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The project's knowledge and action platform launches... We’re excited to share that over three years of collaborative work by FRAMEwork partners has led to the public launch of Recodo ! Recodo is an open access online platform that has been designed to support anyone making decisions for sustainable land management or taking action to monitor, maintain and restore vital ecosystems in farmed landscapes.  The platform provides an online home for our new Farmer Cluster Network and a place to share useful knowledge and resources on biodiversity with key landscape stakeholders. Recodo  expands access to the project’s knowledge base, allowing us to serve audiences online from the ground up - from farmers and their communities to researchers, NGOs and policy makers.  The platform built by IIASA How was the site developed?  In 2021, project Work Package 3 partners IIASA and Taskscape began developing the platform: holding workshops on user requirements within the project consortium, developing branding and testing mock-ups with leading Cluster farmers.  September 2023 saw a beta version go online, launching Farmer Cluster Network profiles that Clusters can populate with information and their latest news through ‘Farmer Cluster Stories’. The platform was then reviewed by key user groups outside the project. This process confirmed interest from target audiences identified for the site and enabled us to further understand and serve their needs. © Taskscape Media What can I currently find on the site? The platform has been developed from the ground up - starting with a core offer focused around our new Farmer Cluster Network. You can explore their profiles today and access associated resources supporting successful interventions for landscape-scale biodiversity management: ‘Landscape Leaders: Farmer Cluster Training Programme’ Online Biodiversity Observatory Citizen Science Guides Global News Feed Curated resources library Informative media content What’s coming in launch Phase Two? This is just the beginning! In the Autumn of 2024, a further suite of knowledge tools and resources will come online including: The Farmland Ecosystem Assessment Support Tool helping users test biodiversity-sensitive land management decisions virtually using real-world data. The Data Hub opening up biodiversity data from across our Cluster Network to farmers, communities and researchers. © Taskscape Media We’ll also be exploring topics important to our users through Substack and YouTube channels and planning is underway for an event series, ‘Recodo in Real Life’, bringing our extended community together offline for dedicated events. For now, we hope you enjoy exploring the platform and sharing its core offer. It’s a fantastic way to access knowledge and experience from a broad network of people acting for agrobiodiversity across Europe. To see ideas that have been in development since FRAMEwork’s start come to life through the hard work and commitment of our consortium is inspiring and we remain excited for what Recodo can provide users going forward. © Taskscape Media | Graphics contain quotes summarised from feedback interviews If you would like to share relevant resources on the platform please get in touch .

Fundación Artemisan share project learnings on cover crops... © ARTEMISAN Last week, FRAMEwork partner Fundación Artemisan  had the opportunity to share the tangible impacts of their long-running work on cover crops with an audience of public workers and technicians from sustainability and environmental delegations.  On 10th October, the LIFE Iberconejo  project held an event, “Prevention of Rabbit Damage in Agriculture” at the Centro IFAPA Alameda del Obispo  in collaboration with the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation  and Andalusian Hunting Federation .  Artemisan researcher Gonzalo Varas Romero filled us in on the event:  “The meeting was very interesting. Different people showed the main problems related to the overabundance of rabbits and the different solutions. Cristóbal´s point of view, who has experienced as a farmer before the problem, during and now, was very interesting for everyone. He showed how the cover vegetations implemented in the Framework project had reduced or eliminated the problem. It is important to highlight the connections between different European projects to solve biodiversity problems in Europe.” Gonzalo and Cristobal present | © ARTEMISAN Gonzalo is the facilitator of FRAMEwork's Cazadores de Aguilar Farmer Cluster in which Cristobal is the lead farmer. LIFE Iberconejo is a consortium of Spanish and Portuguese entities working to establish a system for managing rabbit populations in the Iberian Peninsula, where they are a key species for the local ecosystem. Co-financed by the European Commission’s LIFE programme, the project seeks to improve the state of rabbit populations in the region and, at the same time, reduce and even prevent the damage rabbits cause to agriculture. Hunting organisations and environmental groups are important collaborators in Andalusia, and our colleagues at Artemisan are instrumental in this regional dynamic. Their FRAMEwork-funded research into sustainable hunting management to protect biodiversity has engaged politicians and policy-makers, affecting real change. Artemisan’s relationship with LIFE Iberconejo, who use their data analysis of regional rabbit populations in their databases, is another example of impactful landscape-scale collaboration.  At the event, representatives of Artemisan presented the FRAMEwork project alongside Cristóbal Reina, a farmer and former president of the Aguilar de la Frontera hunting reserve. They shared their success in implementing cover crops to significantly reduce damage caused by rabbits to olive and vineyard crops. Artemisan will participate in another event with LIFE Iberconejo later this month, discussing the conservation of the mountain rabbit.

Read the Autumn 2022 update from the Framework Project... Now project activity is really rolling on the ground, post-pandemic, WP1 partner Taskscape Associates has begun publishing a periodic e-newsletter. You can read the first edition below. Don't forget to subscribe and share if you find it valuable...

