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In a presentation at The James Hutton Institute Simone Martino raises the importance of participatory methods and discusses enabling transition paths to leverage biodiversity whilst mitigating agronomic and economic risks. The aim of the poster presentation was to introduce the importance of participatory methods and discuss how the governance of several farmer clusters in Europe, a non-statutory institution, can enable the transition paths to conserve biodiversity whilst also mitigating any potential agronomic or economic risks. The discussion on the structure of the farmer cluster mediated by the participative mapping of the socio-ecological network where farmers and other stakeholders of the supply chain operate allows the research team to depict the structures and connections of key players along with the exploration of impacts, dependencies on natural capital and relations between other forms of capital (such as human and social). This qualitative analysis can be integrated with a more traditional quantitative accounting approach to commensurate the input used, and outputs generated, in the farms, and to measure the habitat extent and conditions (quality) and effects on biodiversity. Indication on landscape characteristics (e.g., fragmentation of habitats, patches connectivity) can be useful to address statistical approaches with the natural capital assets such as soil, water, biodiversity to explore any relations. This integrated approach to profile the natural capital assets of farmer clusters, in phase of evolution and currently addressing the analysis of the socio-ecological network, has received favourable support by the farmers who have participated in the first workshop carried out in January at the AONB Cranborne Chase (Dorset, UK), with the goal to better understand and delineate the strengths and the weaknesses of the current farmer cluster governance towards the support of biodiversity and possibly the generation of wellbeing to the rural community. This approach, that will be replicated in different clusters of Europe, will provide ideas to be shared among farmers, and farmers researchers and practitioners in conservation, emphasizing strengths and weakness of the farming management in place, and will serve as a bridge to put in connection initiatives and discuss success in biodiversity management.

The project brings together stakeholders to brainstorm, exchange knowledge and support shared aims and activities... On the 24th January, the project convened a workshop in Dorset, UK, that brought together different researchers, facilitators and Agrifood system stakeholders to discuss important aspects of leveraging Natural Capital within agriculture. Institutional representatives attended from local forestry and water management organisations as well as farm and Agrifood businesses. Project participants from The Game and Wildlife Trust, The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group, The James Hutton Institute and Taskscape Associates ran sessions to support key areas of interest: Developing a supportive and useful stakeholder network for the project and helping workshop participants build out their own networks Exploring Natural Capital impacts and dependencies in farming and the management of ecosystem services under biodiversity strategies adopted in farmer clusters Examining public and private schemes for the adoption of biodiversity enhancing practices The goal of the workshop was to depict interactions between stakeholders and how they relate to a series of domains referring to farm management, habitat creation, natural capital and ecosystem services and species enhancement with further consideration for human and social indicators applying to the farm. A series of activities and discussions explored and revealed links between actors and outputs generated by farmer clusters relating to natural, human social, and economic capital. We aimed to better understand how farmers choose between different options of public or private schemes and how these schemes can be best designed to support their adoption of biodiversity-enhancing practices. The session served as a reality check for the project's study design. Engagement and valuable feedback from attendees provided contributions to the development of future public and private agri-environmental schemes targeted at the needs of farmers. Simone Martino, Senior Researcher in Valuing Natural Capital at The James Hutton Institute reports: This was my first workshop as organiser, and I must be frank that I was quite nervous a few days before the event because of the difficulty to anticipate the reactions of farmers and institutional stakeholders about the different activities organised with the goal of facilitating the drawing of a map of social relations. I would say that farmers enjoyed these exercises, and probably found the entire session would have deserved more time to tell us more stories and fully explain the connections within the socio-ecological system of the Cranborne Chase. Institutional stakeholders and farmers were all well motivated in participating to the workshops as much as the research group and vividly expressed the idea of being kept informed on the results of the socio-ecological network to help them deliver a better environmental output while implementing biodiversity sensitive farming practises. This activity gave us a terrific output relevant to build the narrative that facilitates the evaluation of the links between different forms of capital (natural, human, social, etc.) as well as dependencies and impacts on the natural environment. It will be part of a broader set of approaches to be developed in the coming months based on profiling a quantitative natural capital approach operating in the farmer clusters and a decision support system to identify effective agricultural policy strategies at the regional and national scale.

