Accelerating Sustainable Agriculture Through Cooperative Innovation

The AgriLink project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, investigates how agricultural advisors and cooperatives accelerate sustainable farming innovation across 13 European countries. It highlights the role of peer-to-peer learning and participatory decision-making in cooperatives, showing that mutual engagement strengthens innovation adoption at both farm and cooperative levels. Findings from a 52-stakeholder survey in Belgium reveal that cooperatives drive innovation through collective action, reliable support, and inclusive governance, enabling members to implement changes too complex for individual farms. The project underscores the importance of structured collaboration and member involvement in scaling sustainable practices.