On 29–30 September 2026, RUMINATE, represented by project partner White Research, participated in the kick-off event of the Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) on Agro-ecosystems, organised by BioAgora in Brussels, Belgium.
The two-day event brought together researchers, European projects, policymakers and other stakeholders to exchange knowledge, discuss challenges facing European agriculture and help shape a new network connecting scientific evidence with policymaking.
For RUMINATE, the event provided an opportunity to contribute to these discussions, strengthen connections with relevant organisations and explore future collaboration opportunities.
Bringing science and policy closer together
BioAgora is developing the Science Service for Biodiversity (SSBD), an initiative designed to support the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD) by making scientific knowledge more accessible and useful for policymaking.
An important part of this effort is the development of Knowledge Exchange Networks. These thematic networks bring together researchers, projects, policymakers and other knowledge holders to share expertise, identify knowledge gaps and provide scientific evidence that can support European policies.
The newly launched Agro-ecosystems KEN focuses on challenges related to agriculture, biodiversity and sustainable land management.
During the event, participants contributed to shaping the network’s future direction, discussing existing knowledge gaps, barriers to policy implementation and how the network could respond to future knowledge requests from the European Commission.
Exploring opportunities for RUMINATE
The Agro-ecosystems KEN is particularly relevant to RUMINATE, given the project’s focus on sustainable livestock production, environmental performance and climate resilience.
By investigating ways to reduce methane emissions in cattle and improve heat stress resilience in sheep, RUMINATE addresses challenges that connect agricultural productivity with environmental sustainability.
The network therefore offers a potential opportunity for RUMINATE to contribute research-based knowledge to wider European discussions on sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and relevant policy frameworks, including the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Participation in the event also provided an opportunity to explore whether future engagement with the Agro-ecosystems KEN could support knowledge exchange and collaboration between RUMINATE and other initiatives working on related challenges.
Building connections for future collaboration
Beyond the discussions on the network’s development, the event provided opportunities to connect with other European projects, research organisations, policymakers, farmers and stakeholders working across agriculture and biodiversity.
These exchanges helped raise awareness of RUMINATE and supported engagement activities linked to the project’s Network of Interest (NoI), which aims to bring together stakeholders interested in its research and innovation activities.
The contacts established during the event may also provide a starting point for future synergies, joint activities and policy-related discussions.
As RUMINATE continues its work, connections with initiatives such as BioAgora can help create opportunities to share project knowledge, learn from complementary research and strengthen dialogue between science, farming and policy.
By engaging with the Agro-ecosystems KEN, RUMINATE is exploring new ways to connect its research with the wider European conversation on sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture.
Learn more:
BioAgora: https://bioagora.eu/
Knowledge Exchange Networks: https://bioagora.eu/knowledge-exchange-networks