Recent conference presentations highlight Framework's innovative approaches When it comes to improving agrobiodiversity, the importance of knowledge dissemination and collaboration cannot be overstated. Recently, Framework Austria made progress in this field with the submission and acceptance of two abstracts for oral presentations at important conferences. These presentations shed light on our approaches aimed at increasing awareness of the value of agrobiodiversity-supportive measures. Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau The first abstract, titled Wie erhöhe ich das Bewusstsein für und den Stellenwert von Agrobiodiversitäts-fördernden Maßnahmen? (How to raise awareness and value of agrobiodiversity measures?), was submitted to the sixteenth Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau conference. Burgenland Farmer Cluster Facilitator and research scientist Dr Aliyeh Salehi had the privilege of presenting the paper on March 10, 2023, in Frick, Switzerland. The WOL conference serves as an important platform for discussing ecological farming and sustainable agricultural practices. Dr Salehi's presentation highlighted innovative strategies for enhancing awareness and value associated with agrobiodiversity measures. By showcasing the Framework project and its objectives, participants gained valuable insights into practical methods that can be employed to promote the preservation and utilisation of agrobiodiversity. The presentation fostered collaboration and knowledge exchange among experts in the field. European Geosciences Union (EGU) Conference The second abstract, titled "Design and development of a new approach to increase the value of biodiversity in agriculture," has been submitted to the "European Geosciences Union (EGU)" conference. Dr Salehi is set to present this abstract on April 26, 2023, in Vienna, Austria. The EGU conference is renowned for bringing together scientists from various disciplines to discuss the latest advancements in earth, planetary, and space sciences. The forthcoming presentation at the EGU conference will illuminate Framework's approaches to elevating the importance of biodiversity in agriculture. By exploring innovative techniques and methodologies, this abstract aims to inspire attendees to embrace biodiversity as a valuable asset within agricultural systems. The presentation will contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding sustainable practices and environmental stewardship. The acceptance of these two abstracts for oral presentations at important conferences marks another good milestone in the project's active research outreach about agrobiodiversity. The presentations are part of our ongoing work to raise awareness and promote the value of biodiversity in agriculture. By sharing insights and innovative approaches, experts like Dr Salehi continue to play a vital role in fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the advancement of sustainable practices. We hope these presentations serve as catalysts for change, inspiring individuals and organisations towards further research. When people hear about the diverse knowledge creation and participation within Framework we hope they're encouraged to prioritise agrobiodiversity in their own work to benefit sustainable farming, ecosystems, and society as a whole.

Last week we were pleased to welcome, not only members of the Northeast Scotland FRAMEwork cluster, but also members of the Strathmore Wildlife Cluster to visit the James Hutton Institute based at Invergowrie. It was an action-packed day highlighting some of the work going on at the Institute. We kicked off the visit with a tour of the Centre for Sustainable Cropping (CSC) at Balruddery Farm which aims to test the long-term impacts of an integrated cropping system on whole-system sustainability. Andrew Christie gave an overview of the six-crop rotation and the integrated versus conventional treatments that are central to the work of the CSC and Gill Banks outlined some of the biodiversity measurements that were taken there. We then hopped on a tractor trailer to visit the bean field within the CSC to hear from Euan James about the work his group are doing to investigate nitrogen fixation rates in different varieties of beans under the differing management conditions of the CSC. In true Scottish summer weather fashion, it was a rainy morning but there was a break in the clouds just in time for our tour. We headed back to the main site at Invergowrie and were treated to a lovely lunch featuring some Hutton grown raspberries and had lots of useful discussion around the clusters. After lunch we were introduced to Tom V4, a monitoring robot from the Small Robot Company which is being hosted at Hutton. We will be testing its capabilities in things such as weed detection by deploying the robot in some of the field trials at the institute over the coming months. After this we heard from Graham Begg who introduced the FRAMEwork project which he coordinates and went on to demonstrate some of the tools from another project called AgLands, that will support decision makers in the design and management of future landscapes. Finally, we wrapped up our day by heading into one of the vertical growth towers on the Hutton site which is owned and run by Intelligent Growth Solutions. It was great tosee the range of crops growing this way, ranging from flowers, chillis and oak tree saplings all with minimalwater input and no soil. It was a day full of great discussion, questions, and thinking about what this all means for clusters moving into the future and we are looking forward to continuing to work with both our own cluster in the Northeast and developing stronger links with the nearby Strathmore Wildlife Cluster.

