The fifth and final co-innovation workshop of the Agroecology-TRANSECT project took place between 21 and 23 April 2026 in Roskilde, Denmark hosted by Conservation Agriculture (CA). The event took place at Roskilde University, bringing together the project’s 11 Innovation Hubs (IHs), as well as the relevant research partners of the consortium. This meeting marked an important milestone in concluding the project’s four-year collaborative process, but at the same time in preparing future cooperation pathways. The workshop aimed to review the local IHs’ achievements over the past years and reflect on how the network, knowledge, and relationships developed during the project could continue after its conclusion.
Within the Agroecology-TRANSECT project, ÖMKi collaborates with Wageningen University to lead the Transformative Learning Platform. This platform supports the 11 European IHs while monitoring and evaluating the unfolding of their respective agroecological potential within their socio-technical systems. ÖMKi is also directly involved in the international learning and co-innovation process through the Hungarian IH: the ‘species-rich perennial inter-row vegetation’ Living Lab. This IH focuses on the practical application of agroecological approaches in organic vineyards and orchards.
On the first day, IH coordinators took part in paired interviews to reflect on how their initial expectations from four years earlier had been realised, and the barriers they had encountered. The discussion covered external conditions, policy changes, market challenges, societal acceptance, and difficulties in involving local stakeholders.
This was followed by a facilitated session led by our colleague, Gerda Jónász, where IH coordinators analysed the common patterns that had emerged from the work of the different hubs. They also discussed the key moments when participants felt that real steps had been taken towards supporting the agroecological transition. Particular attention was given to understanding the local, policy, market, societal and institutional contexts in which these advances occurred. This is important because the agroecological transition is not based on a single blueprint, but is instead shaped by local conditions, stakeholders and opportunities. Workshop participants emphasised that the agroecological transition is not a linear process, but rather a multi-actor learning journey, where learning from failures is just as important as celebrating successes.
In the afternoon, the IHs were introduced to the preliminary results of the indicator framework developed within the project to support the assessment of farms’ agroecological performance. Using data collected by the IHs, the session gave coordinators an initial insight into how the assessed farms performed in relation to the 13 principles of agroecology, based on the Agroecology-TRANSECT methodology.
A central element of the second day was a Q-methodology session exploring how IH coordinators understand and interpret agroecology. This exercise aimed to demonstrate how shared messages could be developed in areas where significant differences in perspective exist. In the afternoon, a field visit provided an opportunity to learn from a local farmer who presented his regenerative farming practices and the experiences gained through implementing them.
The third day focused on how the project’s results and experiences can be continued and publicised after the project ends. Discussions addressed how the learning and reflection methods tested in the project could be translated into practical tools and guidance materials. In addition, discussions explored how farmers, decision-makers, and the broader public can be reached more effectively.
The workshop was also a community-building event, offering participants the chance to celebrate their achievements over the past four years together. By the end of the programme, it became clear that, although Agroecology-TRANSECT will formally end in August 2026, the network, mindset and knowledge it has generated can live on through new initiatives, partnerships and local agroecological processes. The Roskilde meeting therefore marked a fitting conclusion to the project, while also representing a new beginning for the Agroecology-TRANSECT community.
