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A final project event shares lessons from Europe and the UK... On the 24th September 2025, the project hosted a final webinar, 'Inside Farmer Clusters: Lessons from Europe and the UK', from coordinating partner the James Hutton Institute - reflecting on five years supporting biodiversity through piloting collaborative farming approaches. We're pleased to share that the webinar was well attended with over 70 stakeholders joining, the majority of them external. Farmers in the project's Czech Cluster | Czech Organics/CULS As H2020 FRAMEwork approaches its conclusion, this webinar provided a timely opportunity to share experiences from our 11 pilot Farmer Clusters established across Europe, from southern Spain to Estonia. Project coordinator Dr Graham Begg from the James Hutton Institute opened the session by emphasising how FRAMEwork has been about 'supporting biodiversity in farming, but doing so by working with farmers'. The Evolution of Farmer Clusters Neville Kingdon from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) provided historical context, explaining how the 'Farmer Cluster' concept developed in England in the early 2010s. "The pilot was considered successful, and the government set out funding to support and expand the concept," he noted, describing how the initiative has now grown from five pilot Clusters managing areas up to 100 square kilometers to encompassing environmental farmers' groups - sometimes termed 'SuperClusters' -covering nearly 315,000 hectares - approximately 4% of England's farmed areas. Diverse Experiences Across Europe The webinar featured presentations from facilitators across FRAMEwork's Farmer Clusters, each highlighting unique approaches and achievements shaped by local contexts: Czech Republic : the Velké Hostěrádky cluster transformed nine farms managing over 2,500 hectares into "living laboratories". Key achievements included installing bird boxes, creating a 7km biodiversity path now featured on national maps, and establishing an 8-hectare agroforestry system on erosion-prone land. Spain : The Cazadores de Aguilar cluster brought together farmers and hunters around restoring life to olive groves. Ground cover establishment between olive trees has proven beneficial for erosion control and biodiversity, challenging cultural norms about "good" olive grove management. Estonia : The Kanepi kihlkund Farmer Cluster of 14 farmers managing over 3,000 hectares focused on wild pollinators and wildflowers. The project recorded over 75 bird species and identified more than 60 species of wild bees, while hosting educational events with local schools, and on new EU CAP requirements. Webinar video | © Taskscape Learnings from Beyond FRAMEwork The webinar also featured an external example of innovative private sector engagement. Fiona Torrance from GWCT Scotland presented on the FAB (Farming, Arable, Biodiversity) Cluster, which emerged from the earlier Interreg-funded Partridge project and is now funded through PepsiCo's Positive Agriculture Output Fund. This cluster demonstrates an alternative funding model, with six farms spread across Fife and Angus testing measures and preparing for Scotland's next round of agri-environment schemes. The inclusion of this externally-funded cluster highlighted potential pathways for sustainability beyond project funding, with FRAMEwork's Clusters having achieved collaborations that could be built upon in Europe to explore innovative next-stage partnerships. Tools and Resources for Scaling Impact The FRAMEwork project developed several resources to support Farmer Clusters beyond the project's lifetime: Guidelines in eight languages  covering topics from starting a cluster to biodiversity monitoring, with over 1,200 views of the English versions to date Landscape Leaders training course  - a free online curriculum for farmers and advisors interested in biodiversity-friendly farming FEAST software  - a decision support tool allowing farmers to assess habitat suitability, plan interventions, and access monitoring guidance Sustainability assessment tool  - a practitioner-friendly questionnaire providing actionable steps for improving farm sustainability Rachel Nichols from GWCT presented these training materials, emphasising their accessibility through the project's information hub, Recodo. Mixed but Promising Biodiversity Outcomes The biodiversity monitoring results from the FRAMEwork Clusters showed variable responses across different sites. "Some Farmer Clusters demonstrated benefits for particular taxa," the research team explained, noting that Austrian clusters focusing on vegetation diversity showed positive impacts on butterfly abundance. Additionally, pest-controlling kestrel populations were enhanced in the Czech cluster, and an increase in corn buntings and pollinators observed in the project's Scottish cluster following implementation of measures. However, the research team also noted divergent results in some areas and emphasised that a three to four-year monitoring period limits assessing longer-term trends: "Our results demonstrate that Farmer