Showcasing synergies between agriculture, biodiversity and ecosystem services to help farmers capitalising on native biodiversity (SHOWCASE)

The slow adoption by the agricultural sector of practices to promote biodiversity are thought to originate from three interrelated issues. First, we know little about which incentives effectively motivate farmers to integrate biodiversity into daily farm management. Second, few studies so far have produced evidence that biodiversity-based approaches produce benefits in terms of key variables for farmers (yield, profit). Third, there is a large communication gap between the scientists investigating biodiversity-based farming practices and the farmers who have to implement them. To overcome these barriers, SHOWCASE will review and test the effectiveness of a range of economic and societal incentives to implement biodiversity management in farming operations and examine farmer and public acceptance. Focus will be on three promising approaches: (i) result-based incentives, (ii) involvement in citizen science biodiversity monitoring and (iii) biodiversity-based business models. SHOWCASE will co-produce together with stakeholders solid interdisciplinary evidence for the agro-ecological and socio-economic benefits of biodiversity management in 10 contrasting farming systems across Europe. SHOWCASE will also design communication strategies that are tailor-made to farmers and other key stakeholders operating in different socio-economic and environmental conditions.SHOWCASE will develop a multi-actor network of 10 Experimental Biodiversity Areas in contrasting European farming systems that will be used for in-situ research on biodiversity incentives and evidence for benefits as well as knowledge exchange. This network will be used to identify and test biodiversity indicators and targets relevant to all stakeholders and use them in a learning-by-doing approach to improve benefits of biodiversity management on farms, both within the network and beyond

Assessing nature-based solutions uptake in a Mediterranean climate: Insights from the case-study of Malta

Nature-based solutions are increasingly promoted in regional and national policies because of their potential to contribute toward multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and promote resilient responses to climate change. However, several barriers continue to limit the effective implementation of NbS at local scales and hinder uptake by practitioners and businesses. This research analyses a database of 96 NbS implemented in Malta and a Mediterranean climate, compares local implementation with regional case-studies from a similar climate and, through interviews with stakeholders from the case-study area of Malta, identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of current NbS implementation and assesses enablers and barriers to NbS uptake. Most NbS case-studies addressed biodiversity loss, climate action, health and wellbeing, and sustainable cities and communities. NbS were associated with multiple arising benefits but social and economic benefits, such as green job creation, social cohesion and ownership by communities, were less often identified in the analysed case-studies. Alignment with policies, arising public relations benefits from NbS implementation, the adoption of interdisciplinary approaches involving multiple stakeholders, and the availability of regional guidelines were identified by the interviewees as key enablers supporting local implementation. Multiple institutional, infrastructural and perception barriers continue to limit participation, ownership, integration of NbS in planning and governance, and uptake by businesses. Based on these observations, we identify the need to consider NbS as a means to address societal challenges faced by communities and therefore their involvement, and that of practitioners working across disciplines needs to be established early on in NbS co-design processes. We argue that experimentation is critical to address gaps in knowledge, and develop collaborations that permit the development of context-specific NbS which, in addition to considering the ecological and technological conditions in decisions relating to NbS siting and design, also reflect the perceptions and needs of communities

Deliverable D4.9 Project logo, marketing starter pack and website running

The following report presents the initial project branding and marketing products that showcase the project’s visual identity and overall corporate appearance.As a foundation of the future effective communication activities, a sound set of working dissemination tools and materials is crucial to be established within the first months of the project. A project logo, project promotional materials, overall visual identity package, and a public website (www.showcase-project.eu) were developed in the first 4 months of the project duration in order to form the main tools of project public visibility and internal communication.The project is provided with a logo that has been communicated and coordinated with all project partners. Dissemination materials such as the SHOWCASE brochure and poster were produced for raising awareness and engaging stakeholders at events. A project brand manual was created and circulated among project partners in order to provide a consistent visual representation of the project. A set of corporate templates was also produced and made available to the consortium partners to facilitate future dissemination and reporting activities such as letters, milestones and deliverable reports, PowerPoint presentations, etc. The project website is developed as the main dissemination channel.The longer‐term impact of the project's results will be secured by maintaining the website for a minimum of 5 years after the end of the project

Deliverable D4.10 Plan for Exploitation and Dissemination of SHOWCASE results

Communication, dissemination and exploitation play a vital role within SHOWCASE as the main means of ensuring knowledge transfer and uptake of results during the project lifetime and after the project is concluded. The project’s strategic objectives and target groups, as well as the key messages and narratives that the project aims to communicate serve as an orientation in the project’s actions in the relevant field. The current Plan for Exploitation and Dissemination of Results (PEDR) has been developed to define target-specific objectives and outline concrete implementation actions.The SHOWCASE PEDR represents a document that aims to guide the communication and dissemination efforts to target project-relevant audiences, convey clear, understandable, coordinated and effective messages, and reach out project results to all interested parties within the various stakeholder groups.The plan presents the different communication and dissemination tools, structured in an implementation plan according to the different target groups and different stage of development of the project. It also provides a list of tailored key performance indicators (KPI) for the project’s outreach activities that aim to provide a means to quantitatively monitor the effectiveness of dissemination activities. Indicative time schedule for implementation and updates is provided.In addition, this document will identify key project results, which will be a subject of exploitation