The project's 2021 Annual Meeting and General Assembly is held virtually... The H2020 FRAMEwork project's first Annual Meeting and General Assembly recently took place on September 29-30, 2021. Stock | Unsplash Originally planned as an in-person gathering, the meeting was held virtually via the project's Microsoft Teams platform due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with knowledge exchange partner Taskscape providing IT support and digital collaboration tools. The meeting brought together consortium partners and advisory board members from across Europe for two intensive days of collaboration and strategic planning. The project's core mission of developing and implementing Advanced Farmer Clusters to enhance biodiversity-sensitive farming took center stage as participants navigated the complexities of remote collaboration. Project coordinator Graham Begg from the James Hutton Institute welcomed participants on both days and closed out the event, acknowledging the challenges of running such a complex meeting virtually while expressing satisfaction with the level of engagement achieved. "It's sometimes difficult to know how things will pan out... but I'm really pleased by the way it went," he reflected, "there's lots of information and planning here." Day One: Setting the Foundation The first day focused on Work Packages 3, 4, and 6, with participants splitting into virtual breakout rooms to tackle critical questions about stakeholder engagement, economic analyses, and data collection challenges. Miro boards were deployed to help enable remote collaboration and record keeping, despite the online-only format. A key discussion point emerged around Work Package 6's economic surveys and experiments. Professor Stephanie Engel and her team identified significant challenges in coordinating data collection across multiple countries and clusters. The meeting revealed this as a project-wide challenge requiring collective problem-solving rather than a single work package's responsibility. As Coordinator Graham Begg noted, this is an area where "we start talking about Taskscape's NASA mission analogies, and where we're hurtling down to Earth", emphasising the critical importance of resolving these coordination issues. Day Two: Biodiversity Monitoring and Innovation The second day shifted focus to the heart of the project – Work Packages 2 and 5, dealing with Advanced Farmer Clusters and biodiversity monitoring. John Holland of the Game and Wildlife Trust led discussions on the challenges and opportunities in establishing baseline monitoring across the project's eleven pilot clusters, spanning multiple countries. A vigorous debate emerged about monitoring frequency, with consensus building around the need for annual monitoring despite resource constraints. Participants from geographically smaller clusters like those in the Czech Republic and larger ones in Estonia and the UK discussed tailored approaches to make monitoring feasible while maintaining scientific rigor. The overall sentiment became clear, that annual monitoring would overcome a lot of the problems, though time and resources remained a concern. The afternoon brought a panel discussion on innovation, featuring contributions from external advisory board members Louise Amand, of Capitals Coalition and Vasileios Vasileiadis from Syngenta. The panel explored FRAMEwork's ambitious goal of piloting a "Biodiversity Sensitive Farming System" to provide a lasting legacy beyond the project's five-year timeline. Working in the Shadow of COVID-19 Perhaps the most thought-provoking discussions centered on how the COVID-19 pandemic had reshaped the project's context and potentially its outcomes. The team recognised that the world had changed since the project proposal was written, and flexibility would be key to success. Project Coordinator Graham Begg articulated the challenge: "Does it mean that actually what we'd already planned... remains relevant, or are there other things that we need to adjust because people's expectations and positions will have changed somehow?" The project committed to conducting a horizon-scanning exercise to ensure FRAMEwork remains relevant in a post-pandemic world. Project participants agreed, with Gitte Kragh, NORDECO, noting "I think we need to be ambitious and I think it is the right time to be... it's crucial we openly show evolutions in the project, sharing what we're working on and building" A particularly exciting development was news shared by Gitte of potential government funding in Denmark that could expand Farmer Cluster approaches there – a sign of FRAMEwork's possible interlinkages already extending beyond the project's immediate participants. Looking Ahead to Luxembourg and Beyond The meeting's success was evident in the rich discussions captured across multiple breakout rooms, from detailed technical debates about monitoring protocols to strategic conversations about the project's impact and legacy. Conversations concluded with plans for the next whole-project gathering in Luxembourg, hopefully in-person, scheduled for 2022. Knowledge exchange lead Alastair Simmons, Taskscape, and Project Manager Fanny Tran, Hutton, committed to leaving the collaborative Miro boards open for a week following the meeting to allow participants to add further thoughts and consolidate ideas that emerged during the real-time discussions. Despite the challenges of remote participation, the meeting demonstrated remarkable engagement. Participants navigated technical set-ups, time zone differences, and the absence of informal corridor conversations that typically enrich in-person conferences. Yet, the virtual format also enabled broader participation and creative solutions, including the recording of content for future uses, including blogs like this, and the deployment of digital collaboration tools. As FRAMEwork moves forward, the insights gained from this virtual gathering will help shape its trajectory. The project's ambition – to pilot not just research – remains intact. The challenge now lies in maintaining momentum, resolving practical challenges identified, and ensuring that innovations developed truly benefit both farmers and biodiversity stakeholders across Europe. The meeting closed with a reminder of the project's scale and responsibility. As the project's Deputy Coordinator Benedetto Rugani, of LIST, emphasised, "the EU has given us 8 million euros to tackle a big question." With such investment comes the obligation to try and evolve with a changing world and new circumstances over the project's five years, pandemic or not. The H2020 FRAMEwork project (2020-2025) is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. It aims to develop and pilot farmer clusters for biodiversity-sensitive farming across Europe, creating lasting systems thinking learnings for Europe's green transition.