Sharing natural pest control knowledge in our 'Zeeasterweg' Farmer Cluster... The Flevoland Agricultural Collective organised an event on the 22nd June called "Flevoland bloeit," or 'Flevoland Blooms' ~ focusing on nature-inclusive farming. The event saw farmers attend from our Zeeasterweg Cluster, along with their Cluster Facilitator as well as scientists from the University Of Amsterdam who are working closely with the group. Cluster Facilitator Lennard Duijvestijn, Dr Paul van Rijn and doctoral candidate Laura Mansier from the university's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics operated a stand promoting nature-inclusive farming methods for natural pest control. This provided an opportunity to interact directly with farmers from the group and wider region, sharing biodiversity monitoring data and insights gathered from within the Zeeasterweg Cluster. Sessions held by the team also informed farmers about monitoring insects using pan and pitfall traps as well as selecting specific plant species to attract insects that are natural enemies of common pests. It was a great opportunity to share FRAMEwork's approach to making informed land management decisions based on biodiversity monitoring by farmers, citizens and scientists - working together to build up a useful picture of ecological dynamics in farming systems. More Information So what is FLAC Flevoland? Established in 2015 as the Flevoland Agricultural Collective, BoerenNatuur Flevoland has since become important to the central Flevoland region. This region is Holland's newest province, created through a land reclamation project known as the Zuiderzee Works. These works transformed parts of the Zuiderzee, a large saltwater inlet, into polder land which is now part of the mainland. The collective, formed by and for farmers, serves as a crucial meeting point and forum for farmers, government, NGOs and other stakeholders interested in nature-friendly farming practices. Responsible for Europe's Agricultural Nature and Landscape Management (ANLb) in the region, BoerenNatuur Flevoland facilitates financial compensation for members engaged in agricultural nature management. They aim to support the integration of agricultural productivity and environmental stewardship. How Does it relate to our Zeeasterweg Farmer Cluster? FRAMEwork's Dutch Farmer Cluster is located in the heart of this collective and involves many of its members. The Cluster totals ten farms covering 600 hectares and integrates both conventional and organic farming systems: primarily crops like cereals as well as orchards, grassland and market garden produce along with livestock like free range cattle and poultry. The cluster is interested in enhancing biodiversity and utilising natural pest control methods. Many of the farm businesses are guided by a desire to be more sustainable and directly provide consumers with greener produce through their farm shops and vending machines. Measures implemented by the Cluster include dedicating 5% of the farmland to environmental schemes - mainly flower strips and bird fields that support key functional biodiversity and also species of interest or concern. The Zeeasterweg Cluster acts as a 'living lab' for FRAMEwork's biodiversity monitoring and emerging scientific research on pest control measures .

