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On 31 March 2026, partners from Europe and Australia convened for the second Regional Community of Practice (RCoP) meeting, focusing on the finalisation of the Regional Cooperation Action Plan (RCAP). The session brought together representatives from regions including Western Greece, Gippsland, Val d’Oise, and Southwest Western Australia, alongside IURC coordinators.
A Roadmap Around Four Key Activities
The meeting confirmed that the RCAP is now sufficiently developed to move forward into the implementation phase, establishing a structured framework for collaboration, including:
- Monthly Community of Practice meetings
- Subgroup planning sessions
- Technical exchange webinars
- Interregional study visits between Europe and Australia, with a possible cooperation with Chile
The RCAP is built around four interconnected activities, each designed to transform knowledge exchange into practical solutions and pilot actions.
1. Climate Adaptation in Forestry and Viticulture
This activity focuses on addressing the impacts of climate change, particularly drought and changing rainfall patterns, on forestry and viticulture systems.
Regions including South West Western Australia, Trier, Central Macedonia, Val d’Oise will, and possibly Concepción (Chile) to collaborate in different areas:
Resilient Forestry
- Water-related ecosystem services and forest management, including infiltration and water cycle regulation
- Soil productivity and compaction, addressing erosion and long-term soil health
- Integration of diverse tree species in native forests, promoting biodiversity and resilience through mixed forest systems
Resilient Viticulture
- Collaborative research on resilient grape varieties
- Exchange of technologies for monitoring soil moisture and vineyard conditions
- Development of joint pilot initiatives in viticulture innovation
- Potential involvement of additional experts, including research institutes from other IURC regions
Outputs will include webinars, knowledge materials, and a practical guidebook to support improved land management and long-term sector resilience. For details, please see the related IURC news:
2. Circular Economy and Zero-Waste Agrifood Systems
This activity promotes the integration of circular economy principles into agrifood systems. Participating regions—Val d’Oise, Mazovia, Western Greece, and Gippsland—will:
- Share best practices on waste valorisation and bioenergy
- Analyse circular approaches across food and energy systems
- Co-design a replicable circular agrifood model
The activity will produce case studies, analytical reports, and awareness materials to support adoption across diverse regional contexts.
Val d’Oise positions the Agoralim project as a flagship initiative within the IURC cooperation, showcasing how circular economy principles can be applied across the agrifood value chain. As part of a broader centre of excellence for future food systems, Agoralim integrates wholesale markets, food processing facilities, training, and innovation spaces into a single ecosystem. This makes it a practical, real-life example of how production, distribution, and sustainability can be combined to support local value chains and strengthen regional food systems. Within the IURC framework, Agoralim will serve as a key reference model for knowledge exchange, particularly under activities focused on circular economy and zero-waste agrifood systems. Ultimately, Agoralim is intended not only as a demonstration site, but as a replicable model that can inspire and inform similar initiatives across partner regions in Europe and Australia.
3. Traceability, Quality Assurance and Provenance-Based Branding
This activity aims to strengthen the market position of regional producers through improved traceability and branding.
Key actions include:
- Exploring advanced traceability technologies (e.g. blockchain, digital product passports)
- Sharing successful branding initiatives linked to provenance and tourism
- Developing joint strategies combining certification, storytelling, and quality assurance
The above-mentioned actions will strengthen the market position of regional agrifood producers. This will be addressed through a structured programme of technical webinars and exchanges, focusing on advanced traceability technologies, including digital product passports and data-driven certification systems. These tools will enable regions to provide transparent and verifiable information on product origin, production methods, and sustainability performance, thereby increasing consumer trust and supporting compliance with evolving regulatory requirements.
In parallel, the cooperation will explore how provenance-based branding strategies—such as regional labels, food festivals, and gastronomy-linked initiatives—can be combined with traceability systems to enhance visibility and value. By sharing successful approaches like territorially anchored branding models and integrating them with digital traceability solutions, participating regions will co-design adaptable strategies that reflect their unique identities. This work will lead to concrete outputs, including briefing papers, collaborative branding frameworks, and pilot action concepts aimed at improving competitiveness, strengthening regional identity, and enabling access to higher-value markets.
Western Greece acts as the lead region, coordinating the activity and driving the development of approaches. As part of the EU S3P Traceability & Big Data partnership, Western Greece focuses on the digitalization of the agrifood value chain. This includes using digital technologies to generate value from data and improve transparency across the food chain. The other regions contribute expertise in areas such as: Circular economy and food systems (Val d’Oise, Mazovia), Provenance branding and agritourism (Gippsland), Quality assurance and PDO/PGI systems (Central Macedonia).
4. Digitalisation, Precision Agriculture and Smart Monitoring (Transversal)
This transversal activity brings together all participating regions to explore how advanced technologies can support more resilient and efficient agrifood and forestry systems. Unlike the other pillars, this activity does not have a single confirmed lead region, reflecting its cross-cutting nature. Instead, it builds on the combined expertise of all partners—Val d’Oise, Mazovia, Western Greece, Central Macedonia, Trier, South West Western Australia, and Gippsland—who contribute knowledge and practical experience in areas such as smart monitoring, data analytics, and digital innovation.
Through this collaborative approach, the activity will identify best practices in the use of technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence, and precision farming tools, while also assessing the opportunities and risks linked to digital transformation. Insights generated across the other cooperation pillars—climate adaptation, circular economy, and traceability—will be consolidated into an analytical report and shared through dedicated webinars. By integrating digital solutions across all thematic areas, the initiative aims to accelerate innovation uptake, improve resource management, and strengthen the overall resilience and competitiveness of regional agrifood systems.
All partner regions will contribute to:
- Identifying best practices in IoT, AI, and smart monitoring
- Analysing opportunities and risks of digital transformation
- Developing guidance for applying digital tools in agrifood and forestry
The main outputs will include an analytical report and a final webinar, consolidating insights from all activities.
Study Visits and International Exchange
A structured programme of study visits (2026–2027) will support these activities, enabling hands-on knowledge exchange and collaboration. These visits will take place across Europe and Australia and focus on:
- Climate adaptation practices
- Circular agrifood innovation
- Traceability and market development
Innovation and Emerging Pilot Actions
The cooperation also opens the door to innovative pilot actions, including:
- A digital agrifood hub focused on soil monitoring and data-driven farming
- Circular economy models for waste-to-resource systems
- Advanced traceability and transparency solutions
These initiatives will be further developed for submission to the IURC Competitive Fund by the end of 2026.
A Strong Collaborative Momentum
The meeting highlighted the strong commitment of all partners and the value of cross-regional collaboration. Participants expressed appreciation for the co-creation process and confidence in delivering tangible outcomes.
As the initiative moves into its implementation phase, the IURC Agrifood and Forestry Community of Practice is well-positioned to deliver innovative, scalable solutions that strengthen resilience, sustainability, and competitiveness across regions.