A new series connects FRAMEwork into the conservation conversation... We're pleased to share that the project podcast series   Foodlands  launched this month! The series' six hour-long episodes explore project topics with participants from across the consortium as well as external guests. Header graphic | © Taskscape What is Foodlands? Foodlands is designed as a go-to resource for listeners new to the issue of how our foodsystem interacts with biodiversity as well as experts who want to hear from different perspectives. It covers key topics surrounding project work strands, sharing interesting facts and thoughts on valuing foodsystem biodiversity with listeners. Topic strands graphic | © Taskscape How was the series developed? Foodlands was created by Communication, Knowledge Exchange and Participation Partner Taskscape. They began podcasting for the project in 2021, as a way of creating engaging media content within Covid-19 restrictions. To frame the series, Taskscape interviewed American science writer Charles C Mann. He developed the 'Phrophets-Wizards' continuum which places expert interventions on sustainability issues on a spectrum - from 'prophets', who raise warnings of earth system limits and the need for practice change, to 'wizards' who think challenges will be solved by technological innovation. Further interesting external guests include legal expert Isabelle Doussain, radical economist Timothee Parrique, sustainable farming pioneer Patrick Holden and agritech expert Mark Maslin. Guests' support for the podcast has already helped episodes featuring project participants and their work reach hundreds of listeners. Taskscape developed editorial independence for the series, to ensure contributors felt comfortable sharing diverse perspectives. But the series is grounded in the project's interdisciplinary ethos and informed by its investigation of a blended, land-sharing, approach to managing biodiversity and ecosystem services. Overall, the series seeks to open up the discussion of biodiversity-sensitive agriculture beyond labels and tribes to focus on big-picture shared goals. How can I listen? Bonus episodes are planned, including additional interviews as well as roundtable discussions hosted by project partners - so if you're interested in following the conversation please subscribe  to the series wherever you listen! Who presents the series? Foodlands  is presented by Taskscape producers Alexandra Georges-Picot and Theodore Simmons. Alex is based out of Brittany, FR. She's hosted on European Union Radio and holds an MPhil in Agricultural History from Oxford University. Theo is based out of Cumbria, UK. He's worked on EU bioscience projects and holds a degree in English Literature from Oxford University.

A request to share project activities and learnings... Following an invite sent to the project website, FRAMEwork was delighted to present to the Swedish Board of Agriculture's annual seminar on November 18th, 2024, sharing experiences from our 'Advanced Farmer Cluster Network' with over 30 agricultural advisers, administrators, NGOs, and committed farmers. The board's headquarters located in central Jönköping, Sweden | Visit Site The Annual Seminar For 15 years, Jordbruksverket has hosted an annual late autumn seminar focused on the environmental objective "A Varied Agricultural Landscape." This year's program, featured sessions on agricultural biodiversity and ecosystem services, with a special theme addressing "Climate and Preparedness." The seminar brings together key stakeholders including advisers from Hushållningssällskapet, administrators from county boards, representatives from the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF), researchers from SLU and RISE, and conservation organizations like WWF and the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation. Previous seminars have featured British contributors including Georgie Bray from Hope Farm presenting on wildlife-friendly farming models, and Dr. Philip Sterling from Butterfly Conservation discussing managing road verges for biodiversity. FRAMEwork's Presentation Project Coordinator Graham Begg from the James Hutton Institute and Deputy Coordinator Alastair Simmons from Taskscape delivered a comprehensive overview of FRAMEwork's approach to biodiversity-sensitive farming. Their presentation covered: The UK Farmer Cluster Journey : Beginning with the 2010 "Making Space for Nature" report's conclusion that farmland conservation needed to be "bigger, better and joined," Graham traced the evolution from successful pilot studies (2012-2015) through to today's network of 177+ groups covering over 450,000 hectares. This farmer-led approach has proven particularly effective in delivering landscape-scale conservation. The FRAMEwork Approach : The team explained how FRAMEwork is establishing Biodiversity Sensitive Farming as an approach to enable EU farming systems to conserve biodiversity while benefiting from enhanced ecosystem services and mitigating potential agronomic or economic risks. Advanced Farmer Cluster Network : A detailed look at FRAMEwork's 11 farmer clusters across Europe, from mixed farming systems in Austria's Burgenland to olive groves in Spain's Cazadores de Aguilar. Each cluster brings unique perspectives on biodiversity-friendly farming measures, monitoring and evaluation, and stakeholder engagement. Project Resources and Tools : Alastair highlighted the comprehensive resources being developed, including tools for ecosystem assessment, biodiversity monitoring and management, knowledge exchange, and local action implementation. The Recodo Platform : A demonstration of the innovative online platform ( www.recodo.io ) being developed within the project, showing how it supports clusters and stakeholders through curated news feeds, resource libraries, and tools for researchers, farmer clusters, local leaders, policymakers, and NGOs. Looking Forward : The presentation concluded with FRAMEwork's next steps, including the upcoming "Recodo In Real Life" event series planned for 2025, which will bring stakeholders together with the platform's resources in person through webinars and a conference-style final event. SBA Logo - courtesy SBA About the Swedish Board of Agriculture The Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) serves as Sweden's expert authority for agriculture, fishery, and rural areas. Similar to the UK's DEFRA in many ways, the organization monitors and analyzes sector development, keeps the government informed, and implements political decisions within their field. Their mission centers on promoting sustainable and profitable food production while contributing to animal welfare and vibrant rural communities across Sweden. As the responsible authority for Sweden's environmental objective "A Varied Agricultural Landscape," Jordbruksverket works to protect the value of farmed landscapes for biological production and food production while preserving and strengthening biodiversity and cultural heritage assets. Building International Connections The seminar provided an excellent opportunity to share FRAMEwork's learnings with a diverse audience of practitioners and policymakers, demonstrating how farmer-led approaches can deliver meaningful biodiversity outcomes across different European contexts. The engagement with Swedish stakeholders, a country not included in FRAMEwork, reinforces the project's commitment to contributing to a truly European network of biodiversity-sensitive knowledge. For more information about FRAMEwork's Advanced Farmer Clusters and resources, visit www.recodo.io or contact the project team through the FRAMEwork website.

