Regenerative agriculture in action – KIARA project meeting at PULS
On 3–5 March 2026, the Faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture and Biotechnology at the Poznań University of Life Sciences (PULS) hosted an international KIARA (Knowledge and Innovation for Advisory Services in Regenerative Agriculture) project meeting, aimed at developing advisory systems supporting the implementation of regenerative agriculture in small and medium-sized farms.
The event was attended by KIARA project partners from England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Ukraine. During the meeting, the last year of the project financed under the Horizon Europe programme (EIT Food Impact Framework) was summarised and activities for the next stage of work were planned. On the third day of the meet-up, participants visited university farms in Brody and Przybroda, which are excellent examples of a sustainable approach to agricultural production and many years of experience in crop rotation.
The KIARA project focuses on strengthening the skills of agricultural advisers, who play a key role in the agricultural knowledge transfer system. Their support is especially important for farmers planning to switch to regenerative farming practices. However, in Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine, extension services are limited, and many small- and medium-scale farmers lack access to advice that would support them to farm in a more sustainable way. This project is addressing that gap in services by developing training programmes for advisors.
Using a combination of online learning programmes, field schools and in-person activities, this project addresses two core areas: extension training and regenerative agriculture. Agricultural advisors will participate in training programmes that build their subject matter expertise in diverse areas of regenerative agriculture. They will also learn extension and communication methods and skills needed to successfully support farmer transitions to regenerative agriculture.
The project is led by the University of Reading (UK) with a consortium of partners from Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany. The project leaders at PULS are Dr. Stanisław Świtek from the Department of Agronomy and Dr. Tomasz Wojciechowski from the Department of Biosystems Engineering.
