The organisers say: “The event is a perfect opportunity to discuss how species mixtures contribute to the shift to more sustainable food systems and preserve ecosystems, which are major goals of the EU’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies. Presentations from experts in the field and two panel debates will deepen the role of intercropping in the EU’s Agri-food chains and agroecology.”

The event will address topics such as the ecosystem services provided by intercropping. Three policy briefs will be presented on this subject, covering the redesign of cropping strategies for food production and environmental services, the contribution of intercropping to pesticide reduction, and the reduction of nutrient losses and fertiliser requirements.

Two policy briefs will be presented on the topic of boosting the adoption of intercrops in Europe. These will examine intercropping in organic farming as a solution to increase organic production, and machinery, with an examination of solutions for harvesting and separating grain mixtures.

The event will also take the opportunity to receive updates from other projects in Europe’s Crop Diversification Cluster, with presentations from DIVERSify, Diverfarming and DiverIMPACTS.

The afternoon sessions will include two panel discussions. The first will examine how intercropping can help achieve the ambitions of Europe’s Green Deal, while the second will explore the compatibility of intercropping with Europe’s current agri-food value chains.

For more information:

• Read more about the event here
• Register for the event here
• Read more about the Crop Diversification Cluster here