Sneak peek
First ideas for living labs
Over the past months, PJ Beers, Luc van Veghel and colleagues have worked hard to develop project themes in which we want to collectively solve your questions, based on all your input from previous meetings and the interviews with all consortium partners. On 23 November, we will pitch the first project ideas.
Together with you, we will translate the project themes into concrete projects for these themes. From the list of project themes, we have distilled a number of concrete activities that we can start immediately. The choice of specifically these projects was somewhat arbitrary, but we took into account the huge diversity of farmers and consortium partners who all have different questions. We have tried to choose these projects as diverse as possible and to select projects that we can start working on immediately.
A first draft
Below are five initial project ideas, selected based on your questions, but the final selection will be decided together on 23 November.
Project 1: Easier strip cropping administration
Several farmers indicate that they spend (much) more time on the administration of arable farming compared to conventional farming. One reason for this seems to be the RVO's tools, which are currently designed for conventional agriculture. In this project, we are working with RVO to take a close look at their tools and find out where improvements can be made to better facilitate strip cropping.
Project 2: Strip cropping reward from the chain
Cultivation that is more in line with ecological principles is in society's interest, including for chain parties. The only question is how this will be paid for. Are products from strip cropping more expensive to make? If so, how will margins be distributed? Together with a party from the long chain, we are investigating these questions.
Project 3: Strip cropping starter kit
When conventional arable farmers want to switch to strip cropping, they often do not know how to do it. When they put this question to their advisers, they often don't know the answer either. Together with advisers, we are developing a master class for crop advisers teaching them how strip cropping can work. Here we take into account commonly grown crops, such as onion and sugar beet, and regions and associated plot types and soil types.
Project 4: The real story
There are many stories surrounding strip farming. For instance, it is said to be more expensive, complex, and time-consuming. In short, it is not made attractive for farmers to start strip farming. In this project, we talk to farmers and officials and ask them about their experiences in making a switch to strip farming. We compile these stories into the real story, which we disseminate to news channels and preferably to constituencies of consortium partners.
Project 5: Collaborations between strip cropping farmers and hospitality
When a farmer practices strip cropping, production volumes may be lower. Currently, it is perceived that wholesalers are not always eager for such low volumes. However, it seems that the catering and hospitality industry is eager for this. They need various products in lower volumes. In this project, we engage in collaboration between a farmer and a catering business to find out to what extent such a construction is feasible and what is needed to make it workable.
On 23 November, we will choose the final projects together and you can join the project to which you can and want to make a valuable contribution.
More themes
The above five themes is a preselection from a longer list of learning questions. Below, we briefly describe them.
Value proposition for short chains
How can farmers with mixed cropping systems create earning power through the short chain and how does this affect the short chain? How does this affect the earning power of short-chain parties?
Long chain value proposition
How can a farmer with mixed cropping systems create earning power through the long chain and how does this affect the long chain? How does this affect the earning power of long chain parties?
The story between farmers
How do farmers influence each other in making the switch to mixed cropping systems? How do you get the good story of mixed cropping systems to (conventional) farmers? What kind of image building is needed for this?
Short cooperative chains
What are the opportunities to market products from mixed cropping systems in short chains? What volumes are demanded here and can this match the volumes supplied by mixed cultivation systems? How should such a short-chain cooperation with a farmer be designed?
Chain reward from the long chain
Can we set up chain rewards (in long chains) that add value to farmers with mixed cropping systems? If so, how?
New contracts and certification
What does planned cultivation with mixed cropping systems look like? What kind of contracts should be drawn up for this? What is the impact on security of supply and is certification possible? Should consumers be informed about this and, if so, how?
Logistical challenges
What are the opportunities for joint working in a region? Can such logistics increase volumes? How does this work with storage or a laundry, for example?
Technology - machinery and irrigation
What kind of machinery is needed for an arable farmer who is going into strip cropping? What does sprinkling and water supply look like? How can we minimise soil disturbance? And what can rapidly emerging crops and/or other machinery do for this?
Farm advisors
What does a basic cropping plan look like for a mixed cropping farmer? How does this plan change depending on the region where the fields are located? How can estate agents advise farmers on this?
Crop combinations and seed breeding
Which varieties of crops work best for strip cropping? How can we initiate the development of these varieties?
(Reducation) of chemical control
Figuring out how to prevent drift. Can this be done by other means? Other technologies, other crop combinations (such as intercrops)?
Natural pest control
How can biocontrol contribute to reducing pest pressure? How can we bring lessons from greenhouse farming to the field? What natural control agents are needed in specific crop combinations in strip cropping?
Policy opportunities
How can mixed cropping systems like strip cropping help meet NPLG targets? What is the role of policy and legislation in restricting or encouraging mixed cropping systems? Consider, for example, nature legislation.
Public rewards
What are the possibilities of rewarding strip crop farmers (and other farmers with mixed crops) through target management? When is such a reward state aid and not? What are the possibilities for farmers to cooperate with organisations such as nature federations and provinces? What does such cooperation look like? How can win-win situations arise from this?
RVO administration)
How can we simplify administrative processes at RVO? Which rules and administrative obligations do arable farmers encounter? How can we adjust the tools at RVO? What are possibilities to offer quid pro quos for mixed cropping systems? And what is the role of the CAP?
Cross-contamination and residues
What are the options in terms of laws and regulations around cross-contamination? Is it logical to maintain the current system in the context of mixed cropping systems? If not, how can we adapt it?
Licensing
What are the current barriers around licensing? Is there anything restrictive about this? If so, how can we change this?
Mixed cropping
How are the insights from CropMix applicable to mixed cropping? Is mixed cropping applicable to strip cropping? How can mixed cropping be made workable in chains?
Opportunities and challenges agroforestry
What opportunities and challenges are there that are specific to agroforestry, compared to strip cropping? In terms of laws and regulations, the farm, the chain, institutional, etc.
Opportunities and challenges of pixel farming
What are the opportunities and challenges specific to pixel farming compared to strip cropping? In terms of laws and regulations, the farm, the chain, institutional, etc.
Bonus: Knowledge dissemination
How do we disseminate CropMix's knowledge on mixed cropping systems to all relevant stakeholders?
