Descripción
From the AKIS Advisors Platform, we invite you to participate in the conference “ Advice as the core of AKIS in Spain and Europe ”, which we are organizing together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and which will be held at the La Vega Innova venue.
The meeting will feature the institutional participation of Begoña García Bernal , and will bring together national and international experts to analyze the strategic role of agricultural advice within the AKIS system, both in Spain and in the European context.
Venue : La Vega Innova ( Camino de la Vega, s/n, 28830 San Fernando de Henares, Madrid )
Format : in person.
A program focused on the present and future of agricultural consulting
The day will begin with the institutional opening, followed by a presentation on the role of advice in the future CAP (2028–2034) by the European Commission.
Throughout the morning we will cover:
• The current state of consulting in Spain , including diagnosis, strengths and challenges of the system, with the participation of experts such as Inge Van Oost and Isabel Bombal.
• International reference models , such as the TEAGASC system in Ireland or the private model in the Netherlands, will provide insights into integration, professionalization and the market.
• The network advice , with parallel sessions focused on topics such as sustainable nutrition, innovation, plant health, advice for young people or organic production, as well as the connection with European projects of Horizon Europe.
The day will continue with a panel discussion on the training of agricultural advisors , where key aspects such as skills, certification, specialization and quality of service will be analyzed, in a context of growing demand for professionalization.
Networking and connection between AKIS actors
The event will conclude with a networking space that will facilitate the exchange of knowledge between advisors, researchers and representatives of the sector, reinforcing the role of advice in agriculture as a key figure in the transfer of innovation.
Registrations open
Participation is free, but prior registration is mandatory until capacity is reached . Applications must be confirmed by the organizers.
To facilitate access to the event, a bus service will be available for attendees from Atocha .
Register and be part of this key meeting for the future of agricultural advice within the framework of AKIS.
Full program
• 09:30 | Bus departure from Atocha
• 10:30 – 10:50 | Institutional Opening
Begoña García Bernal
Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food (MAPA)
• 10:50 – 11:05 | Agricultural advice in the future CAP (2028–2034)
Marta Iglesias (DG AGRI, European Commission)
• 11:05 – 11:40 | BLOCK 1 – Situation and prospects of consulting in Spain
-Situation of agricultural advice in Spain (CAP 2023–2027)
CDI Consultants
• System diagnosis
• Main strengths and limitations
-Towards effective advisory systems: strategic vision
Inge Van Oost (Senior Policy Expert) & Isabel Bombal (MAPA) (English)
• 11:40 – 12:10 | Coffee break – networking
• 12:10 – 12:50 | BLOCK 2 – International models of advice
-TEAGASC Model (Ireland) – Edgar García Manzanilla
→ Integration of research, consulting, and training
-Private consulting model (Netherlands) – Yaité Cuesta Arenas
→ Professionalization, specialization and market
-Questions and discussion (10 min)
• 12:50 – 13:50 | BLOCK 3 – Online Consulting
-Auditorium | Subgroups of the Advisory Working Group (OC AKIS) . Main messages of the “policy briefs”.
· Sustainable Nutrition – Luis Orcaray (INTIA)
· Innovation – Lola de Toro (CeiA3)
· Plant health – Ana Cano (Agri-food Cooperatives)
· Youth counseling – Alicia Martínez (UPA)
· Organic Production – Auxiliadora Vecina (Ecovalia)
-Aula Magna | European advisory networks (Horizon Europe) . Connection between European projects and the Spanish AKIS system.
· OrganicAdviceNetwork – Antonio Hurtado
· STRATUS – Paula Resano
· EU4Advice – Patricia Mora
· FORADVISE – Aida Rodríguez
· DIGI-Rangeland – Eva Pérez
· NBSoil – Almudena Olivas
• 13:50 – 14:15 | BLOCK 4 – Panel Discussion – Training of Agricultural Advisors
Advisor skills | Professional certification | Initial and ongoing training | Specialization | Service quality and professional misconduct
Moderator : Cristina Simon (MAPA)
Speakers :
• Nuria M. Montagut (Head of SG Service for Agrifood Transfer and Innovation, DARPA)
• Martín Barrasa Rioja (University of Santiago de Compostela)
• Luis Carbonell Zaragoza (Technical Secretary, College of Agricultural Technical Engineers of Valencia and Castellón)
• Luis Antolin de la Cruz (Technical Advisor of the Advisory Service of COAG Castilla y León)
• 14:15 – 14:25 | Institutional Conclusions – MAPA
• 14:25 – 15:30 | Networking lunch (cocktail)
• 15:30 | Return to Atocha by bus