"EcoFlourish" was launched at the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA)

The launch event of the international project "EcoFlourish" took place at the Vytautas Magnus University Agriculture Academy (VMU AA), with activities organized by project coordinator Dr. Audronė Ispiryan. Project partners from Romania, France, Poland, Cyprus, and Slovenia arrived in Lithuania.

The multi-day event was dedicated to the official start of the project and collaborative work: partners discussed research directions, data management, the creation of living labs, digital monitoring possibilities, and future actions. Much attention was paid to ensuring that project activities are developed hand-in-hand with practice, involving farmers, communities, and institutions. Project partners met with VMU researchers, policy makers, institutional representatives, berry growers, gardeners, and the local community.

The "EcoFlourish" project aims to contribute to the creation of more sustainable berry growing and horticulture systems using agroecological principles, digital solutions, biodiversity enhancement, and close cooperation with growers. Special attention is given to ensuring that the developed solutions are scientifically grounded and adaptable to real farm conditions.

Project Kick-off: Research Opportunities and the Search for Joint Solutions

The first day of the event was dedicated to a partner meeting and collaborative work. Partners discussed research directions, data management principles, digital monitoring possibilities, and the next steps of the project. Participants also visited the VMU Botanical Garden, where they evaluated opportunities to develop agroecological research and create experimental spaces to study horticulture and berry production systems. The Botanical Garden is seen in the project as an important venue where scientific research, practical demonstrations, biodiversity monitoring, and public education can intersect.

On the same day, project partners also participated in the activities of the international scientific-practical conference "Human and Nature Safety 2026". Topics related to the project were presented there: agroecology, biodiversity, digital innovations, sustainable land-use systems, and human-nature interaction. This allowed the project ideas to be presented to a broader academic and professional community.

Strategic Session: Science, Policy, Farmers, and the Community at One Table

The second day of the event was dedicated to the strategic session "Sustainable Bioeconomy Solutions in Horticulture: Collaboration Between Science, Policy, and Practice." It was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Chamber of Agriculture, public institution "Ekoagros", VMU, KTU, and the VMU Botanical Garden, as well as scientists, gardeners, berry growers, and members of the local community.

Discussions covered the development of organic berry growing, biodiversity conservation, the application of digital technologies on farms, farmers' needs, and the practical adaptability of innovations. Much attention was paid to how science can help solve real farm problems—from soil condition monitoring to economic viability, market challenges, and consumer expectations.

During the strategic session, an important common direction emerged: sustainability solutions must be created not apart from farmers, but together with them. Berry growers expressed a desire to cooperate with science, share practical experience, and get involved in project activities. This is one of the most important results of the project's launch, because it is farmer participation that allows for the creation of solutions addressing the sector's real needs.

During the event, it was also agreed to start establishing a living lab at the VMU Botanical Garden. It will become a space where agroecological solutions can be tested, biodiversity and soil changes monitored, digital tools applied, and joint activities of science, farmers, and the public organized.

Field Day: Traditional Orchard, Bees, and a Living Example of Agroecology

The third day of the event was dedicated to field activities and practical exploration of agroecological ideas. Participants visited a guelder rose (viburnum) orchard, where traditional horticultural practices, native plant diversity, the importance of landscape, and opportunities to create sustainable products from local raw materials were presented.

The orchard became a living example of how traditional crop production can be linked with biodiversity conservation, cultural heritage, the local economy, and sustainable food systems. Participants discussed how such places can become spaces not only for production, but also for learning, monitoring, and community engagement.

In the second half of the day, the Šušvė Farm and Apiary was visited, focusing on beekeeping, the importance of pollinators, biodiversity, and the creation of traditional products. Bees and other pollinators are an inseparable part of agroecological systems, so this trip helped to see practically how horticulture, berry growing, beekeeping, and landscape maintenance can complement each other.

The field day allowed project partners and participants to better understand what data, monitoring methods, and practical solutions are needed in real farm situations. It also strengthened the project's connection with local growers and showed that agroecology is not just a theoretical concept—it is concrete practices, people, places, traditions, and everyday decisions.

First Steps Agreed Upon

During the event, the first project activities were planned: the creation of a living lab at the VMU Botanical Garden, the clarification of research and monitoring priorities, the preparation of a data management system, the creation of common methodological protocols, and further work with berry growers and other stakeholders.

The "EcoFlourish" project aims to become a platform where science, practice, and policy meet not formally, but for real joint work. Coordinated by the VMU Agriculture Academy, the project has shown that horticulture and berry growing can be an important space for agroecological innovations, strengthening biodiversity, digital monitoring, and creating sustainable bioeconomy solutions.

The project's kick-off event became an important first step in building a collaboration network that connects universities, farmers, communities, institutions, and international partners. It is expected that this cooperation will contribute to more sustainable, resilient, and higher-value horticulture and berry-growing systems in Lithuania and Europe.

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