FRAMEwork has been selected for inclusion in the US Department of Agriculture's National resource library, used by stakeholders around the world.... Stock | Unsplash We're pleased to share that, as of late September 2024, the EU Horizon 2020 FRAMEwork project has been added to the USDA National Agricultural Library. The project now appears in the NAL collection, one of the world's largest agricultural information repositories serving researchers, policymakers, and practitioners across the United States and globally. The National Agricultural Library maintains a highly curated collection focused on materials that advance specific research and sector needs. The library's collection development policy emphasises selective acquisition of international resources rather than comprehensive archiving, with active selection based on thematic, long-term, relevance. With thousands of eligible agricultural projects conducted across Europe as part of Horizon 2020 and similar programs, only a small fraction are selected for inclusion in NAL's databases - making FRAMEwork's inclusion an excellent impact and legacy outcome for the project. This recent news fits into a broader story. FRAMEwork's research is read globally, but the project has also engaged directly in knowledge exchange activities with American stakeholders in project issues. The project podcast series ' Foodlands ', features interesting discussions with American science writers like Charles C Mann and Michelle Nijhuis on both European and U.S ecosystems and agricultural practices. Mann, in particular, expressed keen interest in European cropping systems and approaches to agrobiodiversity and explored their potential lessons for American contexts. More recently, a knowledge exchange meeting was arranged at the request of Andrew Little, Associate Professor of Landscape and Habitat Management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Andrew is a leading figure in Nebraska's landscape and wildlife management. His work seeks to balance agricultural production with biodiversity and ecosystem services retention and improvement. The meeting, attended by Work Package Lead Dr Niamh McHugh and Project Deputy Coordinator Alastair Simmons, explored the workings and flexibility of the Farmer Cluster approach, especially in relation to biodiversity monitoring and habitat management. We look forward to the project's activities and learnings continuing to be discovered through these international collaboration routes.

Thoughts from Dr Graham Begg, Project Coordinator at The James Hutton Institute, presented at the project's online Kick-Off Meeting... So what is the H2020 FRAMEwork project? In the Framework Project farmers will work together to enhance biodiversity across the landscape. They will work with scientists and engineers to increase knowledge and to find solutions to problems of managing biodiversity. And they will also work with citizens, retailers, processors, government policymakers and others to ensure that biodiversity sensitive farming is valued and fair incentives are offered to drive adoption. 'Faces of FRAMEwork' - a Social Media Video by Taskscape Why are projects like this needed? In Europe, where agriculture accounts for about 40 percent of land use conserving farmland, biodiversity could make a significant contribution to countering the alarming loss of biodiversity that we're experiencing. Neither relying on the adoption of nature friendly approaches like organic farming or efforts to promote our environmental protection through legislation has been effective. While the loss of biodiversity is a local and global tragedy, there's also an urgent need for agriculture to feed a growing global population. Biodiversity has an important part to play by delivering essential ecosystem services to maintain productive agro ecosystems as sources of affordable and nutritious food. Framework is an ambitious response to these critical problems. The project will create a biodiversity sensitive farming system that will encourage and enable farmers to conserve biodiversity, promote a rebalancing of agriculture in a way that capitalises on the value of biodiversity, and improve the capacity of farming to deliver food and nutritional security in the face of climate change, disease, pandemics and other pressures on the system. Framework will produce a prototype to improve system level, practise learning from its development and its testing with the ambition that it's rolled out across Europe in the years following the project. What might a Biodiversity-Sensitive Farming System look like? The blueprint for the framework biodiversity-sensitive farming system includes four elements - advanced farm clusters are the foundation of the system. The system will see local farmers work together collectively on landscape scale management supported by a cluster facilitator with expertise in agriculture and the environment, and with links to a cluster stakeholder group to inform and promote policy and practise. Our approach recognises the importance of landscape scale processes in promoting biodiversity and also the power of collective approaches to land management. Project Coordinator Graham Begg, taken later at the Project's first in-person event, Credit: LIST It will build on lessons learnt by the success of the farmer clusters in the UK, where a framework project partner the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has been instrumental in growing the network to more than 170 clusters. In support of the advance farmer clusters, the framework system includes a second element, one focussing on technical knowhow in which specialists will provide advice, methods and tools to support biodiversity monitoring and management. Scientific innovation is the third element, and this will focus on understanding the ecology, sociology and economics of sustainability and agricultural systems with the aim of inspiring guy and guiding the creation of new solutions. And lastly, the citizen observe between information help. The fourth element is a digital platform for sharing information, data and resources, and for promoting virtual and real activities with the aim of creating a multi-factor action network in support of biodiversity sensitive farming. How are we delivering this Biodiversity-Sensitive Farming System? Over the next five years, framework will work to translate this blueprints to fully functioning prototype tried and tested and ready to roll out across Europe to begin with. Framework will establish a permanent network of farm clusters throughout elevon dedicated pilot studies from Scotland to Italy and from Spain to Estonia. The project will link these with local cluster stakeholder groups and provide support from cluster facilitators. We will oversee biodiversity management activities, selection, implementation and evaluation. Standardised methods will be used across the pilot studies to monitor outcomes, including biodiversity, ecosystem services and farm operations. The clusters will also operate as living labs, providing real world platforms for landscape ecological Studies. Framework will also build the Citizen Observatory and Information Hub, through which we will share tools and advice for farmers, trading modules and a range of materials. Support citizen science monitoring campaigns. We will use the Citizen Observatory, an information hub, as a portal to share new sets of