Deliverable D4.8 Data Management Plan

The SHOWCASE DMP is structured into five sections, which aim to establish the scope and terms of use of research data within the project in accordance with the Horizon 2020 requirements of data management.The first section provides an introduction to the plan, which outlines the main data management practices that SHOWCASE would implement throughout the five-year project duration, as well as aspects of sustainable management of results and data after the conclusion of the project period.The second section of the document provides an overview of the commitments that SHOWCASE has made in relation to handling data in a controlled and transparent way, and ensuring an open access to research data and results in line with the EU’s Open Research Data Pilot and FAIR data management.The third section describes the details of data management within the project, focusing on different aspects of the process - from data collection, through data processing, to storage and access provision. The section features information on personal data protection in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), as well as a break-down of the research data usage into project work packages. Recommendations for relevant data management practices are described in the section.The fourth section includes an overview of the specific data management details for the project work packages. The specific data formats and data management requirements of work packages are described.The fifth section of the DMP features concluding remarks on the data management strategy adopted by the project, and it outlines future updates and additions to the plan, which are going to be presented at a later stage of the project’s development

D6.3 Communication Plan and Dissemination Plan

Deliverable 6.3 Communication and Dissemination plan comprises actions, tools and channels to be used throughout the BESTMAP project scope. The purpose of this document is to outline the strategy, to define means of communication, tools and actions that will be done within the BESTMAP project in order to reach a wide range of stakeholders. This plan is a living document and will be officially updated in month 24 (D6.8). The first chapter of the Communication and Dissemination Plan explains the wider context of the project and highlights how the project duration and geographical scope impact the communication and dissemination activities. The second chapter presents communication and dissemination strategy including definition of objectives and target audiences, communication tools and key messages. The third chapter presents AGRIMODELS cluster, while the fourth chapter explains Social Media Strategy. The aim of the fifth chapter is to emphasize the importance of project partners’ involvement in communication and dissemination activities, and the sixth chapter showcases the list of relevant conferences for presentation of the BESTMAP project. Seventh chapter presents an action plan for communication and dissemination activities while a list of references can be found in chapter eight

Deliverable D4.1 Overall communication strategy, including an outline of the SHOWCASE narrative

Communication and dissemination are key elements to maximise SHOWCASE project impact and ensure long‐term effects. For that, an effective communication strategy is essential to convey the principles and best practices to integrate biodiversity in farm management to favour farmers’ livelihoods while promoting conservation in agricultural landscapes. Current discourses around biodiversity, nature conservation and farming are contradictory with each other and not always engaging for SHOWCASE stakeholders. Thus, an inspirational narrative has been developed in the first months of the project by WP4 “Communicating the benefits of agrobiodiversity through multistakeholder knowledge exchange”, task 4.1. SHOWCASE narrative explains in an effective manner 1) why people care about biodiversity; 2) what we can do, and; 3) how we can do it better

D1.1 BESTMAP website and web-based within-project communication system

To promote and disseminate the BESTMAP research across stakeholders and the general public, and to raise awareness of the project findings, BESTMAP launched a website at the initial phase of the project. This report describes in detail the purpose, creation process and content of the BESTMAP website – the project’s key tool for successful dissemination, communication and knowledge transfer. The deliverable also describes the current and future implementation and maintenance of the website

Deliverable D3.1 Project logo, marketing pack and website design and development

This document presents BiCIKL’s recognizable visual identity, including the project logo, visual identity guide, brochure, poster, document, presentation templates and website design and functionality developed in the first three months. These materials will ensure that BiCIKL is communicated effectively and professionally with the aim to raise awareness and build a community from the start of the project.The modern and user-friendly public website (bicikl-project.eu) provides an easy-to-navigate, continuously updated platform allowing fast access to general information about BiCIKL and its activities, operating on several levels. It also prominently features the participating project partners and Research Infrastructures and their extensive service portfolio

Deliverable D4.1 Overall communication strategy, including an outline of the SHOWCASE narrative

Communication and dissemination are key elements to maximise SHOWCASE project impact and ensure long‐term effects. For that, an effective communication strategy is essential to convey the principles and best practices to integrate biodiversity in farm management to favour farmers’ livelihoods while promoting conservation in agricultural landscapes. Current discourses around biodiversity, nature conservation and farming are contradictory with each other and not always engaging for SHOWCASE stakeholders. Thus, an inspirational narrative has been developed in the first months of the project by WP4 “Communicating the benefits of agrobiodiversity through multistakeholder knowledge exchange”, task 4.1. SHOWCASE narrative explains in an effective manner 1) why people care about biodiversity; 2) what we can do, and; 3) how we can do it better