farm level is key. The EEA report stresses that more knowledge, innovation and awareness raising are required to improve the effective use of the already available adaptation measures, like introducing adapted crops, improved irrigation techniques, field margins and agroforestry, crop diversification or precision farming. The project aims at encouraging farmers and students to actively participate and be involved in the agricultural sector in Bulgaria with the issues of environmental protection and adaptation of farms to climate change through awareness raising, improved skills and borrowing innovation and good practices from Norway. The project will contribute to solving the problem above through raising awareness, knowledge and active involvement of farmers and replication of innovation and good practices from Norway. The direct users are small farmers and young farmers, in particular.
Summary of project results
Within the project, the partners from Norway and Bulgaria and the media AGRO TV shared the Norwegian and Bulgarian experience for climate change adaptation in agriculture with university students from agricultural majors and small farmers from all over the country, interested in applying the methods in their work. 10 best practices from Norway were adapted to the Bulgarian environment and tested in Bulgarian farms. The following tools and methods were used:
- analysis and presentation of the Best Practice Guide from Norway;
- sharing 4 training videos with farming practices from Norway;
- 3 webinars with students, farmers and other stakeholders;
- Benchmarking, adaptation and validation of Norwegian practices for application in Bulgarian farms;
- Network of "agents for change" and a forum for discussions on the project site;
- preparation of proposals for national policies on adaptation to climate change at farm level; sending the proposals to the relevant institutions, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
The information and training campaign and the training resources managed to activate over 90 farmers to implement measures for adaptation to climate change. 21 of the farms validated the adapted practices, and their experience was shared with all stakeholders through a validation report.
The main results and products of the project are available at: https://activefarmers.eu/project/results
Summary of bilateral results
Within the project, the partners from Norway and Bulgaria and the media AGRO TV shared the Norwegian and Bulgarian experience for climate change adaptation in agriculture with university students from agricultural majors and small farmers from all over the country, interested in applying the methods in their work. 10 best practices from Norway were adapted to the Bulgarian environment and tested in Bulgarian farms.