Framework's Spanish Cluster hosts a fantastic project visit... For over 2500 years, olive production has been a celebrated product of the beautiful landscapes of Aguilar de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. But over the last few decades intensive and unsustainable agricultural practices have taken a toll on these cherished olive groves. The region's agroecosystems are now facing environmental threats to their productivity and utility. The removal of vegetative biodiversity from olive growing areas contributes to desertification. This in turn causes water run off that gauges dramatic gorges out of the landscape and destabilises groves through erosion. The resulting reduction in soil quality requires farmers to use more chemical inputs to maintain productivity or even to replace ancient groves completely. Beyond the groves, water management problems flow on contributing to urban flooding and placing significant strain on Spain's reservoirs and water systems. Meanwhile, desertification in groves also contributes to habitat fragmentation and net biodiversity loss. Spain has some of the highest community hunting levels in Europe. It's a pastime of passion, with a significant national lobby. Hunters have been fighting reductions in game species for years. The degradation of olive grove ecosystems continues to harm the numbers of key species, including those of interest to our Spanish Farmer Cluster. The good news? The Framework Project, an ambitious collaboration between 10 European countries, aims to change this narrative. By bringing together farmers, hunters, researchers, and political representatives, the project seeks to create a collective effort to restore and enhance biodiversity in farmland ecosystems. Framework's Spanish Cluster have been trialling biodiversity-sensitive measures across large areas of the Aguilar de la Frontera region. They've grown out a community of farmers and hunters concerned with improving the region's environmental sustainability. Framework participants appreciate that completely removing vegetation within groves for short-term peace of mind comes at the cost of significant long term problems. Recently project partner the Artemisan Foundation, who facilitate the Aguilar Farmer Cluster, hosted a knowledge exchange event. Framework Cluster facilitators, and other participants from across Europe and the UK, gathered in Andalusia during the first week of May 2023. Previous news items have covered the Spanish Cluster's successes engaging important stakeholders - but Framework participants from Work Package 1 and 2 were excited to see the progress for themselves! What followed was several excellent days of presentations, workshops and site visits. The project also hosted a press conference and sessions with leaders from the Andalusian government, as well as key NGOs, to raise awareness and build momentum. Visitors included Ramón Fernández Pacheco, Andalusian Minister for Sustainability, Environment and the Blue Economy and José María Mancheño, President of Andalusia's Hunting Federation. One of the main objectives was to showcase the implementation and management of vegetation covers, both natural and project-seeded, as viable solutions to combat erosion and promote biodiversity. Sessions were held on topics including building Farmer Clusters, ecosystem monitoring tools, delivering sustainable productivity, boosting agrobiodiversity, and responding to environmental threats. The event took place during a significant winter-spring drought with attendees experiencing high summer temperatures. This reality ensured that the urgent need for agroecosystems to resist, and mitigate, the impacts of global heating remained at the forefront of discussion. The visit showcased the dramatic difference between olive groves with ground cover vegetation and those without. Once-degraded olive groves now host thriving biodiversity, from the return of various plant species to the presence of butterflies, birds and game species - a testament to the resilience of nature when given a chance to recover. The event's practical and theoretical parts, along with its social aspects, provided valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to tackle similar challenges in their respective regions. The visit also ignited hope among international participants, who were moved by the visible impact of the Framework Project. They discussed taking learnings back to areas the project is operating in where the harms of biodiversity-loss to agroecoystems are less obvious. Despite facing a delicate climate and environmental situation, the efforts of the Framework Project in Spain demonstrate that change is possible. Farmers, hunters, and communities in Aguilar de la Frontera have come together to care for their environment, promoting biodiversity, soil health, and a more sustainable food system. The Framework Project's journey in Aguilar de la Frontera serves as a beacon of hope, demonstrating that with collective efforts and innovative practices, we can restore the richness of nature and foster a more harmonious coexistence between agricultural production and its environment. Inter-generational conversations taking place in the Farmer Cluster, and between neighbouring farmers, are also encouraging - suggesting that cultural change can be achieved with respect and a ground-up approach. Visitors were heartened to hear how some farmers neighbouring Framework areas have begun to adjust their vegetation management practices after learning more. Overall, the visit left a lasting impression on attendees, highlighting the need to raise awareness about the critical connection between agriculture, environment, and society. As Luis Fernando Villanueva, the CEO of Artemisan, spoke about during the event: "Society needs to know that when it eats, uses oil, or drinks wine, behind it there are agrarian and rural communities managing these landscapes."

