The European Forum for Agricultural and Rural Advisory Services (EUFRAS) has officially launched its 2026 ‘Coffee Break’ webinar series. This initiative, developed in partnership with the EU-FarmBook consortium, aims to make it easier for practical research results to reach farmers and forestry professionals across the EU.

The first session, titled ‘How EU-FarmBook Can Strengthen Your Daily Advisory Work’, attracted fifty participants from twenty-one different countries. Anita Dzelme (EUFRAS) opened the event, alongside Robby Cloesen (Boerenbond Projects) and Eduard Mauri (The European Forest Institute), who are all actively involved in the EU-FarmBook project. EU-FarmBook is an open-access digital repository designed to serve as a primary source of agricultural and forestry knowledge. The platform now aggregates practical outputs from around 2,000 registered projects, including 261 Horizon Europe projects and more than 1,500 operational projects.

A particular highlight of the session was the introduction of Farm-Assistant, an AI-based tool that has been integrated into the platform. This assistant provides immediate, referenced responses to technical queries, enabling advisors to offer more robust recommendations to their clients in real time and reducing the time spent on manual research.

EUFRAS representatives emphasised that, although technology is advancing, the human element provided by rural advisors remains vital to the industry. Designed to fit into the busy schedules of these professionals, the 2026 Coffee Breaks offer concise learning sessions that focus on overcoming language barriers through multilingual access. They also encourage advisors to contribute their own project materials to ensure long-term impact.

This series has been launched following the official rollout of the EU-FarmBook platform, aligning with the European Commission’s Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems strategy. Project coordinators noted that, by equipping advisors with the best available science in an easily digestible format, the programme directly contributes to the competitiveness and sustainability of European farms and forests.

See recording here:
https://youtu.be/pTt3KQA_IAg