BOERENBOND PROJECTEN

Their core work

Boerenbond Projecten is the project arm of Boerenbond, Belgium's largest farmers' union, bringing the voice and practical experience of Flemish farmers into EU-funded agricultural innovation. They connect on-the-ground farming knowledge with research institutions across Europe, specializing in advisory services, knowledge exchange networks, and multi-actor innovation in agriculture. Their role is to ensure that research outputs are relevant and applicable to real farm operations — from dairy and pig production to short supply chains and agri-environmental contracts.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015–2018), Boerenbond Projecten focused heavily on agricultural innovation support systems — how to help farmers access innovation, peer-to-peer learning, and EIP (European Innovation Partnership) operational groups. Projects like AGRISPIN, SKIN, and PLAID were all about building the infrastructure for knowledge flow between researchers and farmers. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted toward policy-level engagement (Common Agricultural Policy, agri-environmental contracts), social dimensions of farming (mental health, cooperative governance), and circular bioeconomy applications (food waste valorization, biorefinery). This reflects a maturation from "how do farmers innovate" to "what systemic changes do farming communities need."

Moving from pure knowledge-exchange facilitation toward circular bioeconomy, climate-smart contracts, and farmer wellbeing — expect future projects at the intersection of social innovation and agricultural sustainability.

How they like to work

Boerenbond Projecten operates exclusively as a participant — never as coordinator — which is consistent with their role as a farmer-representative body contributing practical knowledge rather than managing research agendas. With 269 unique partners across 32 countries, they are a well-connected node in the European agri-innovation network, comfortable in large multi-actor consortia (typically 15-25 partners). Their value to a consortium is clear: they bring direct access to a large base of Flemish farmers for validation, testing, and real-world feedback on research outputs.

An extensively networked organization with 269 unique consortium partners across 32 countries, giving them one of the broadest collaboration footprints among agricultural associations in H2020. Their network spans Western and Eastern Europe, with particularly strong ties to agricultural research institutions and farmer organizations across the EU.

What sets them apart

As the project vehicle of Belgium's largest farmers' union, Boerenbond Projecten offers something most research partners cannot: direct, trusted access to thousands of active Flemish farmers. This makes them an ideal dissemination and validation partner — they can test whether a research concept actually works on the ground. Their 17-project track record across the full spectrum of agricultural innovation (from animal welfare to food waste to renewable energy on farms) makes them a versatile, reliable consortium partner with proven capacity to deliver.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AgriLink
  Largest single funding (€326K) and directly aligned with their core mission — linking farmers, advisors, and researchers to boost agricultural innovation across Europe.
• HyPErFarm
  An unusual cross-sector move into on-farm hydrogen and solar energy production, signaling diversification beyond traditional agricultural innovation topics.
• FARMWELL
  Addresses farmer mental health and social challenges — a rare and increasingly important topic that reflects Boerenbond's role as a farmers' welfare organization, not just a research partner.