citizen generated data and collaborate with other citizen observatories and link with other biodiversity projects and initiatives framework. We use data from the pilot studies to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced farmer clusters and the biodiversity sensitive farming system as a whole. It will assess the economic, social and ecological costs and benefits of the system and identify the drives and limitations of success using this knowledge to promote effective policy level decision making. How will we make an impact during and after? Throughout the project, pilot studies will be used to instigate change in their regions by demonstrating best practise and inspiring other farmers, thereby establishing a self-sustaining and growing advanced farmer cluster network across Europe. To do this framework has brought together a comprehensive set of actors, including a large network of farmers, extension services and University applied research institutes. We have academic excellence in the key disciplines of agro ecology, agricultural sociology and behavioural economics. And these are complemented by considerable expertise in agricultural and environmental science, including trans-disciplinary approaches in applied research and the extensive resource base to go along with this. In addition, framework includes specialists on communications and media production and training, and in citizen science and participatory research framework. Partners are leaders in their respective fields and all have a strong track record of successful participation and coordination in large multi partner in international projects. Working together to learnedly by example is at the heart of the framework approach through a strategic combination of participatory activities. Framework offers a short pathway to innovation based impact. Framework will empower co innovation by linking together for the first time the necessary components for a comprehensive, biodiversity sensitive farming system. And in the process, return an array of innovative tools to agricultural stakeholders and provide evidence to support policies in agriculture, food and the environment. Each of these innovations will have an impact on the way farming is done. But it is in combination as the framework biodiversity sensitive farming system that they will have their greatest impact and have an enduring legacy making biodiverse, productive, resilient and sustainable agriculture more achievable across our agricultural landscapes. Dr Graham Begg is Project Coordinator of FRAMEwork at WP1 coordinating partner The James Hutton Institute. For more information about getting involved with FRAMEwork's activities, contact us .

Addressing Challenges for Arable Biodiversity... On the 27 th  February 2024 , the workshop "Challenges for Arable Biodiversity: Threats and Opportunities" was held in Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswolds, funded by Cotswold National Landscapes through their Farming in Protected Landscapes programme. Cotswolds Landscape | Unsplash This gathering brought together farmers, scientists, and conservation experts to tackle the pressing issues facing biodiversity in UK arable landscapes. The event provided a platform for sharing practical solutions, examining case studies, and fostering collaboration between agricultural and conservation sectors. The workshop addressed critical challenges including the ongoing decline of farmland species despite agri-environment schemes, climate change impacts on agricultural systems, and the fragmentation of wildlife habitats. Participants explored how integrated land management approaches could support both biodiversity recovery and productive farming, with particular emphasis on the role of farmer clusters and collaborative landscape-scale initiatives. Key Themes and Discussions The event highlighted several urgent priorities for arable biodiversity conservation: Declining biodiversity trends  remained a central concern, with many UK arable species and habitats continuing to face pressure from modern agricultural practices and changing land use patterns. Despite existing agri-environment schemes, participants acknowledged that more innovative and flexible approaches were needed. Climate adaptation and mitigation  featured prominently in discussions, with emphasis on improving soil health, carbon sequestration, and water quality management as essential components of sustainable farming systems. Habitat connectivity  emerged as a crucial factor, with successful examples of farm clusters, grassland restoration projects, and collaborative landscape management demonstrating how ecological networks could be rebuilt across fragmented agricultural landscapes. Knowledge gaps  were identified as a significant barrier, particularly the lack of comprehensive data on priority arable species' needs and distribution, which complicates effective conservation planning. FRAMEwork Project Contribution Building on their participation in the Welsh biodiversity workshop the previous October, Work Package 2 'Advanced Farmer Clusters' Lead Niamh McHugh and Deputy Coordinator Alastair Simmons once again represented the H2020 FRAMEwork project, delivering a new presentation tailored to the Cotswolds context. Their contribution explored how the FRAMEwork project's innovative approaches to farmer-led conservation could address the specific challenges identified during the workshop, demonstrating the adaptability and relevance of the project's methodologies across different UK landscapes. The presentation complemented the insights they had shared at the Restoring the Biodiversity of Arable Habitats in Wales event , showcasing how lessons learned from farmer clusters across Europe could be applied to support biodiversity recovery in the Cotswolds' distinctive arable systems. Breaking Down Barriers Through Collaboration A central theme emerging from the workshop, as reported by FRAMEwork Deputy Coordinator Alastair Simmons who facilitated several breakout groups, was the need to break down territorial divisions that hinder effective biodiversity conservation. Participants identified multiple stakeholder groups—from farmers and landowners to NGOs, statutory bodies, and consumers—whose siloed approaches often create barriers to unified action on arable biodiversity challenges. The workshop generated innovative solutions to foster greater collaboration, including the establishment of management groups incorporating farmers from Farmer Clusters to strategically plan and widen involvement in biodiversity initiatives. Participants emphasized the critical role of Farmer Clusters as proven vehicles for peer learning, knowledge exchange, and testing new conservation approaches—a model central to the FRAMEwork project's methodology. The groups recommended developing more generalist advisors who can work across disciplinary boundaries, educating students for the overlaps between territories rather than narrow specializations. Looking ahead, participants proposed using systems thinking and multi-layer GIS mapping to tell compelling stories about arable biodiversity benefits, while leveraging existing NGO and public sector networks to consistently engage Farmer Clusters. The workshop also highlighted the potential of emerging technologies, including AI and machine learning, for navigating big data to support biodiversity conservation, while cautioning