LiveNet

Project name: A European-wide network of livestock advisors well embedded in their AKIS ecosystems and exchanging practical knowledge in the long-term for sustainable livestock production
Project starting date: 1 January 2025
Project end date: 31 December 2029

PROJECT SUMMARY

The EU Farm to Fork strategy, which is at the heart of the European Green Deal, aims to make food systems fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly. Sustainable Livestock Production must play a substantial role to engage the EU in green transition while ensuring farmers’ incomes and quality of life. The main objective of LIVENET is to establish and build capacity of a network of advisory services across the EU, increasing the knowledge sharing between advisors, and among the whole AKIS, and the adoption of innovative solutions for Sustainable Livestock Production by farmers. The project will achieve this through: 1) the establishment and development of an EU network of livestock advisors, based on existing networks and national AKIS, covering the 27 EU Members States, the UK and Switzerland. To cover all MSs, the project will adopt a twinning approach: 10+1 National Networks will be created by the project partners and will engage with 18 Associated Networks through a twining program. The network will cover all European pedo- climatic areas, integrating 10 EU regional clusters, the major livestock sectors and the main thematic challenges faced by breeders; 2) the collection, selection, evaluation, adaptation and validation of context-based Innovative Advisory Practices (IAPs), which are technically, economically, socially, and environmentally viable and will be replicated across the EU, 3) the wide scaling of solutions through trainings, demo-events and other activities towards advisors, students and value chain actors to promote the adoption of the IAPs. 4) the connection with other regional, national and EU projects, initiatives and policy makers for better integration of livestock advisory organisations in the AKISs. The project embrace a multi-actor approach, gathering 20 organisations with a vast experience in advisory and sustainable livestock production representing a diversity of AKIS stakeholders (farmers, advisors, researchers, value chain actors).

OBJECTIVES

• Objective 1: To co-create, animate, manage and sustain an EU-wide “sustainable livestock production” (SLP) advisors network across the 27 European Member State, Switzerland and the UK, improving advisors’ skills and capacities, and increasing practical solutions knowledge exchange in the long-term.
• Objective 2: To collect, select, evaluate, analyse, adapt and translate 100 contextualized “Innovative Advisory Practices” (IAPs) for Sustainable Livestock Production in a multi-actor setting in 29 European Countries.
• Objective 3: To promote Innovative Advisory Practices on Sustainable Livestock Production in countries through a series of targeted knowledge exchange and scaling activities (field visits, on farm & virtual demonstrations, training and education events) tailored to each country, production context and AKIS.
• Objective 4: Means of verification / KPI To link the project with other projects, actors, networks and policy makers increasing the knowledge flows, thus fostering AKIS integration and expansion of livestock advisor networks for further embedment evolving AKIS ecosystem at EU/national/regional levels in the 29 countries.
• Objective 5: To communicate, disseminate and exploit all results and outcomes of the project through the most relevant channels and networks across all European countries in order to ensure their accessibility, uptake and operational implementation in the long-term.

METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH

The LIVENET project focuses on enhancing the sustainability of livestock farming in Europe by fostering innovation and collaboration among livestock advisors and stakeholders. It employs an interactive innovation model that combines both bottom-up and top-down activities. At the grassroots level, the project establishes local networks of livestock advisors and stakeholders, who collaborate to identify priority thematic areas. These networks also evaluate existing innovative advisory practices (IAPs) for their effectiveness. On the top-down side, LIVENET builds upon findings from previous projects to identify and adapt existing solutions to local contexts. The project’s overarching goal is to create a sustainable, EU-wide network of livestock advisors with expertise in Sustainable Livestock Production (SLP), enhancing their capacities through targeted training and knowledge-sharing. By focusing on collecting, assessing, and scaling IAPs, LIVENET seeks to increase their adoption across different regions, helping to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of European livestock farming. Through tailored, multi-dimensional strategies, the project aims to maximize the impact and reach of its innovations, supporting the wider adoption of sustainable practices in livestock production.
The project is structured through WP’s (Work packages), in which there are 17 WP’s. In each WP, there are tasks that are completed in a time.
The LiveNet project establishes, activates, and sustains a transnational advisory network for sustainable livestock production. It begins by mapping existing advisory systems and co-designing a multi-level network strategy and governance structure, followed by the activation of national and thematic networks through training, meetings, and coordinated knowledge exchange. Transnational twinning and networking activities support capacity building among advisors at national and EU levels.
The project develops a methodological framework for identifying, evaluating, and scaling Innovative Advisory Practices (IAPs), supported by a digital e-library and cross-regional learning visits. Selected practices are validated, adapted, and scaled through two implementation rounds, tailored to national AKIS contexts and continuously improved based on evaluation results.
LiveNet strengthens links with national and EU AKIS ecosystems, promotes deeper integration of advisory services, and contributes policy recommendations to ensure long-term impact. Communication, dissemination, and digital platform development ensure broad engagement and accessibility of results. Project coordination and management guarantee effective implementation, compliance with Horizon Europe requirements, and the sustainability of outcomes beyond the project lifetime.

PROJECT COORDINATION and COVERAGE

The LIVENET project builds an EU-wide advisory network for sustainable livestock production, covering all EU Member States, the UK, and Switzerland. It brings together 20 partners from research, advisory, and farming sectors to collect, adapt, and share innovative advisory practices (IA

 

Ps) across Europe, focusing on four sustainability themes: socio-economic resilience, environmentally friendly production, One Health and welfare, and generational renewal.

LIVENET establishes 11 National Networks of advisors, each selecting priority themes based on local challenges, and links them with Associated Networks through a twinning approach that strengthens knowledge exchange. Cooperation is further supported through EU Regional Clusters, enabling cross-border learning and the adaptation of practices toregional conditions.

The project is supported by a multi-level governance structure, with National and Associated Network Leaders and a Scientific and Technical Group ensuring coordinated implementation, scientific support, and effective scaling of IAPs.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

• EO#1: Progress toward policy objectives related to sustainability: This outcome focuses on advancing livestock management to meet EU Green Deal goals. It aims to deploy innovations (IAPs) that address environmental, economic, and societal challenges, with a strong emphasis on economic viability and social acceptance. It will affect over 15,000 actors across the EU.
• EO#2: Support for the modernization of agriculture: This outcome encourages the use of digital tools and innovations in livestock farming. It focuses on technical solutions, such as Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) tools, and ensuring their economic viability. It will reach over 6,000 advisors across the EU through knowledge sharing and cross-border collaboration.
• EO#3: Interaction with regional policymakers on livestock challenges: This outcome fosters dialogue with policymakers to address bottlenecks in sustainable livestock production. It involves regular interactions with policymakers and integrates lessons learned from other EU projects to influence agricultural policy, reaching 200 policymakers across 29 countries.
• EO#4: Production of supporting services and materials: This outcome aims to provide materials and services to support the upscaling of sustainable livestock systems. It includes workshops, training, and peer-to-peer learning, ensuring that solutions are adapted to local contexts and are validated by end-users. It will engage 5,000 participants in scaling events and 20,000 views on practice materials.
• EO#5: Accelerating the implementation of innovative solutions: This outcome seeks to link research, education, and practice to accelerate the adoption of sustainable livestock practices. It involves connecting actors across the AKIS network and facilitating the exchange of knowledge to implement 100 ready-to-use innovations. It will engage 100,000 actors across 30 EU projects and 90 national initiatives.

SEASN’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT

• SEASN is actively involved in WP5 – Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation. Its responsibilities include:
  • Supporting stakeholder engagement and outreach across the South Eastern European region.
  • Facilitating cross-border knowledge exchange through study visits and peer-to-peer learning.
  • Disseminating project outcomes to advisory services, policymakers, and rural stakeholders in Balkan and neighboring countries.
  • Ensuring representation of underrepresented regions within EU-level AKIS dialogues.
• SEASN is a thematic network leader for socio-economic resilience.