Clusters can make a difference, but they also highlight that wider biodiversity recovery will require time, greater landscape scale coordination and strategic alignment." Social Transformation and Identity Shifts Research revealed significant social outcomes within the FRAMEwork Clusters, with farmers shifting roles from business operators to environmental stewards, community leaders, and educators. As Dr. Eszter Kelemen noted: "Farmer Clusters are more than just groups of farmers. They are evolving communities, learning communities, and their success depends on trust, shared learning and local relevance." Looking Ahead Discussion about the future revealed mixed prospects for Cluster continuation. Claire from the Cranborne Chase cluster confirmed their 22 members managing 10,000 hectares are "very much committed to building on what they've done," while Marco Bayer from Luxembourg's Ramborn Cluster noted funding challenges for maintaining facilitator support post-FRAMEwork. The webinar highlighted a critical transition point for European Farmer Clusters - from project-funded initiatives to self-sustaining movements. The inclusion of the privately-funded FAB cluster example suggests one potential pathway, though as Dr Begg concluded, continued success will require addressing funding gaps and maintaining the networks and knowledge exchange that H2020 FRAMEwork has fostered. This final project event was part of a series developed around the project's information hub Recodo - a knowledge, action and legacy platform. For more information on resources for Farmer Clusters, please visit www.recodo.io . You can watch the webinar on youtube here .

First set of mini-documentaries profiling cluster activities released... Taskscape are pleased to share that a first set of eight Farmer Cluster Profile Videos have been released. These latest mini-docs were created for the project's information platform Recodo.io , which is in development, as well as the   media page of FRAMEwork's website. They join a bank of videos produced so far on project activity. "Hear directly from participants on the ground in seven countries who share their priorities and actions for more biodiversity sensitive farming..." Taskscape filmed over 107 stakeholders interviews across Europe for the content strand and are grateful for consortium partners support and engagement. The   shoots  organised for the production of the new FC profile videos are multi-use media capture opportunities, allowing Taskscape to record material for podcast  episodes, articles and other planned video formats. You can find some accounts of filming taking place within FRAMEwork's Clusters within Recodo's new Farmer Cluster Stories  blog. Filming in the remaining three Farmer Clusters is planned over the coming months, so keep an eye out for all sorts of new content! Find out more on Recodo:

Stakeholders from across Estonia's agricultural sector recently gathered for a roundtable "Pests and Beneficial Insects in Agriculture," hosted by the Estonian University of Life Sciences . Short on time? View key takeaways on LinkedIn . This hybrid webinar was part of the H2020 FRAMEwork project’s knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement event series . This initiative is associated with the project's online platform Recodo , which connects people working at the frontiers of farming and biodiversity with vital resources. Producers, policymakers, and researchers came together to address a pressing challenge in modern farming: how to balance productivity and biodiversity through more sustainable insect management. Prof Eve Veromann presents | Credit: EMU Gathering Diverse Perspectives Attendees included researchers and farming organizations, as well as representatives from Estonia’s Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture (REM), the Ministry of Climate (KLIM), and the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowledge (METK). The roundtable was designed to enhance dialogue around several core questions: How can landscape elements, such as field margins, contribute to natural pest control? What strategies best support beneficial wildlife and ecosystem services on farmland? How can subsidies and policies promote both productivity and biodiversity conservation? What challenges do Estonian farmers face in implementing these methods? Deputy Coordinator Alastair Simmons (Taskscape) welcomed attendees and provided a brief introduction to Recodo and relevant resources available on the platform, before handing over to the EMU team. Why This Matters: The Importance of Biodiversity Integrating landscape elements into agricultural management is vital for enhancing biodiversity, promoting natural pest control, and building ecosystem resilience. However, participants also acknowledged the real-world challenges: balancing productivity with conservation, bridging knowledge and implementation gaps, and weighing short-term costs against long-term benefits. Supportive policy and public recognition of farmers' efforts were recurring themes throughout the discussion. Professor Eve Veromann from the Estonian University of Life