about the need for the conservation sector to stay ahead of potential private sector manipulation of information. These insights reinforce the FRAMEwork project's integrated approach to supporting farmer-led biodiversity recovery across European landscapes. Learning from Practice The workshop featured compelling case studies from both the UK and Europe, showcasing practical interventions such as wildflower margin establishment, sustainable grazing systems, and successful farm cluster collaborations. The Cotswolds' own "Farming in Protected Landscapes" programme was highlighted as an exemplar of multi-sector partnership working, demonstrating measurable nature recovery benefits while maintaining agricultural productivity. Participants engaged in field walks, specialist workshops, and facilitated discussion groups, enabling direct knowledge exchange between practitioners and researchers. These interactive sessions generated shared strategies for implementing habitat-led approaches and establishing long-term monitoring programmes. Policy and Practice Integration A recurring theme throughout the event was the need for better alignment between policy frameworks and on-farm practice. Discussions examined both the successes and limitations of current agri-environment schemes, with particular attention to ensuring continuity when schemes end and improving communication of biodiversity goals to all stakeholders. The importance of farmer engagement emerged as crucial for lasting biodiversity gains. Participants emphasised that flexible, locally-adapted schemes supported by accessible advice networks were essential for enabling farmers to implement effective conservation measures without compromising their livelihoods. Moving Forward The workshop concluded with a sense of both urgency and optimism about the future of arable biodiversity in the UK. The event reinforced that reversing biodiversity decline requires continued collaboration between farmers, conservationists, researchers, and policymakers. The FRAMEwork project's contribution to these discussions demonstrates the value of international collaboration and knowledge exchange in developing innovative solutions for biodiversity recovery. As integrated farming systems and nature recovery become increasingly central to UK agricultural policy, the strategies and partnerships developed through events like this workshop will be essential for creating resilient arable landscapes that support both wildlife and sustainable food production. The continued involvement of projects like FRAMEwork ensures that UK farmers can benefit from cutting-edge research and practical experience from across Europe, adapting successful approaches to local contexts and challenges.

Restoring the Biodiversity of Arable Habitats in Wales... Graphic: GWCT On 17-18 October 2023, a major workshop on restoring the biodiversity of arable habitats in Wales was held at the Medrus Conference Centre, Aberystwyth University. This collaborative event, sponsored by Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership and funded by the Welsh Government, brought together farmers, conservationists, researchers, and policymakers to address the critical challenges facing wildlife in agricultural landscapes across Wales. The workshop was supported by multiple conservation organizations including Wildlife Trusts Wales, RSPB Cymru, Plantlife, Puffin Produce Ltd (home of Blas y Tir), and others, demonstrating the collaborative approach needed to restore biodiversity in Welsh arable systems. Participants examined evidence-based conservation measures, shared experiences from successful projects, and discussed the unique opportunities and challenges present in Welsh arable habitats. Who Took Part The event attracted a diverse audience of stakeholders invested in Welsh agricultural biodiversity, including: Welsh farmers and land managers seeking practical conservation solutions Representatives from Natural Resources Wales Conservation organisations and wildlife trusts Agricultural advisors and consultants Researchers from various universities and institutes Policy makers involved in agri-environment schemes FRAMEwork Project Presentation The H2020 FRAMEwork project was well-represented at the workshop, with Work Package 2 'Advanced Farmer Clusters' Lead Dr Niamh McHugh and Project Deputy Coordinator and KE Lead Alastair Simmons delivering a presentation on the innovative approaches to farmer-led conservation the project is extending, piloting and researching across the UK and Europe. Alastair was also invited to facilitate break out discussions which placed project issues at the center of debate. The FRAMEwork project is developing and testing new models for collaborative landscape-scale conservation, exploring the value of farmer clusters in achieving biodiversity goals while supporting sustainable farming practices. Key Outcomes and Recommendations The workshop generated valuable recommendations through structured breakout sessions focusing on different aspects of arable biodiversity restoration. Participants identified critical priorities for the Welsh Government's Sustainable Farming Scheme, emphasizing that arable options must be maintained within the 10% semi-natural habitat requirement and that the Collaborative Tier should be implemented as soon as possible to reward farmers for biodiversity delivery. A key recommendation was to set up formalised Farmer clusters in Wales.  Discussion participants called for the creation of cluster groups bringing together farms and associated NGOs, with dedicated facilitators who understand both ecology and finance. Organizations like Tyfu Cymru, Farming Connect, and GWCT were identified as potential facilitators to provide the middle ground between farmers, statutory bodies, and NGOs. To support this, participants recommended creating a consortium comprising key farming bodies (NFU, FWAG, Farming Connect, Nature Friendly Farmers) and nature conservation NGOs to develop an effective arable biodiversity network across Wales. This recommendation aligns directly with the FRAMEwork project's proven farmer cluster approach, demonstrating the value of this collaborative model. The workshop also highlighted urgent needs for improved support systems, including a single point of contact for farmers to receive unified messaging, with "arable ambassadors" from the farming community serving as strategic contact points. Participants emphasized the importance of demonstration farms, biodiversity identification training through local Biodiversity Information Centres, and more flexible, results-based payment schemes that reward farmers for biodiversity outcomes. Specific recommendations for the Sustainable Farming Scheme included support for unsprayed arable margins (identified as the "gold star" option), unsprayed winter cereals, and implementing "land sharing rather than land sparing" approaches to avoid creating biodiversity deserts in field centers. Watch the Sessions Online Recordings of the sessions are now available on YouTube. The workshop sessions covered a range of topics from practical habitat management techniques to policy discussions and farmer experiences: Session 2 : Watch here Session 3 : Watch here Session 4 : Watch here Session 5 : Watch here Session 6 : Watch here Note: If any link doesn't take you directly to the recording, please copy and paste it into your browser address bar.

