EU FarmBook at the NRW Agricultural Research Day 2026

The EU-FarmBook project was presented at the 2026 North Rhine-Westphalia Agricultural Research Day in Bonn to an audience of around 300 researchers, agricultural advisers and practitioners. The event, on the theme of ‘The importance of agricultural research for food security and sustainability’, was organised by the Düsseldorf Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer Protection and took place on 3 September at the University of Bonn’s lecture theatre complex.

Poster in the Spotlight

At the accompanying poster exhibition showcasing the diversity of agricultural research and early-career researchers in the federal state, the EU FarmBook team from Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS) presented a poster developed in collaboration with teams from the Eberswalde University for Sustainability (HNEE) and the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW). Under the exhibition heading ‘Networking/Education/Crisis Management”, they informed interested visitors about the benefits of the free-to-use online platform, which aims to bring together practical results from research and innovation projects for agriculture, forestry and rural areas.

“By publishing a post on EU-FarmBook, you can make your project results visible across Europe and significantly increase their impact,” explained Prof. Katharina Seuser (H-BRS). Individual project pages on EU-FarmBook eliminate the need to invest in a dedicated website. “This means less effort and greater visibility for partner organisations, practical guides, handbooks, videos, event announcements and other news,” Seuser explained to interested visitors from academia, consultancy and the field.

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister for Agriculture, Silke Gorißen, emphasised that agricultural research findings can only realise their full potential if they reach the places where they are needed. This is also the focus of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) at EU level – EU-FarmBook operates within this network.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bonn, Prof. Dr Annette Scheersoi, highlighted that the state’s agricultural research network has been supporting the exchange between academia and agricultural practice for 20 years. The university’s current research priorities – adaptation to climate change, renewable raw materials, sustainability in agriculture and digitisation – present opportunities for the agriculture of the future.

Panel on agroecological research

Four working groups discussed current challenges and prospects in agricultural research. In the working group on agroecological research, participants identified criteria for successful projects, as well as the associated challenges and possible solutions. The EU-FarmBook was cited as one way of making research findings permanently available for practical application.

European cooperation

Twenty-nine organisations from 18 countries are collaborating on the EU-FarmBook project. The aim is to make research findings and innovative practical solutions available across Europe and to strengthen the exchange between academia, advisory services and agricultural practice. The project was launched in 2022 and will run until 2029.

Communication as the key to innovation

Professor Katharina Seuser heads the research area of technology communication and acceptance at the Institute of Technology, Resource and Energy-efficient Engineering (TREE) at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. Her work focuses on the question of how innovations can be communicated in an understandable way and accepted by different target groups. Specialist media play a central role here as multipliers. In addition to her academic work, Seuser serves as a volunteer on the Management Committee of the European Network of Agricultural Journalists as Germany’s representative.