Sciences explained the foundational principle: "Agriculture, landscapes, and agricultural ecosystems are special... Farmers can contribute to them in two ways: either through planned diversity—what all producers can do themselves by using different crops and breeds—or by helping landscape elements have flexible standards that work well with fertilization, water operation, and water protection through the inhibition of chemical leaching." What's Working and What Needs Improvement: Current Strategies Estonia has made strides with subsidies already in place to encourage ecological areas and sustainable management practices. These measures help preserve habitats and landscapes, but the roundtable highlighted the necessity for broader adoption of diverse landscape elements—not just herbaceous field margins. Ministry representatives highlighted current support measures: "The main emphasis of the CAP subsidies we have in the country is the sectoral development plan for agriculture and fisheries. For biodiversity, we require the preservation of permanent grasslands, prohibition of incineration of harvest waste, construction of buffer strips along watercourses, and the preservation of landscape elements." Research Insights: Natural Pest Control Professor Veromann shared significant research findings about rapeseed pests and their natural enemies, explaining the vital role of landscape diversity: "In very simple terrain landscapes, the smaller the diversity, the lesser the chances of organisms surviving in such a landscape. The benefits of nature are crucial—plant pest control, environmentally friendly natural damage, pollination, and erosion reduction." She highlighted a surprising discovery about parasitoids—natural enemies of crop pests: "The average rate of parasitism of the giant beetle in Estonia can reach up to sixty percent. Parasitoid populations are regulated by the abundance of their host beetles. When the level of parasitism consistently exceeds a certain threshold, such as two percent, it can significantly impact the host population. In areas where the parasitism rate of the giant beetle was over thirty-six percent, the population of these beetles was reduced by sixty percent the following year." Farmer Perspectives: Real-World Challenges Ott Läänemets shared practical insights about the challenges facing farmers regarding landscape elements: "We still need to make progress with landscape elements. Many landscape features are just piles of stones or soil that are pushed together. Farmers should be motivated to create a more diverse range in the field, but in a way that actually provides benefits." He emphasized flexibility's importance: "Farmers must see this for themselves and optimize their strategies to find solutions... Farmers should design landscape elements while considering our goal of making production more efficient. This doesn't necessarily conflict with environmental goals." Another farm organization representative shared an impactful experience: "Last year, there was one farmer who never used insect control as they relied entirely on natural methods. He disliked insect repellents. The predation was substantial, and all the stems were eaten. The most effective approach is to implement the right strategies that assist when chemical options aren’t available." Climate Change and Pest Dynamics: Emerging Effects Silva Vilumets from the Estonian University of Life Sciences emphasized how climate change affects pest patterns: "We have experienced significantly warmer springs, leading to earlier plant growth. Additionally, the soft ground, especially over large areas, results in decreased winter pest control. Over the past five to ten years, pest populations have risen above average levels." Looking Ahead: Collaborative Future The roundtable concluded with a shared commitment to ongoing collaboration among stakeholders. A ministry representative summarized: "We need two separate meetings here. One group should focus on plant protection products, plant health, and related insect issues. The other group should discuss landscape elements further. We’ll work on bringing together the right people for each discussion and develop more specific proposals." There was widespread consensus on the importance of evidence-based support and knowledge sharing between farmers, scientists, and policymakers. Emphasizing actionable data and insights for better decision-making will strengthen partnerships and promote sustainable agriculture across Estonia. Professor Veromann noted the success of the discussion: "I am glad that a substantive conversation has emerged. We need farmers, scientists, and policymakers working together to find practical solutions." The interplay between agriculture and biodiversity is vital and the roundtable showcased the ongoing value of this important discussion. The webinar ultimately emphasised the need for collaboration among all stakeholders to foster multi-benefit management of productive landscapes. For those interested in topics like these, check out our free webinars, which kick off with Transforming Agroecosystems Together  from 13-15 May 2025.

