€15 million invested in rural innovation

This is where innovation happens: right there on the farm. In the greenhouse. Or out in the field. This month, three experimental sites have officially launched, where farmers, growers and researchers team up to test what actually works. Backed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature, with a total investment of €15 million.

Less talk, more trial

The sites were set up through the Experimental Locations Subsidy Scheme (SREL). Farmers and researchers could submit proposals earlier this year, and now, those plans are being put into practice. The goal? To speed up innovation where it matters. Not in a lab, but in the mud. As Minister Wiersma puts it: “The real power of innovation lies with the people who are out on the land every day.”

These collaborations will run for five years. That gives plenty of time to test ideas, right there in the field, where farmers know exactly what works. And what doesn’t.

Three regions, three approaches

In the Groene Hart, the focus is on dairy farming in peatland areas. Farmers are working on circular solutions in collaboration with supply chain partners. Think of practical ways to reduce nitrogen emissions, using technology and smarter management.

In Twente and the Achterhoek, the approach is broader: circular agriculture, biodiversity, climate resilience. Farmers there are exploring income models for stream valleys and testing ways to close nutrient cycles locally.

And in De Peel? Wageningen University & Research is on board, supporting trials of four innovative farm systems designed for sandy soils. Drones, robots and KPIs are part of the toolkit. The goal: align crops and coordinate efforts to reach shared targets.

What works should be shared

These three sites are just the beginning. The aim is to build a national network, a place where practical knowledge, data and insights can be easily exchanged. Starting this autumn, a central platform will go live: the National Platform Experiment locations. There, farmers will learn from one another, simply by seeing what works elsewhere. Or what doesn’t.

Rvo.nl