Project partner CREAF present on the project at the 13th Digital Earth Symposium in Athens, Greece. FRAMEwork consortium partner CREAF  recently had the opportunity to share insights into FRAMEwork’s approach to biodiversity monitoring and centralising datasets at an international event.   In July 2023, the thirteenth International Symposium on Digital Earth   was held in Athens. Its organisers, International Society for Digital Earth  are an international NGO promoting academic exchange, innovation and international collaboration towards the concept of a Digital Earth . As part of their fascinating vision, the organisation looks to “make use of digital technologies to model earth systems, including its cultural and social aspects represented by human societies living on the planet” to achieve a “digitally-formatted Earth accessible directly through the internet-connected citizens of the planet”.  The theme of this year’s symposium was "Earth intelligence to understand and protect our Living Planet" and it was the first to be held again in a fully face-to-face format.  Researcher Joan Masó  ( CREAF)  is a member of the International Society of Digital Earth (ISDE) council and chair of the Community of Practice in Interoperability for Citizen Science. He teamed up with his colleague Berta Giralt  (CREAF) to participate in the symposium, presenting: "Processes and Tools for enabling Interoperability between Citizen Science and Expert Biodiversity Data in Agriculture"  In their presentation, Joan and Berta spoke about the FRAMEwork project and its objectives. They described Farmer Clusters and their role in biodiversity monitoring and Citizen Science data collection, referencing the FRAMEwork Data Hub and our goals around metadata harmonisation and quality control.  When we caught up with Berta, she told us: “Attending the various symposium sessions was truly insightful. I had the chance to learn a lot from the presentations covering a wide range of themes, from Digital Earth's role in Sustainable Development to discussions on Data, Science, and Technologies for Digital Earth. “In the session “Monitor and protect biodiversity,” I found the MonVia Project  (national monitoring of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes in Germany) particularly enlightening, as it shares connections with the work we do in FRAMEwork.” Thank you to CREAF for representing FRAMEwork at such an inspiring occasion.

Project participants from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology share information on FRAMEwork... Marco Beyer from consortium partner LIST promoted FRAMEwork’s research at the 63rd Crop Protection Conference held 26th to 29th September 2023 at Georg-August-University in Göttingen, Germany. This involved a presentation on the concept of Farmer Clusters for enhancing agrobiodiversity which included sharing preliminary project results. The German Plant Protection Conference, held biennially at various locations, stands as Europe's premier event for plant protection and phytomedicine, attracting over 1200 attendees. Its significance reaches well beyond Germany's borders, drawing professionals from agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and viticulture. This includes members of professional bodies, governmental officials, and academics from both local and international institutions and companies. Serving as a key platform for sharing the latest scientific discoveries and practical insights in phytomedicine, the conference holds discussions in German but welcomes contributions in English, facilitating broad knowledge exchange. You can read our Luxembourg Farmer Cluster Facilitator Dr Youri Martin’s Recodo blog  on how the event provided: “an excellent opportunity for promoting FRAMEworks' Farmer clusters beyond the local scale in front of an audience that is involved in decision-making in rural regions at various levels on a daily basis” And you can take a look at their abstract here .

FRAMEwork research goes to congress in Crete... Doctoral candidate Laura Mansier, from the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, presented her project research to the European Congress of Entomology held from October 16 to October 20, 2023. Laura's presentation 'Optimal Agricultural Landscape Management for Natural Pest Control', covered work she's been doing modelling biodiversity data from the project's Zeesterweg Farmer Cluster . Her research shows how different farm management decisions effect populations of species that serve as natural enemies of pests - like hoverflys and lacewings. The modelling includes factors such as cropping systems and considers the impacts of interventions like those made in the Zeeasterweg Farmer Cluster: maintaining flower strips, changing mowing regimes and targeted reductions in chemical usage. Overall, Laura is aiming to publish research that is of utility to farmers as well as the wider scientific community studying natural pest control and land management practices. The European Congress of Entomology has been held approximately every four years since its inception in 1990, making it a significant event in the field for over three decades. Gathering entomologists and other stakeholders from around the world, attendees discuss a wide array of topics related to insects - including insect biology, ecology, behaviour, and pest management. The congress provides a platform for the presentation of new research findings, networking opportunities, and discussions on the implications of entomological studies for biodiversity conservation and agriculture. You can watch Laura's presentation to the conference below:

The Estonian University of Life Sciences hold and attend conferences sharing the project... Project participants from EMU organised the national conference ‘Agriculture and Environment 2023’ alongside EMU's Research Centre on Organic Farming. The free conference, held on the 28th November, aimed to provide an overview of the results of environmental monitoring and research in Estonia focusing on: soil, surface and groundwater, biodiversity and food quality. Farmers, consultants, researchers, students, authorities, policy makers and all interested parties were welcomed to the EMU campus in Tartu, with some joining the hybrid event online. Silva Vilumets gave a presentation on "The benefits of landscape elements to beneficial insects," which shed light on ongoing work of FRAMEwork in Estonia, and attendees were afforded a comprehensive insight into the results obtained from environmental monitoring and research endeavours in the Kanepi kihlkund Farmer Cluster . The conference counted as training towards the KSM ~ Estonia's Environmentally Friendly Management grant for farmers and was held as an extension of the MAK 2014–2020 measure "Knowledge transfer program in the field of activity of agriculture, food and rural economy". A further conference on Plant Protection was also held and advertised to FRAMEwork Cluster farmers in the period.