Publications and policy briefs from the H2020 FRAMEwork Project, discover insights on agriculture's green transition. All Resources Publication Type Select Type Topic Select Topic Publications: 63 Can farmer-led innovation promote biodiversity and sustainable farming? Conference: Arhaus University Biodiversity Symposium Project Authors: Finn Danielsen , Michael Poulsen, Gitte Kragh (NORDECO) Graham Begg (HUTTON), Gerid Hager (IIASA) View Citizen science and farmer-led innovation at the frontiers of farming and biodiversity Conference: European Citizen Science Association Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA) Gitte Kragh, Michael K Poulsen, Finn Danielsen (NORDECO), Graham Begg (HUTTON) View Citizen science in environmental and ecological sciences Journal: Nature Reviews Methods Primers Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA) View Community monitoring of natural resource systems and the environment Journal: Annual Review of Environment and Resources Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Connecting Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches in Environmental Observing Journal: Bioscience Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Creating Synergies between Citizen Science, Indigenous, and Local Knowledge Journal: Bioscience Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Data Sovereignty in Community-Based Environmental Monitoring: Toward Equitable Environmental Data Governance Journal: Bioscience Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Does Increasing Farm Plot Size Influence the Visual Quality of Everyday Agricultural Landscapes? Journal: Environmental Research and Public Health Project Authors: Kristina Janeckova Molnarova, Iris C. Bohnet (Czech University of Life Sciences) View Farmers use citizen science practices to support biodiversity on land Conference: European Open Science Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA), Daniela Ablinger (AREC), Marie-Luise Wohlmuth (BOKU), Walter Starz et al. View Farmers' decisions shape agricultural biodiversity Book Chapter: From science to organic farming Riina Kaasik, Silva Vilumets, Eve Veromann (Estonian University of Life Sciences) View Impact of sustainable land management practices on controlling water erosion events: hillslopes in the Czech Republic Journal: Cleaner Production Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Impacts of land consolidation on land degradation: A systematic review Journal: Environmental Management Project Authors: Finn Danielsen, Michael K Poulsen (NORDECO) View Is the Abandonment of Organic Grassland a Threat to Alpine Insect Diversity? Journal: Land Raja Imran Hussain, Daniela Ablinger, Walter Starz, Jürgen Kurt Friedel, Thomas Frank (HBLFA / AREC) View Monitoring Temporal Trends in Internet Searches for “Ticks” across Europe by Google Trends: Tick–Human Interaction or General Interest? Journal: Insects Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Navigating Natural Capital and Inclusive Wealth for gaining sustainability and wellbeing for the farming community (businesses, supply chain and consumers) Conference: ESP Europe Project Authors: Martino (HUTTON) Simmons (TAL) et al. View Processes and Tools for enabling Interoperability between Citizen Science and Expert Biodiversity Data in Agriculture Conference: Digital Earth Symposium Project Authors: Berta Giralt, Joan Maso (CREAF), Gerid Hager (IIASA) View Realising agrobiodiversity management across ecosystems with farmer clusters Conference: German Plant Protection Conference Project Authors: Youri Martin, Sarah Vray, Benedetto Rugani, Marco Beyer (LIST) View Spontaneous flowering vegetation favours hoverflies and parasitoid wasps in apple orchards but has low cascading effects on biological pest control Journal: Agriculture, Ecosystem & Environment Project Authors: Ludivine Laffon, Pierre Franck (INRAE) View The Concept, Practice, Application, and Results of Locally Based Environmental Monitoring Journal: Bioscience Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View The Contributions of Citizen Science to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Other International Agreements and Frameworks Journal: Citizen Science Theory & Practice Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View The Use of Digital Platforms for Community-Based Monitoring Journal: Bioscience Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View The potential of citizen science for Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services assessment in agri-environmental systems Conference: ESP Europe Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA), Gitte Kragh, Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View The potential of citizen science to support local biodiversity sensitive farming systems: First insights from the FRAMEwork project Conference: IOBC-WPRS Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA), Gitte Kragh (NORDECO) et al. View FRAMEwork collection of citizen science protocols and materials for Farmer Clusters Guideline Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA) et al. View Farmer Cluster Activity Briefs Brief Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA) et al. View