A meeting place
The Agroecology and Organic Agriculture Living Lab (LLAEBIO) is a network open to all individuals and organizations who wish to support the development of agroecology and organic farming in Flanders.
Read more about our mission.
LLAEBIO supports research, innovation and knowledge sharing around agroecology and organic agriculture. By bringing together science, policy and practice, LLAEBIO addresses your questions or ideas within this field of practice.
Read more about what we do.
For you too!
Anuone interested in agroecology and organic agriculture can participate
- Farmers (organic and conventional)
- Researchers
- Suppliers, buyers and processors
- Interest groups or NGO's
- Consumers
- Experimental research centres and extension agents
- Policy makers
- Teachers and lectureres
- Etc.
ILVO hosts and facilitates this living lab. Depending on the questions or problems that arise, we address real-life questions from farmers with the right combination of people based on their expertise and field of interest. A deeper understanding of farmers knowledge gaps helps all actors to understand what is hindering the development of agroecology and organic farming in Flanders.
LLAEBIO strives for maximum collaboration with existing networks and their members. We especially work closely with the Experimental Platform for Agroecology in Hansbeke where we put agroecological farming into practice.
A systems perspective on food
The core of LLAEBIO consists of an open view and the active involvement of all actors in the agri-food system.
We use a systems approach. We embrace ecology and social values without losing sight of profitability and the other practical aspects of farming. The agricultural system consists of many elements that are interconnected and influence each other. We seek to understand these relations and get more insight into complex problems. To do so, we combine multiple disciplines (economics, sociology, ecology, …) and different types of knowledge (practice and fundamental research).
Read more about our systems approach
LLAEBIO adopts the living lab principles as defined by the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL):
- Multi-method approach
- Multi-stakeholder participation
- Real-life context
- Active farmer involvement
- Co-creation and open knowledge transfer
Read more about the building blocks of our work-method (NL).
Connections as the key to agroecological transition
We base the transition to fair and healthy food systems on 13 agroecological principles. . By connecting individuals and organizations from the agriculture and food sector - from policy makers to farmers – we accelerate these transitions. Such connections are necessary to exchange knowledge, forge new partnerships and promote innovations in agroecology and organic farming.
Do you have questions or ideas about research collaboration? Contact us today!
Sharing knowledge
Adding ecological approaches to existing agricultural and food systems requires a deep understanding of the entire food system, because this changes every aspect of food production. An agroecological approach often requires a switch to new business models and new interactions with value chain actors and governments (see principles). Our mission is to connect the diverse and unique knowledge and perspectives of all the actors in the agri-food system.
The specific context of the proposed innovation is key. Solutions cannot simply be copied from one farm to another. We consider farmers' practical or ‘tacit’ knowledge to be as valuable as the results of previous scientific research.
Facilitating research and innovation
A great deal of knowledge is already available in our network. Often, new insights lead to new questions. At LLAEBIO, we wants to address these 'knowledge gaps' by supporting research and innovation.
-
Identifying research needs: The knowledge present across the entire network helps to highlight problems that require more study.
-
Project development: We offer support to build consortia and write project proposals for agroecological and organic farming projects. Some of our services are: connecting stakeholders, organizing round table discussions, conducting workshops, etc.
-
Funding opportunities: We monitor research calls from various funding programmes (regional, national, European), to spotlight funding for new research projects. We inform our network about the available research calls related to organic agriculture and agroecology.
From information to co-creation
Our activities range from conferences, to collaboration on research and other types of projects and innovations. A selection of what we offer:
Expert database ▼
Our contact database contains many individuals and organizations in Flanders dedicated to creating a healthy and fair agri-food system from an agroecological and organic perspective.
Visits ▼
LLAEBIO organizes visits to inspiring farms, initiatives or companies to demonstrate the practical success of agroecology and organic farming. These visits facilitate experience exchange among stakeholders. We also host an annual demonstration day at the experimental platform for agroecology in Hansbeke .
Quarterly networking events ▼
Every three months or so, the network members present their work and share experiences with other members. Whenever possible, we link the event with an inspiring farm visit or a visit to partner organisations. Every year, one meeting is dedicated to setting out the activities for the next year.
Seminars/trainings ▼
Through seminars and training sessions, we aim to increase awareness and understanding of agroecology among researchers, farmers, students and other actors.
Workshops ▼
Through workshops and focus groups, we explore questions presented by the network and explore existing challenges. LLAEBIO facilitates the search for experts related to the issue at hand. These discussions can lead to formation of working groups that could lead to one concrete project.
Would you like to get to know us better? Or if you have a question for us? Send us an email via this form and we will contact you further.