FRAMEwork holds global knowledge exchange event in Prague... We're pleased to share that consortium partner the Czech University of Life Sciences recently hosted a hybrid conference for FRAMEwork, bringing project participants together with key stakeholders to explore collective approaches to improving farmland biodiversity at a landscape-scale. Credit: The James Hutton Institute Overview "Transforming Agroecosystems Together", 13-15 May 2025, took place around our final Annual Meeting and General Assembly, sharing five years of project insights and outputs with attendees, as well as advertising further webinars and outputs upcoming before project end. It was organised as part of the 'Recodo In Real Life' Event Series, associated with the project's online knowledge, action and legacy platform which hosts key outputs. The conference formed a leading contribution to the project's delivery of an International Scientific Stakeholder Congress (D1.10) through a distributed events series. So the project was pleased to successfully facilitate knowledge exchange on collective approaches to enhancing farmland biodiversity across continents and sectors, with 50 external log-ins to webinars over three days of sessions. "This has been very enlightening for me and a lot of the work shows opportunities for collaboration with the work we are doing on multifunctional landscapes under the CGIAR science program. Thank you presenters and organizers." ~ Online attendee, International Water Management Institute (IWMI) Feedback during and after the event was positive, with the project's attending officer from the EU's Research Executive Agency offering congratulations and commenting that it was "very interesting and impressive to see all the work being done". Please find more on engagement and impact at the end of this blog, along with where to access the program of sessions and their slides yourself! Event Program Hybrid sessions on May 13th opened with the project diving into the Farmer Cluster model underpinning FRAMEwork. Dr Graham Begg (Project Coordinator, James Hutton Institute) provided a project overview, with Neville Kingdon tracing the history of 'Farmer Clusters' to contextualise Dr Niamh McHugh's introduction of FRAMEwork's new Advanced Farmer Cluster network (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust). In-field insights came from Cluster Facilitators Jan Travnicek (Czech Organics ) and Aliyeh Salehi (BOKU Vienna), with Theo Simmons (Taskscape Associates) wrapping up with interview excerpts sharing perspectives from additional Facilitators and Farmers across the project unable to attend. The conference in action at CULS | Credit: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Wednesday morning was focused on showcasing practical tools: Dr Niamh McHugh presented on project training materials and guidelines, Gerid Hager on citizen science engagement strategies (IIASA) and Lisette Cantu on biodiversity monitoring tools (LIST). The morning then closed with attendees enjoying an introduction to the innovative FEAST farmland assessment tool from Doug Warner and John Tzilivakis at the University of Hertfordshire. Afternoon sessions turned to the broader contexts of digital knowledge exchange with Lindsay Crockett (IIASA) and Theo Simmons introducing Recodo and Berta Giralt (CREAF) discussing the Data Hub created for accessing and using project data. Day two wrapped up with a discussion on digital challenges, opportunities and gaps. The final day zoomed out to explore wider contexts. Trinity Ndlovu (James Hutton Institute) offered a systems perspective, while Camilla Moonen (Sant'Anna) tackled land abandonment and Laura Mansier (University of Amsterdam) explored habitat modelling for natural pest control. Turning to financial valuations, Simone Martino (James Hutton Institute) discussed natural asset profiling, with the University of Osnabruck's Thomas Rellensmann and Moritz Fritschle exploring public incentives and green financing. Professor Iris Bohnet (Czech University of Life Sciences Prague) zoomed out to analyse Farmer Cluster success factors, before Dr Niamh McHugh and Rachel Nichols shared project biodiversity assessment results and sustainability methodologies (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust). The event came to a close with presenters and attendees discussing challenges and opportunities across all topics. Engagement and Impact Thirty two registered project participants attended the conference. Following release of the final programme, the webinars achieved international reach through partner Taskscape's organic and paid promotion via two weeks of LinkedIn and email campaigns. These went out to project subscribers and external mailing lists created for FRAMEwork. Overall, ninety-four external registrants signed up for sessions and post-event dissemination materials. Curious? You can access the program and slides from the event here . External registrants represented a diverse mix of target stakeholders with over half (52.1%) registered from research organisations, followed by NGOs (27.7%), private sector representatives (12.8%) and policymaking or advisory organisations (7.4%). Their geographic distribution also supported the event's international scope with 32 countries represented. While Europe was the main audience location at 73.4%, the event also attracted registrations from North and South America (5.3%), Asia (8.5%), Africa (11.7%) and international organisations. If you're interested in joining one of FRAMEwork's free webinars yourself, we warmly invite you to explore the calendar and sign up to those remaining today!

