The 11^th SCAR AKIS SWG meeting took place on 6 and 7 April and focused on the following topics:

• Member states’ CAP AKIS plans: Participants shared and discussed national strategies and interventions regarding the AKIS.
• Strengthening the multi-actor approach: the LIAISON project team organised a small workshop, which allowed the participants to voice their recommendations for an effective use of the multi-actor approach. The results will be developed into a policy brief by the AKIS group.
• Practice-oriented national knowledge reservoirs: member states presented examples and discussed them (continuation from the previous AKIS meeting)
• Training and education in agriculture: how to integrate advisors in the education system? Member states described national schemes. A visit to two educational organisations in s’Hertogenbosch (vocational education, short higher education) provided good examples of involvement of economic actors and advisors in the educational activities.

This meeting was hosted by ZLTO in s’Hertogenbosch (NL).

The next SCAR AKIS meeting is scheduled on 20 and 21 June in Lugo, Spain, back-to-back with the international conference on rural extension that will be held from 20 to 25 June. The meeting is dedicated to topics pertaining education and training, with an emphasis on the training of advisors, on digital training, and on social innovation. Two mini-workshops on farm advisors training and on linking the AKIS with educational systems will provide materials for the elaboration of two policy briefs, as part of the outcomes of the SCAR AKIS SWG 5th mandate. The meeting is hosted by the University of Santiago de Compostela.

Read the meeting report here