Energy advice that matters: helping farmers navigate the energy transition in a rapidly changing context

Country

Belgium

Thematic Areas

Description

This Community of Practice on Energy aims to strengthen the capacity of advisors to support farmers in making informed decisions on energy management, renewable energy, energy efficiency and the broader energy transition. As the energy landscape evolves rapidly, advisors are increasingly challenged to provide reliable, practical and impactful advice in a context of changing regulations, fluctuating energy prices, emerging technologies and uncertain market conditions.

Through peer learning, practical exchange and joint reflection, the CoP will explore how advisors can better understand the farm and the farmer behind the technical questions, tailor their recommendations to individual situations, and support farmers in translating advice into concrete actions. Particular attention will be given to understanding farmers’ decision-making processes, what happens after advice is provided, and how advisors can effectively follow up and support implementation.

The CoP will also provide a space to exchange knowledge on regulatory developments, discuss promising but not yet fully proven technologies, and identify reliable sources of information and expertise. Participants will explore how to maintain farmers’ motivation and confidence in times of uncertainty, and how advisors can help them navigate evolving policies, markets and technologies.

By combining technical expertise with strong advisory and coaching skills, this CoP aims to improve the quality, relevance and impact of energy advice. Ultimately, it seeks to help advisors deliver practical, tailored and actionable recommendations that contribute to the resilience, sustainability and profitability of farming businesses.

Objectives

To identify effective ways of getting to know the farm and the farmer, including motivations, attitudes towards risk and innovation, existing knowledge, financial situation, energy demand and production profile, and local context, in order to provide more relevant energy advice.
To develop and refine approaches for providing practical, ready-to-use, and tailored energy advice and action plans for different farm situations, including situations where data are limited.
To explore how negative experiences with energy-related technologies or investments can be identified, captured, and used to improve future advisory practices and farmer support.
To enhance access to and use of reliable and up-to-date knowledge on energy technologies, regulations, support schemes, and market developments.
To identify effective approaches for following up on energy advice and supporting farmers throughout the implementation process and beyond.
To explore and exchange strategies for motivating farmers to engage in the energy transition despite changing regulations, market uncertainties, or previous negative experiences.
To collect and translate practical experiences from farms into recommendations that can inform policy discussions and contribute to the improvement of regulations, support schemes, and rewarding mechanisms related to energy-related innovations.