FRAMEwork research is presented on at a Dutch Entomological Society Event... Doctoral candidate Laura Mansier, from the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, presented her project research to the Dutch Entomological Society's annual 'Entymology Day'. Laura's presentation 'Optimal Agricultural Landscape Management for Natural Pest Control', covered work she's been doing modelling biodiversity data from the project's Zeesterweg Farmer Cluster . Her research focuses on developing and applying landscape models for natural pest control, aiming to help optimise agricultural landscapes to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services for more sustainable farming practices. Laura's work explores how different farm management decisions effect populations of species that serve as natural enemies of pests - like hoverflys and lacewings. Her modelling includes factors such as cropping systems and considers the habitat impacts of interventions like those made in the Zeeasterweg Farmer Cluster: maintaining flower strips, changing mowing regimes and targeted reductions in chemical usage. Overall, Laura is aiming to publish research that is of utility to farmers as well as the wider scientific community studying natural pest control and land management practices. Entomologendag is an annual one-day symposium held since 1989, which brings together entomologists to share and discuss their research - often drawing 150 to 200 participants from students to specialists. Presentations are usually conducted in English, making it accessible to an international audience. The event features plenary lectures by leading scientists as well as sessions on various topics where participants can present their work. Open poster sessions encourage further discussion of research findings and knowledge exchange. The event is a good opportunity for attendees to meet professional entomologists, pose questions, and learn about current and future entomological issues.

Five Key Takeaways from the FRAMEwork Annual Meeting in Italy! Over the course of some sunny days from the 18th-21st March, forty-one representatives of the FRAMEwork project met for this year’s Annual Meeting. Consortium partner Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna , led by Associate Professor Camilla Moonen, kindly hosted what proved to be a great opportunity to share work and celebrate progress.  There was a huge variety of activity, from presentations on current research and output strands through to collaborative workshops on achieving impact and legacy. Read on to discover key takeaways we’ll be carrying forward from Pisa!  1 ~ International Collaboration Builds Momentum Highlighting diverse perspectives and leveraging international connections has always been a cornerstone of FRAMEwork, stemming from our interdisciplinary ethos and broad consortium.  Meeting in person allows us to see those principles in action, with conversations between colleagues from each of our partner countries moving things forward and opening up new approaches, below you'll find many examples of this! 2 ~ Data Updates are Invaluable On top of the complexities inherent to mapping ecology in relatively short windows of time, data collection has been challenged by a number of outside factors like the pandemic. Nevertheless, thanks to the stellar efforts of our consortium the data pipeline is advancing. Four years into the project, reviewing data together at Annual Meetings allows us to celebrate successes and troubleshoot challenges. In Pisa, partners discussed the status and contents of their biodiversity monitoring data at this stage. They drew out cross-project insights within groups examining key strands such as birds, insects and vegetation which are consistently recorded across the project’s Farmer Clusters. Representatives from coordinating partner Hutton, GWCT and TAL held sessions on navigating data management challenges, preparing data for research publications and reviewing and developing publications emerging from this science. Lisette Cantu Salazar (LIST) also held a useful break-out workshop on biodiversity monitoring methods feedback.  3 ~ Getting the Word Out is Important On the second day of the meeting, Dr Graham Begg (HUTTON) and Alastair Simmons (TAL) expanded the focus further in a productive discussion on publications and their pathways, inviting researchers to share updates on papers currently in progress. A galvanising round table discussion emerged, highlighting a number of papers currently in the works with a strong breadth of subject matter - from the methodological to the conceptual.  