Contact/s:
Tom O’Dwyer
tom.odwyer@teagasc.ie
Advisors Supporting Farmers in Climate Action
Europe
All Zones
- Farmer Engagement: Higher adoption of mitigation and adaptation practices.
- Advisor-Farmer Connection: Strengthened relationships and trust.
- Advisor Benefits: Increased job satisfaction and professional fulfillment.
Thematic Areas
Production System/s
Summary for Practicioners on the Main Finding(s)/Innovative solution(s)
The Climate Farm Demo Top Tips for advisors supporting farmers in the uptake of climate mitigation and adaptation measures are listed below:
Get to know the farmers you are trying to influence. A range of factors, such as age, access to finance and attitude towards risk, impact the willingness of farmers to change their farming practices. Don’t forget the personal touch – make the connection with the farmer, and their family. And most importantly, listen to the farmer’s arguments, fears and wishes.
Highlight the positives including good practices and the progress made by the farmer, without being afraid of calling out the areas for improvement.
Keep it simple. Farmers need to know that the recommended solutions are backed up by science, that the new approaches work to reduce GHG emissions…but don’t necessarily need to know all the scientific details.
Frame your messages carefully, highlighting the benefits to the farmer (profitability, productivity, work-life balance) of adopting climate mitigation or adaptation measures. Farmers tend to implement climate-beneficial measures due to other farm-related benefits.
Always prepare before meeting with the farmer. Use available benchmarking tools/ GHG assessment tools to understand the farm’s current GHG emissions profile. Review other available farm performance data also.
Provide ongoing support through (short) visits, phone consultations, membership of a WhatsApp group, emails, invitations to events etc.
Facilitate farmer-to-farmer learning. Farmer groups help farmers to identify solutions and solve problems, while allowing farmers to support one another. Consider forming a group of “like minded” farmers to discuss more sustainable farming practices or include the topic in existing group discussions.
Prepare for a long-time horizon: it may be a number of years before there are measurable environmental and economic outcomes. Also, tackle the adoption of one or two mitigation practices at a time…avoid identifying a list of actions to be taken.
Familiarise yourself with currently available rewards and incentives, available from the Government/ EU or from the marketplace. Be able to highlight what is required of the farmer to avail themselves of these.
Consider what else you can do to create an enabling environment that facilitates the farmer taking climate action.
Longer Description
The Climate Farm Demo Top Tips for advisors supporting farmers in the uptake of climate mitigation and adaptation measures are listed below:
Get to know the farmers you are trying to influence. A range of factors, such as age, access to finance and attitude towards risk, impact the willingness of farmers to change their farming practices. Don’t forget the personal touch – make the connection with the farmer, and their family. And most importantly, listen to the farmer’s arguments, fears and wishes.
Highlight the positives including good practices and the progress made by the farmer, without being afraid of calling out the areas for improvement.
Keep it simple. Farmers need to know that the recommended solutions are backed up by science, that the new approaches work to reduce GHG emissions…but don’t necessarily need to know all the scientific details.
Frame your messages carefully, highlighting the benefits to the farmer (profitability, productivity, work-life balance) of adopting climate mitigation or adaptation measures. Farmers tend to implement climate-beneficial measures due to other farm-related benefits.
Always prepare before meeting with the farmer. Use available benchmarking tools/ GHG assessment tools to understand the farm’s current GHG emissions profile. Review other available farm performance data also.
Provide ongoing support through (short) visits, phone consultations, membership of a WhatsApp group, emails, invitations to events etc.
Facilitate farmer-to-farmer learning. Farmer groups help farmers to identify solutions and solve problems, while allowing farmers to support one another. Consider forming a group of “like minded” farmers to discuss more sustainable farming practices or include the topic in existing group discussions.
Prepare for a long-time horizon: it may be a number of years before there are measurable environmental and economic outcomes. Also, tackle the adoption of one or two mitigation practices at a time…avoid identifying a list of actions to be taken.
Familiarise yourself with currently available rewards and incentives, available from the Government/ EU or from the marketplace. Be able to highlight what is required of the farmer to avail themselves of these.
Consider what else you can do to create an enabling environment that facilitates the farmer taking climate action.