Project partners meet in the Netherlands for CAFAMORE’s official kick-off

Over 50 project members from 10 countries across Europe gathered last 9-11 September in Wageningen (Netherlands) to connect, learn, and plan CAFAMORE’s exciting journey ahead. The 2.5-day Kick-off Meeting, the first significant milestone of the project, was hosted by project coordinator Wageningen University & Research, and was packed with debates, discussions, and social events. It was the perfect opportunity for many partners to get to know each other, deepen their understanding of the project itself, aligning their visions, and starting to build up the collaborations required to achieve the expected goals.

The sessions were organised in a multi-faceted way, from partner introductions and presentations of each individual work package to parallel sessions and debates. Some of the highlights of the event included an interactive discussion each partner’s vision for CAFAMORE, a lively debate on the interactions between soil organic carbon measurements and modelling, and a first exploration on the project’s six working groups that will target specific stakeholders’ needs and interests.

A group of people smiling and posing for a photo in front of a large window with natural light streaming in.

A group of people seated at tables in a well-lit room, engaged in conversation and activities.

A large group of people seated in a room, focused on a presentation displayed on a projector screen.

A large group of people seated in chairs, engaged in discussion within a spacious room.

A group of diverse individuals seated around a table in a meeting room, engaged in discussion and collaboration.

A group of people stands in a museum, observing various artifacts displayed in glass cases.

A man presenting to an audience, engaging with the group while using visual aids to enhance his message.b

A lively restaurant scene with patrons eating and drinking, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

A diverse group of people collaborating around a table covered with colorful sticky notes.

A group of people seated in chairs, attentively watching a presentation on a large screen in front of them.

Exhibit showcasing various soils and land use practices at the Museum of Natural History.

A group of people engaged in discussion around a table in a meeting room.

Moreover, the Kick-off Meeting featured contributions from external experts Panos Panagos and Emanuele Lugato (JRC), European Commission representatives Valeria Forlin (DG Clima) and May Hobeika (DG Agri), and Pilar Vizcaíno Martínez (REA), CAFAMORE’s Project Officer. We also had the pleasure of welcoming Ichsani Wheeler, Tomislav Hengl, and Beatriz Sarabia (OpenGeoHub) from our sister project OGCR, who shared their thoughts towards exploring future collaborations together. Finally, Greet Ruysschaert and Hui Xu (EV ILVO) presented the MARVIC project and the multiple connections and potential interactions with CAFAMORE.

In addition to these sessions and presentations, the meeting included a visit to the World Soil Museum (ISRIC), where project partners got the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour of their very interesting exhibition of soil monoliths obtained from different parts of the world, with diverse climates and land uses. Also enriching was the visit to Eurofins Agro, where CAFAMORE members had an insight into their top-level facilities and labs, complemented by an engaging presentation from Maurits Voogt.

After the meeting, Jan Peter Lesschen, CAFAMORE Project coordinator and senior researcher at Wageningen Environmental Research, observed: “Meeting in Wageningen gave us many insights on where we have to work on, highlighting the most important questions to solve and the key role of collaboration with other projects. The energy that we felt from all partners is a great starting point for the project.”

This meeting was just the first step of CAFAMORE’s four-year journey towards the development of tools and knowledge for credible and robust carbon farming monitoring and certification. Stay connected with us and watch the video below to learn more about Jan Peter Lesschen’s take on CAFAMORE’s main goals and the start of the project.