Participants were also challenged to collectively brainstorm new ideas, resulting in new authorial teams connecting over potential papers. There was a real sense that FRAMEwork insights are making their way out into the world! Since the last Annual Meeting in Salisbury, a project team convened by TAL, UVA and GWCT has taken forward the idea of Video Abstracts -  media versions of research article summaries. This outreach is particularly relevant to FRAMEwork which focuses on research that can be applied or provide systems thinking. It’s also useful in a pan-european context where reaching target audiences in different languages is important.  Laura Mansier ( UVA ) and Theo Simmons ( TAL ) presented on the team’s progress refining workflows, creating examples and onboarding project participants. Workshops were then held where attendees could draft scripts and practise filming. These enabled researchers to build confidence and leave with script drafts and a real sense of how to engage target audiences. The Team plans to build on this momentum by following up with keen participants. This session interlinked with a further presentation from TAL, where they played the latest mini-documentaries produced on the projects’ Farmer Clusters and outlined the development of media and communications activities to-date and those ahead. 4 ~ Let's Synthesise Insights for Stakeholders As well as speaking directly to farmers, FRAMEwork research aims to provide a knowledge base for policy and decision-makers. Going into the project’s penultimate year, this is something we’re continuing to develop. At the Annual Meeting, work packages gave updates on the development of policy guidelines on different topics. These topics include land sparing vs. land sharing within Italian olive farming systems - where research suggests pest control is being challenged by increasing rates of land abandonment requiring innovative natural measures.  There were also relevant sessions and workshops on key areas like: considering the financial future of Farmer Clusters in Europe with Dr Niamh McHugh (GWCT) and Alastair Simmons (TAL) and analysing the sustainability of Farmer Clusters with Trinity Ndlovu (HUTTON), Rachel Nichols (GWCT) & Claudio Petucco (LIST). Sessions on the development of the project’s platforms and tools also proved galvanising. The project’s Information Hub and Citizen’s Observatory ‘Recodo’, led by IIASA, is developing into an attractive, accessible and rich resource for achieving impact and legacy. Meanwhile, the FEAST Decision Support Tool (UOH) has incorporated new data and features useful for land managers and policymakers making ecosystem assessments and land-use decisions. The interrelation of digital resources like these with the project’s Data Hub (CREAF) and other resources will provide interested parties with applicable information from across Europe and the UK. It was great to see the latest updates on these in sessions from Gerid Hager and Lindsay Crockett (IIASA) as well as Dr John Tzilivakis (UOH) and to discuss further integration of project outputs. 5 ~ It Pays to Bring Abstract Discussions Back Down to Earth All of these conversations left our brains buzzing with complex theory and the particulars of project activity. An olive oil tasting workshop with local Val Graziosa Farmer Cluster farmer Francesco Elter got noses tingling instead! Following field trips on the afternoon of day three also provided a valuable opportunity to return to the landscape and think about the context and application of our work. We visited olive groves in the Monte Pisano region and heard presentations from researchers linked to the groves. Alice Caselli ( Pisa Sant’Anna ) spoke about her research on pest populations, demonstrating several different insect monitoring methodologies, while researchers from the group Agro-Eco Diversity  presented their Eco-Olives  project linking biodiversity conservation with ecosystem management. Sitting among fragrant grass species, observing an abundance of insect life up-close-and-personal, with the Monte Pisano landscape providing a stunning backdrop, it was easy to connect back to the value of the work we’re doing together. This sense of purpose was deepened by a visit to Pisa’s nearby Natural History Museum , which invited reflection on the history of landscape and species’ evolution.  Overall, FRAMEwork partners came away from this year’s Annual Meeting with a refreshed sense of what there is to play for, the progress made, and the work that remains ahead. We are all grateful to Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna for hosting an invigorating event.