Teagasc, in partnership with European agricultural experts, hosted the first 'train the trainer' workshop for the climate smart advisers project at the Teagasc College of Amenity Horticulture in Dublin.

This innovative workshop brought together 40 advisers from 27 countries across Europe, aiming to bolster the capacities of agricultural advisers in guiding farmers towards implementing effective climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Communities of Practice

The climate smart advisers project, focused on enhancing the proficiency of agricultural advisers, employs communities of practice (COPs) as its core strategy to facilitate knowledge exchange and support among advisers.

The workshop focused on providing participants with the skills necessary for leading COPs, fostering a collaborative environment for knowledge sharing and mastering climate-smart farming (CSF) practices.

Workshops

The workshops delved into practical strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture, including the identification and prioritisation of relevant practices and addressing the challenges of their implementation.

Participants worked in groups, simulating COP scenarios to explore diverse strategies, discuss challenges and share experiences from their respective advisory roles, culminating in valuable insights for effective climate advisory services.

The workshops concluded with sessions dedicated to planning, monitoring and evaluating the progress and effectiveness of COPs, ensuring a sustainable impact beyond the workshop.

Tom O’Dwyer, head of the Signpost programme in Teagasc said: “It was a great opportunity for advisers to learn new skills and to meet advisers from other European countries who are all supporting farmers in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Using the skills acquired, the advisers can take a lead in developing the capacity of many more advisers across Europe.”