From September 17th to 20th, the LiveSeeding project convened its third general project meeting in Novara, Italy. The gathering was an opportunity to collaboratively plan the project’s third year, bolster team spirit among partners, and cultivate synergies for a strong project impact.
23 Sessions covered a wide range of topics
The meeting opened with a welcome and an overview of the annual objectives, followed by reflections on year two’s successes, particularly in on-farm screenings, Organic Heterogeneous Material (OHM) and Organic Variety (OV) development, and case studies/workshops. A cross-cutting session explored complexities around OHM and OVs, including notification, traceability, and breeding guidelines, alongside discussions on training activities and a seed production manual.
The first day ended strategizing communication and dissemination for year three. The final day focused on fostering entrepreneurship, with brainstorming on overcoming bottlenecks and seizing opportunities, plus discussions on business models, marketing, and organic breeding benefits. Updates on exploitation plans, EU policy, and a workshop on Training Task Force planning rounded out the meeting, along with presentations on plant health, urban food policy, and IT tool interoperability.
Field visit to Rovasenda
The second day offered a unique opportunity for learning, as participants embarked on a field trip to Rovasenda organised by our partner Rete Semi Rurali. They visited Cascina Teglio for a presentation on the “bio-district” and organic rice population fields.
The journey continued to Cascina dell’Angelo (azienda agricola La Garlanda), where attendees split into groups to explore rice fields and witness rice cleaning and processing at a seed company firsthand. The field visits provided invaluable insights into real-world applications of the project’s research and development efforts.
