On 28 April 2026, the Horizon Europe project DIGI-Rangeland was presented at the event “Advisory services in agriculture as a pillar of AKIS in Spain and Europe”, organised by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) at La Vega Innova, in San Fernando de Henares (Madrid).
The event brought together policymakers, advisors, researchers and innovation actors to discuss the role of agricultural advisory services within the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) in Spain and across Europe.
Institutional opening and policy perspectives
The event was opened by Begoña García Bernal, Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food at MAPA, who highlighted the importance of strengthening advisory systems to support farmers in the transition towards more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.
This was followed by a presentation by Isabel Bombal, Director General for Rural Development, Innovation and Agri-food Training at MAPA, who introduced La Vega Innova and the AKIS Advisors Platform, an initiative aimed at connecting advisors, researchers and innovation actors within the Spanish AKIS.
The European policy perspective was provided by Marta Iglesias from the European Commission (DG AGRI), who addressed the future of agricultural advisory services in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) programming period (2028–2034).
Strategic vision for advisory systems in Europe
A key moment of the morning session was the intervention of Inge Van Oost, Senior Policy Expert at the European Commission, who presented a strategic vision on how to build more effective advisory systems within the European AKIS framework.
Her presentation addressed the importance of strengthening links between research, advisory services and farmers, as well as improving knowledge flows and cooperation between national and European innovation initiatives. The intervention emphasised the need to reinforce advisory capacity in order to support the ongoing sustainability transition in European agriculture.
European advisory networks and projects
The programme also included a session dedicated to international advisory models, with Edgar García Manzanilla presenting the Irish advisory system and Yolte Cuesta Arenas discussing private advisory models developed in the Netherlands.
Later, a session on European advisory networks showcased several Horizon Europe projects working to strengthen knowledge exchange and advisory systems across Europe.
DIGI-Rangeland presented among European initiatives
Within this session, Eva Pérez Vidal presented the Horizon Europe project DIGI-Rangeland. Her intervention introduced the project’s work to promote digital innovation and data-driven solutions for rangeland livestock systems, supporting farmers and advisors working in extensive grazing systems.
The session also featured presentations from several other European initiatives:
- OrganicAdviceNetwork, presented by Antonio Hurtado
- STRATUS, presented by Paula Resano
- EU-Advice, presented by Patricia Mora
- FORADVISE, presented by Alba Rodríguez
- NBSOIL, presented by Almudena Olivas
Together, these initiatives illustrated how European cooperation is helping to strengthen advisory services and facilitate knowledge exchange between research, advisors and farmers.
Debate on the training of agricultural advisors
The event concluded with a round-table discussion on the training of agricultural advisors, moderated by Cristina Simón (MAPA). The debate included contributions from Nuria M. Montegut (MAPA), Martín Barrasa Rioja (University of Santiago de Compostela), Luis Carbonell Zaragoza (Official College of Agricultural Technical Engineers of Valencia-Castellón) and Luis Antolín de la Cruz (COAG Castilla y León).
The discussion highlighted the growing need for specialised training and stronger collaboration between advisory services, research organisations and European innovation projects within the AKIS framework.
Strengthening links between innovation projects and advisory systems
The participation of DIGI-Rangeland in this event provided an opportunity to present the project to policymakers, advisors and innovation actors working within the Spanish and European AKIS. By engaging with these networks, the project contributes to improving knowledge exchange and promoting the adoption of digital tools for rangeland livestock management across Europe.
