KIARA: Knowledge and Innovation for Advisory Services in Regenerative Agriculture
By training agricultural advisors in agricultural extension and regenerative agriculture, KIARA will improve knowledge systems in regenerative agriculture in small- and medium-sized farms in Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine. The outcome will be strengthened knowledge and training systems that facilitate de-risking the move to regenerative agriculture, supporting the commercial viability of regenerative agriculture for small- and medium-sized farms.
2025
2027
Capacity building for agricultural advisors helps to support knowledge systems which provide the knowledge and information farmers need to enable their transitions into regenerative agriculture. However, in Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine, extension services are limited, and many small- and medium-scale farmers lack access to advice that would support them to farm in a more sustainable way. This project is addressing that gap in services.
Using a combination of online learning programmes, field schools and in-person activities, this project addresses two core areas: extension training and regenerative agriculture. Agricultural advisors will participate in training programmes that build their subject matter expertise in diverse areas of regenerative agriculture. They will also learn extension and communication methods and skills needed to successfully support farmer transitions to regenerative agriculture.
The programme is led by the University of Reading (UK) with a consortium of partners to implement this project in Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine: National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine), Poznan University of Life Sciences (Poland), the Slovak University of Agriculture (Slovakia), Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB – Ukraine), Slovak Association of Agricultural Entrepreneurs and Family Farms (SAAEFF - Slovakia), Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), University College Dublin team (Ireland) and Climate Farmers Academy (Germany).
