IURC Community of Practice Meeting on Resilient Agriculture and Forestry

On 20 January 2026, the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) convened a Community of Practice (CoP) meeting dedicated to resilient agriculture and forestry, with a strong focus on the green and digital transition of the agrifood sector. The online exchange brought together cities and regions from Europe and Australia to advance practical cooperation in agribusiness, forestry, and viticulture.

Key thematic priorities

Participants explored four interconnected areas shaping the future of resilient food and forestry systems:

1. Supply chain resilience – strengthening crisis-proof food systems
2. Digitalisation & precision farming – accelerating technology uptake and innovation
3. Environmentally friendly production – promoting sustainable agrifood practices
4. Climate adaptation in forestry and viticulture – addressing climate risks across landscapes and value chains

Advancing cooperation within the IURC

The discussion centred on strengthening regional cooperation within the IURC, particularly through the Community of Practice model for agribusiness and forestry. Pablo Gándara – IURC team leader – outlined the IURC’s transition from broad thematic clusters to smaller, more focused communities of practice (CoP), underscoring the value of targeted collaboration among cities and regions.

As CoP coordinators, Mr Jean-François Benon and Ms Emmanuelle Desthieux presented the Val-d’Oise contribution, highlighting four priority cooperation areas:

• Optimising distribution models
• Digital innovation
• Sustainable food systems
• Climate adaptation in forestry and viticulture

The Val d’Oise contribution to the IURC Community of Practice on resilient agri-food systems and forestry highlights shared challenges related to food sovereignty, supply chain resilience, and climate change adaptation, and proposes cooperation across four priority areas. These include optimising food distribution and short supply chains through the AGORALIM project led by Semmaris; advancing digitalisation and precision farming via technologies such as AI, robotics, and innovative production methods; promoting environmentally friendly and local food systems through territorial food planning and shared processing facilities; and strengthening climate adaptation in forestry and viticulture, notably through the development of the climate-resilient Maubuisson Forest and the revival of viticulture in response to changing climatic conditions.

Regional perspectives and next steps

Goulatsi Maria shared insights into Central Macedonia’s agricultural strengths and key challenges, with particular emphasis on water stress and fire management. Vickie Walker and Charles Jenkinson from South West Australia introduced their roles within the IURC programme, stressing the importance of delivering practical, actionable outcomes, especially in the forestry and wine sectors. They expressed interest in collaboration with European regions and discussed next steps to translate the CoP exchanges into concrete cooperation activities. Councillor Nathan Harsey and Karen Cain from Gippsland added key insights from agriculture, including food and fibre production. The region also demonstrates innovative food and fibre production through its Smart Specialisation Strategy. Gippsland is also interested in exchanging knowledge in food and fibre production to strengthen long-term innovation, sustainable economies and community collaboration.

Piotr Dylewski from Mazovia proposed a pilot action to develop resilient and green dairy sector: data, climate, and circular economy in practice. Mazovia is Poland’s most developed region, home to the capital Warsaw, and has a highly competitive agri-food sector. Mr Dylewski mentioned the digitalisation of farms and the cooperation with science and business hubs as key priorities for the region’s involvement on the IURC. Sofia Karveli fromWestern Greece highlighted the importance of the green and digital transformation of the agrifood sector as a key response to climate change. The region emphasised the need to optimise energy and water use, promote a circular economy and zero-waste approaches, and strengthen synergies among local and regional producers.

Trier City / Rhineland-Palatinate showcased the application of sensors and drones in forestry and viticulture to monitor soil moisture, dryness, and drought stress, supported by close cooperation between applied research and public authorities, notably Trier University of Applied Sciences and Landesforsten Rheinland-Pfalz. In parallel, Western Greece underlined the role of innovative entrepreneurship support mechanisms—including targeted support for SMEs, startups, and innovation hubs—to reinforce the regional innovation ecosystem and accelerate sustainable agrifood development. On behalf of the Central Denmark Region, Sara Lund presented the region’s experience in livestock and dairy production, including pork and dairy value chains, alongside emerging plant-based innovation, highlighting efforts to diversify production systems and support the transition towards more sustainable and climate-resilient food models within the IURC framework.

Looking ahead

Pablo Gándara then introduced a project matrix mapping ongoing and planned initiatives across regions, noting that Prof. Bruce Wilson – IURC Community of Practice manager – would support the structuring and sharing of inputs from partners.

The meeting reaffirmed the IURC’s commitment to resilient, innovative, and sustainable agrifood and forestry systems, leveraging international cooperation to address shared challenges. Follow-up activities will focus on refining project ideas, connecting regional partners, and advancing tangible results through the Community of Practice framework.

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