Agricultural research, rigorous agronomic field trials, and technical demonstrations are essential drivers of innovation in sustainable farming. Within MIDAS project, both scientific and industry partners have dedicated years to developing innovative farming systems and resilient industrial crops optimized for cultivation on EU marginal lands, to produce feedstock for bio-based products. Yet, pioneering science alone cannot transform landscapes. For agricultural innovations to move beyond experimental plots and achieve deployment at scale, technical feasibility must align with the operational and economic realities of the primary sector. Farmer engagement, multi-actor co-creation, and practical exchange are indispensable, and recognising this imperative, MIDAS embedded Regional Advisory Groups (RAGs) into the heart of the project from day one.

Regional Advisory Groups: Bridging science, practice, and industry

Across nine European countries—Italy, Germany, Greece, Spain, Serbia, Poland, Czech Republic, France, and Hungary—MIDAS established 15 living-laboratory case studies (combining 10 intercropping and 5 agroforestry configurations). Alongside these plots, nine Regional Advisory Groups were formed to build a continuous, two-way dialogue between researchers, farmers, cooperatives, farm advisors, industrial off-takers, and regional authorities. The RAGs functioned as iterative consultation mechanisms. Through field demonstration days, participatory workshops, bilateral interviews, and informal channels such as regional practitioner messaging groups, partners and farmers worked together to test practical viability, evaluate mechanical adaptations, and identify real-world bottlenecks.

Tailored to specific territorial needs and farming structures, our regional engagement gave rise to a rich variety of field initiatives and collaborative results. Here is a glimpse into the work across our network:

• Italy (UNIBO, Novamont, CREA, RE–CORD, ETA Florence) : Organized hybrid multistakeholder roundtables at major sectoral fairs such as Ecomondo to analyze land abandonment, crop protection from wildlife damages, precision agriculture tools, integration with regenerative agriculture initiatives, industry-led off-take agreements.

• Spain (CIEMAT, ITAP): Combined indoor training workshops and field demonstration days with an active, real-time WhatsApp group, working with 13 local farmers to test mechanical weeding and harvesting across lavender, crambe, and guayule plots.

• Poland: Hosted large national networking sessions at the National Agricultural Advisory Centre alongside multi-day on-farm study tours at Ciasnocha Family Farms to evaluate carbon farming practices, regenerative soil management, and machinery solutions. Watch this video to learn more.

• Serbia (IFCV): Ran successive engagement workshops, conference panels, and demo site visits across regions, connecting researchers, ministries, and farm promoters to evaluate industrial seed crops such as safflower, crambe, and castor bean.

• Hungary (SOLTUB, MATE): Paired classroom lectures and technical presentations with field-scale demonstration days, featuring practical demonstrations from local growers on industrial hemp cultivation and miscanthus-derived bioproducts. Watch this video

• Germany (UHOH): Replaced conventional formats with semi-structured value chain interviews, sector surveys, and student-farmer excursions directly in intercropped miscanthus, hemp, and yellow melilot trial fields.

• Czech Republic (Czechemp): Organized hands-on harvesting field days, specialized soil mycorrhizae research center visits, and cross-border exchange sessions during international industry conferences.

• Greece (CRES, AUA): Set up interactive exhibition stands and targeted thematic sessions at major agricultural trade fairs like Agrotica and Agrothessaly, alongside joint field days to assess oilseeds for advanced biofuels.

• France (GUATECS, VALORHIZ): Facilitated intercropping field trials with local practitioners, pairing practical agronomic observation of guayule with direct policy dialogue regarding Common Agricultural Policy eligibility of guayule.

Common patterns and regional specificities

RAGs were pivotal in identifying adoption barriers, aligning agronomic practices with industrial demands, and clarifying how CAP policies influence farmer-industry collaboration. Although there are many regional nuances and different conditions across partner countries, some common highlights emerged:

• Market certainty and industrial off-take agreements built on solid and trustful relationships are prerequisites for farmer engagement, agronomic innovation alone is insufficient.
• CAP support (or lack thereof) strongly influences crop adoption: farmers are more likely to adopt crops supported by CAP subsidies than those without established schemes.
• Intercropping and perennial systems show strong potential to reduce land abandonment, improve biodiversity, and stabilize farm income on marginal land.
• Direct, in-field engagement proved effective for building trust and knowledge transfer. Seeing innovative intercropping, strip designs, and modified harvesting machinery in action allowed practitioners to evaluate how these practices fit into their own farming systems.

A detailed description of the activities and highlights each national RAG meeting is available in this report Case Studies with the farmer’s community.