Herd management covers a broad spectrum of topics. Understanding which of these areas influence climate-smart farming practices is essential. What questions are still unresolved? And what valuable information exists but is rarely applied in day-to-day agricultural operations? For example, managing a herd of dairy cows presents many intriguing challenges. As an advisor, I am eager to contribute my expertise and perspectives. In this project, consolidating the knowledge that advisors can share is crucial. I am delighted to play a role in advancing herd management within this framework.

I obtained my first university diploma in animal nutritioning (more specifically, sport horses). I always considered my primary task to be helping farmers with knowledge transfer, within which agricultural advisory work, and the umbrella of my university provided an excellent opportunity. Among our biggest partners are beef cattle breeders, and the association of Hungarian buffalos, where forage production is highly relevant. In FAO projects I helped build AKIS systems and ICT platforms in several countries.

Emma Van Steenweghen is an Innovation Consultant at Boerenbond, the largest farmers’ organization in Flanders (Belgium). She holds a master’s degree in Agro- and Ecosystem Engineering and brings specialized expertise in circular economy, food loss reduction, healthy soil management, and carbon farming. With a strong background in European project management, Emma currently represents Boerenbond Projects (BBP) in initiatives such as Interreg NWE Smart Carbon Farming and INSOIL (EU, CBE-JU), where she contributes to advancing sustainable agricultural practices across Europe.

Paul is Head of the ADAS Soils & Nutrients Group. He is a Soil Scientist and Chartered Scientist, with over thirty years of research and advisory experience working on the interactions between land management practices and ecosystem service delivery. Paul joined ADAS in 2005 and was Scientific Coordinator of the Horizon 2020 SUPER-G project on Sustainable Permanent Grassland Systems and Policies (2018-24).