R4D will tackle urgent sustainability challenges faced by dairy producers by bringing together dairy farmers, farmers’ organisations, advisors, researchers and all relevant actors across 15 countries to close the divide between research and innovation within and across Europe. There were around 1.485 million farms at the last official census in 2013 (Eurostat) in the EU bovine dairy sector, yet no network focused solely on their needs has been established to date. Coordinated by Idele (F), R4D is built around the multi-actor approach to implement more intense cooperation between researchers, advisors, farmers and relevant actors to facilitate greater exchange and acceptance of co-created solutions. Following H2020 Eurodairy project, R4D draws on the EU, national and regional connections of the 17 consortium members to appropriate networks, on the three related key themes of economic and social resilience, technical efficiency and environment, animal welfare and society friendly production systems. Using the multi-actor approach, R4D will (i) capture and share innovative ideas and methods from practice across Europe and (ii) identify and conserve research findings that have not yet been widely adopted, enhancing their potential for integration into practice by assessing feasibility at demonstration farms. R4D’s strategic and targeted dissemination and communication actions are designed to raise awareness of the project’s innovation potential, and deliver engagement with farmers, their intermediaries and knowledge providers. Through driving effective cooperation between dairy producers, advisors and researchers, and utilising trusted gatekeepers, R4D will form a transnational ecosystem to stimulate knowledge exchange at international level in order to boost the economic viability and sustainability of the European dairy-producing sector while helping to inform policy of the needs of industry.

The existence and management of permanent grasslands (PG) is key to the delivery of multiple ecosystem services (ES) across Europe. However, PG maintenance and functions are under threat from sub-optimal management of inputs, cultivation in higher output farming systems and abandonment in remote and marginal areas. The overall objective of the SUPER-G project is to co-develop sustainable PG systems and policies with farmers and policy makers that will be effective in optimising productivity, whilst supporting biodiversity and delivering a number of other ES. SUPER-G will apply a multi-actor approach, working with farmers; land owners/managers and their advisers; third sector and civil society groups; non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and researchers, policy and business communities to achieve: 1) better understanding of the importance and functioning of PG; 2) benchmarking of PG performance across Europe; 3) co-development of integrated approaches for profitable and sustainable PG management; and 4) co-development of tools and policy mechanisms, which are inclusive of stakeholder and citizen priorities, to support the maintenance and sustainable management of PG. The project will last five years to allow time for the establishment of farm networks for data gathering and analysis; and the development of good grassland practices, innovative techniques and farm-level and policy support tools. Using a responsible research and innovation (RRI) approach, the project will develop a comprehensive European grassland typology and a shared conceptual model of how PG can deliver in terms of productivity, biodiversity and other ES such as climate regulation, water quality, mediation of water flows and erosion control. The potential of PG to deliver multiple ES will be informed by benchmarking and testing, involving a network of farms and experimental platforms in 14 countries covering the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Continental, Alpine, Pannonian and Boreal regions.

EuroDairy will foster development and dissemination of practice-based innovations in dairy farming on key sustainability issues for the post-quota era. Work Package 1 (Project co-ordination) oversees formation of the Thematic Network, ensures interconnectivity in generation, capture and demonstration of innovation and best practice, and reports project outputs including recommendations for further innovation-driven research. WP 2 (Network of innovating pilot farmers and Knowledge Transfer Centres) establishes a community of innovating dairy farmers which through experience and practice on their own farms, bring good ideas and implementable solutions to EuroDairy. The farms participate in regional multi-actor operational groups, and connect as a network to share knowledge across borders. WPs 3-6 focus on four key topics - Resource efficiency, Biodiversity, Animal care, and Socio-economic resilience. These WPs provide leadership, direction and technical expertise for the exchange of innovative thinking, tools, technologies and best practice across the thematic network (pilot farmers, Knowledge Transfer Centres, and regional operational groups). WP 7 (Synergies in scientific and practice-based knowledge) draws from WPs 3-6 to capture new insights from combining science with practice-based knowledge, including benefits and trade-offs in solutions identified. WP 8 (Production and communication of end-user materials) implements a mix of novel and tried-and-tested approaches to internal and external communications. A diverse range of end-user outputs will be produced, made widely accessible to farmers. EuroDairy supports H2020 objectives to increase productivity, improve competitiveness and impact less on the environment. Involvement of dairy levy bodies, farmers’ organisations and cooperatives in an interactive, bottom-up approach will ensure practical relevance, and multiply benefits across Europe. Direct links to Hennovation and AgriSPIN, will add value to the project.