Farmer Clusters - An Overview Guideline Project Authors: Niamh McHugh (GWCT) View Starting A Farmer Cluster Guideline Project Authors: Niamh McHugh (GWCT) View Managing A Farmer Cluster Guideline Project Authors: Niamh McHugh (GWCT) View Communication For Clusters Guideline Project Authors: Theo Simmons (TAL) View Biodiversity Monitoring for Clusters Guideline Project Authors: Niamh McHugh, Rachel Nichols, Jayna Connelly (GWCT) View Stakeholder Engagement For Clusters Guideline Project Authors: Niamh McHugh, Rachel Nichols, Jayna Connelly (GWCT), Theo Simmons (TAL) View Video Abstracts Workflow Summary Guideline: EIP Agri Practice Abstract Project Authors: Theodore Simmons (TAL) and Laura Mansier (UVA) et al. View Video Abstracts Workflow Paper Conference: IOBC-WPRS OSR Dresden Project Authors: Laura Mansier (UVA) and Theodore Simmons (TAL) et al. View The FRAMEwork approach to farmer-based biodiversity and ecosystem services monitoring Report Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA) et al. View The drivers and barriers to the provision of biodiversity and ES and the propagation of costs and benefits throughout the agri-food system Report Project Authors: Trinity Ndluvu (The James Hutton Institute) et al. View Project Communication and Dissemination Plan Report Project Authors: Alastair Simmons (Taskscape Associates) View Review of existing public incentive schemes plus design options Report Project Authors: Thomas Rellensmann, Stefanie Engel et al. (Osnabrück University) View A functional landscape complementation model with recommendations for the Farmer Clusters involved Report Project Authors: Laura Mansier and Paul van Rijn (University of Amsterdam) View DigiFarms: FRAMEwork games exploring farmer's knowledge of their biodiversity online. Report Project Authors: Claire Hardy (The James Hutton Institute) et al. View Modelling agricultural landscape complementation for natural pest control Journal of Applied Ecology Project Authors: Laura Mansier and Paul van Rijn (University of Amsterdam) View Zenodo Profile Directory: Open Access Repository Project Authors: The James Hutton Institute with Consortium View EU CAP Network Profile Directory: EIP-AGRI Project Database Project Authors: The James Hutton Institute with Consortium View Recodo Platform Directory: FRAMEwork Information Hub and Citizen's Observatory Project Authors: IIASA and Taskscape with Consortium View Explore project posters and other e-print materials Directory: Posters and Print Materials Project Authors: Consortium View Implementation of the Information Hub – the FRAMEwork online knowledge and action platform Report Project Authors: Gerid Hager (IIASA), Alastair Simmons (TAL) et al. View The Farmer Cluster approach for effective agroecology: a standardised protocol for measuring farmland biodiversity outcomes at the landscape-scale across Europe Journal: PLoS ONE Project Authors: Rachel Nichols (GWCT) et al. View Guidance for Strengthening Citizen Involvement in Nature Management in the Arctic Journal: TemaNord Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Strengthened Locally-Based Monitoring and Management of Living Resources in the Arctic Journal: TemaNord Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Bridging Knowledge Systems to Guide Natural Resource Decision-Making Journal: Trends in Ecology and Evolution (TREE) Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View Joint Nordic Effort for Biodiversity (2024) Journal: TemaNord Project Authors: Finn Danielsen (NORDECO) View

Taskscape Associate < Back Ollie Lansdell Taskscape Associate Ollie is an experienced camera operator, editor and colourist who works across documentaries, web video and museum installations. He's been working with Taskscape since 2015 and is a lead media associate.

Estonian centre for research and development in land management areas, renewable natural resources and environmentally friendly technologies. < Back The Estonian University of Life Sciences Estonian centre for research and development in land management areas, renewable natural resources and environmentally friendly technologies. Research and development within Estonian and international agriculture, forestry, animal science, veterinary science, rural life and economy, food science, biodiversity,nature protection, renewable natural resources and environmentally friendly technologies. In the Baltic Region, EMU is a leading institution for research, surveying and teaching in the fields of agriculture, biodiversity and landscape ecology. IN FRAMEWORK EMU will establish a Farmer Cluster in Estonia and facilitate it, encouraging farmers to take responsibility and adopt management strategies to support native biodiversity. EMU will involve local stakeholders, participate in the biodiversity monitoring and data collection, and organize citizen- and farmer-based biodiversity data gathering in Estonia. EMU will conduct a Pilot Study to evaluate the effect of Biodiversity Sensitive Farming to Ecosystem Services, with special interest in species providing pest control. EMU will also, in conjunction with NGOs such as Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF), organize citizen observations and data collections. Previous Next