Cultivating Change – building policy from the ground up

In our series of Virtual Roadshows we share research and innovations as they emerge from the work being carried out by some of Europe's leading institutions. 

Cultivating Change – building policy from the ground up



Our third roadshow event, held on 20 November 2025, brings together key policy experts, researchers and innovation hub leads to co-create a shared vision of our food and farming sector that is rooted in resilience and ecological integrity.

  1. Producing actionable knowledge for transformative change: impacts, potentials, and challenges in transdisciplinary research, Stephen Leitheiser, Farming Systems Ecology, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
  2. Unlocking the transition: barriers and levers to the expansion of agroecology in the European Union, Adrien Swartebroeckx, Agriculture and Sustainability Unit, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Belgium
  3. Where reality and policy meet, Innovation Hubs perspectives: a conversation.
    With Alexandra Waldmann (who manages a veg box scheme, Green Box Čarna in Ljubljana, Slovenia) and Carla Barlagne (researcher in the two host micro farms acting as demonstration or pilot sites in Guadeloupe)
  4. Policy Frameworks and Key Policy Suggestions
    Guy Pe'er, PhD. UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Dept. Biodiversity and People and German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
    Professor Sebastian Lakner, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development University of Rostock, Germany.

Our speakers:

  • Alexandra Waldman, Innovation Hub facilitator, Green Box Čarna, Organic Veg box scheme, Slovenia
  • Carla Barlagne, Researcher in agricultural and rural economics; Innovation Hub facilitator, Guadeloupe
  • Adrien Swartebroeckx, Agriculture and Sustainability Unit, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Belgium
  • Stephen Leitheiser, Farming Systems Ecology, Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands
  • Dr. Guy Pe'er, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ; and German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)
  • Prof. Dr. Sebastian Lakner, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development University of Rostock, Germany


Watch our Virtual Roadshow 2: Roots of Resilience: Enhancing Biodiversity through Agroecology

Short film: Roots of Resilience: How Agroecology boosts Biodiversity

Webinar recording: Why grazing livestock is vital for landscape and biodiversity

Webinar recording: The Effects of Agroecology on Biodiversity and Climate Change Mitigation

Webinar recording: From research to practice: multi-species seed mixtures as a pillar for agroecology

Webinar recording: Engaging with Policy Makers on Agroecology


Watch our Virtual Roadshow 1: Exploring the Barriers and Levers to Agroecology

Short film: Agroecology-Transect - Understanding Barriers and Levers

Animation: Understanding Barriers and Levers

Animation: What are Innovation Hubs?

News: Dairy farmers’ adaptation strategies in uplands

News: Scaling out niche innovations in animal production areas