A CONSULT coordinates the first Portuguese practice community of the European project ClimateSmartAdvisors. The group focuses on water management in almond trees in the Alentejo region, and the activities have begun. September 17.
O ClimateSmartAdvisors it is funded by Horizon Europe programme and is dedicated to training agricultural advisory technicians to drive the climate smart farming approach. CONSULT It is a partner of the consortium, present in 27 European countries, and leads the work package dedicated to collaborations with European projects, initiatives and policy-makers.
What are the communities of practice
The practice communities are one of the project’s key tools. They regularly bring together agricultural advisory technicians to discuss a topic of common interest and develop knowledge and skills in providing climate-smart services.
The project promotes a collaborative action in adapting the agricultural sector to climate change and emphasizes that this transition does not depend solely on farmers, but also on other stakeholders, including advisory technicians.
Who makes up the Portuguese community
In Portugal, the community of practice is constituted by CONSULT, by Operational and Irrigation Technology Center, by Higher Institute of Agronomy of the University of Lisbon, by Hidrosoph, by Trevo, by Single Route and by SySmart.
The choice of the theme stems from the growth of almond production in Portugal and the need to develop management practices that maximize the yield of the crop and adapt it to the impact of climate change.
The first meeting, organized by COTTR and by CONSULT, addressed the optimization of irrigation in almond trees, focusing on irrigation needs and the equipment used.
The concept of climate smart farming seeks to increase the productivity and yields of agricultural and forestry producers in a sustainable way, through measures that reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and that promote resilience, adaptation, and mitigation on farms.
For more information about this and other activities of the project, please visit climatesmartadvisors.eu.
This project is funded by European Union. Os the views and opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the position of European Union.