Good planning: How do you go about it?

These guides highlight what we have learnt through the activities and data collection carried out as part of the LIAISON project. Their aim is to help all those who use them to improve the way co-innovation is carried out in agriculture, forestry and rural development. LIAISON (Better Rural Innovation: Linking Actors, Instruments and Policies through Networks) is a multi-stakeholder project funded under EIP Agri, an initiative launched by the European Commission in 2012, which aims to support competitive and sustainable agriculture and forestry that “achieve more and better with fewer inputs”. An interactive approach to innovation brings together a diverse range of public and private innovation stakeholders (farmers, advisers, researchers, businesses, non-governmental organisations, etc.) with complementary knowledge and experience to assess, gather, co-develop and disseminate practical solutions that address the real needs of farmers and foresters. These needs stem from the actual capabilities and day-to-day challenges faced by farmers, foresters and rural businesses. Innovations resulting from an interactive approach can yield solutions that are well suited to the circumstances and easier to implement.