Exploring a New Support Tool for Agricultural Decision Makers... On August 28, 2025, the project hosted an interactive workshop on FrameTest - an innovative decision support tool designed to help policymakers and stakeholders compare agricultural management options. The webinar was part of an event series  surrounding FRAMEwork's knowledge platform, Recodo . Graphic: Taskscape Led by Dr Claudio Petucco and Dr Gustavo Martin Larrea Gallegos from LIST (Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology), with support from Taskscape, the 90-minute session provided both theoretical grounding and practical demonstration of this new resource. Read on for a full deep dive, or if you're short on time find the key takeaways summarised on Recodo's LinkedIn page . Navigating Complexity in Agro-ecological Systems The workshop opened with context about Recodo and the H2020 FRAMEwork project's broader mission to support farmer clusters across Europe in implementing biodiversity-sensitive agricultural practices. This is especially important as the EU's latest Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has increased the level of organic farming and environmentally sensitive measures required to combat significant biodiversity loss and food system resilience challenges . As Dr Petucco explained, assessing these systems requires understanding multiple interconnected layers: ecological interactions (how biodiversity responds to or works within farming practices), social networks (how farmers exchange information), and economic factors (supply chains and input changes). Dr Petucco highlighted the lack of explicit models and data to predict outcomes when implementing such complex systems and outlined how: "The motivation was really to try to combine and understand all these sociological, economic, and ecological interactions" Interested in these issues? Explore more project webinars! Making the Complex Accessible FrameTest emerged from the need to bridge the gap between sophisticated agent-based modeling (ABM) and practical policy decision-making. The tool operates as a "surrogate model" or "meta-model" that provides rapid predictions based on extensive simulations from the underlying Frame-ABM system. Dr Gustavo Martin Larrea described the technical foundation: "Frame-ABM is a highly customizable model but it requires lots of parameters. For this reason, Frame-Test is built upon the results of the agent-based model using machine learning techniques to make the tool more accessible.” The result is what Gustavo likened to "a mixing console in which you tune each one of the knobs and you get a prediction of a particular KPI or key performance indicator" – all without requiring coding skills or advanced computer literacy. Real-World Applications The team presented three compelling use cases that guided FrameTest's development: Comparing Approaches : Testing whether farmer cluster approaches outperform farm-by-farm actions for specific goals like improving landscape connectivity (e.g, habitats) Integrated Pest Management : Analyzing trade-offs between natural predation and pesticide use to reduce chemical inputs without unacceptable yield risks Cost-Effectiveness Analysis : Determining which ecosystem interventions (flower strips, hedgerows, or combinations) deliver the most biodiversity per euro invested Live Demonstration During the live demo, participants saw FrameTest's intuitive web interface in action. The tool guides users through setting up scenarios with plain-language questions about: Farming landscape characteristics (field sizes, aggregation patterns) Farmer behaviors (tolerance to losses, response to dissimilarity) Economic incentives (subsidy amounts for different conservation measures) Ecosystem service efficiency (pest control effectiveness, pollination impacts) The Explorer feature then allows real-time visualization of how changing any parameter affects multiple outcomes – from biomass production to life cycle impacts and economic performance. Engagement and Future Development The workshop attracted diverse participants, with Simone Martino from The James Hutton Institute and Iris Bohnet from the Czech University of Life Sciences contributing thoughtful questions about data requirements, calibration processes, and adaptability to different regional contexts. Theo Simmons, Taskscape, also raised interesting possibilities for private sector applications, based on questions fielded while representing Recodo at conferences - such as businesses looking to support groups like Farmer Clusters through corporate offsetting, with a need to assess and report on such efforts. Overall, Q+A discussions centered on the tool's flexibility. While currently calibrated for Luxembourg's arable farming systems, the underlying framework can be adapted to other contexts, as Dr Petucco explained: "The customization of Frame-ABM... has an initial time cost, but then it's very easy to adapt to local conditions." Availability and Next Steps The team announced plans to release both Frame-ABM and FrameTest as open-source packages through the Recodo platform. This will enable researchers and practitioners to: Train their own FrameTest models for specific agricultural systems Customize the underlying agent-based model for regional contexts Expand the tool to include additional crops and farming systems Resources and Further Information For those interested in exploring FrameTest further or adapting it to their context, the team welcomes inquiries. For more information about FrameTest, visit Recodo where you can access the tool and contact the development team directly. As they emphasised, while the tool provides sophisticated modeling capabilities, its current value lies in making complex agricultural system analysis accessible to policymakers and stakeholders who need evidence-based insights for decision-making. The workshop materials, including slides and supporting documentation will be published to YouTube and made available to webinar registrants and online visitors via the project's legacy pack in Autumn 2025.