The ‘Focus on Farmers’project, led by Dr Gillian Rose, University of Reading, will overcome the slow adoption of agricultural technologies by recruiting farmer champions to encourage the wider farming community to adopt new methods and connecting European farmers with mentors who can teach them about the benefits of using innovative technologies and deliver first-hand training on how to use them.
“Farmers have particularly benefitted from speaking to the farmer ambassadors and receiving peer support in technology use,” says programme director, Dr Gillian Rose. “This system enables them to learn from farmers who are already using the technology. The farmer ambassadors give confidence for their peers to invest and use technology because they have seen first-hand the benefits”.
Read more about the project on FARMING FIRST – A global coalition for sustainable agricultural development