About the Network

The AGROECOLOGY Partnership has the ambitious mission to coordinate efforts, pool resources, and facilitate the transition to agroecology across Europe, by building on participatory research approaches such as Living Labs (LL) and Research Infrastructures (RI). To achieve this, one of the goals of the Partnership is to build a European Network of Agroecology LLs and RIs (the Network) that connects these participatory place-based innovations for enhancing knowledge sharing and for supporting multi-stakeholder co-creation of agroecology innovations across various scales in Europe. Within AGROECOLOGY, Work Package 8 is responsible for coordinating the Network led by Hungarian Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (ÖMKi).

Group picture of the Network during the 2nd Annual Network meeting in Bordeaux, France (2025). Source: Korrina Varga

The foundations of the Network were already laid down between 2019-2023 in frame of two Horizon 2020 projects, the ALL-Ready and AE4EU. The ALL-Ready project experimented with a small-scale pilot network of same structures while the AE4EU project created three agroecology LLs. Therefore, the Network did not have to be established from scratch, rather relying, combining and strengthening the networks already created in the preparatory projects.

This way, the Network was successfully launched in June 2024 with the first cohort of 17 members, then it expanded after the 1^st wave of applications in 2025 to a total of 55 members - composed of 39 LLs and 16 RIs.

> Get to know the members

> Download the Network's flyer

The Network is expected to grow gradually until 2033 through yearly application waves.

Network's Mission

The Network brings together AE RIs and LLs across Europe that demonstrate the ingenuity, sustainability, social and ecological viability of AE systems and promote AE as a viable solution to current agri-food challenges. The Network empowers LLs and RIs that experiment with AE at different geographical scales, connecting practice, policy and research through multi-actor, system, inter- and transdisciplinary approaches, which explicitly acknowledge the challenges of spatial and temporal scales in AE systems. The Network promotes exchanges and learning spaces among members, generates knowledge and evidence for implementing AE and facilitates the sharing of data for AE community and beyond. As a result, the Network supports inclusive and cutting-edge innovations that accelerate the transition to AE at local, regional and national levels in every European country.

Network's Objectives

To connect and empower place-based innovations in forms of agroecology LL/RIs at various scales across Europe to create new and diverse knowledge, and to understand how agroecology LLs and RIs can complement one another and cooperate in order to achieve agroecology transition.
To improve the access to and the availability of agroecology LLs & RIs knowledge, data and experiences at various scales among agroecology LLs & RIs to foster better knowledge and information sharing.
To support multi-stakeholder co-creation of agroecology innovations.
To create visibility for agroecology LLs and RIs and their innovations across Europe.
To reach beyond Europe and build synergies with other international networks in order to contribute to and shape the global discourse on agroecology and related science-policy dialogues at different scales.

Benefits of the membership

Being actively part of knowledge exchange, learning, information and data sharing between agroecology LLs and RIs which support individual LL or RI improvement and capacity building. 
Extensive networking: 
- Ensuring connection to various agri-food stakeholders across the EU from local to international level through the Network members.  
- Linking up and building relationships with other organisations and movements with similar goals and profiles across Europe to pool resources and to extend members’ network.
The possibility of increased cooperation to develop international/transnational research projects on agroecology and on LL/RIs.
Taking part in diverse co-creation processes that create opportunity to improve or discover new agroecology practices, new methods and approaches for the transition, thus contributing to cutting edge agroecology research and innovation. 
Having influence on the direction and the outputs of the Network, therefore contributing to shifting the discourse and research of EU’s agricultural policy more toward agroecology.   
Increased visibility on international scale.

Interested in becoming a Member? A new wave of application is NOW OPEN

Applications can be submitted by 31 March 2026, 23:59 by completing this online application form: https://biokutatas.limesurvey.net/942911?lang=en&newtest=Y

The aim of the survey is to identify and describe in detail already existing agroecology LLs and RIs across Europe interested in becoming members of the Network. This application survey should be completed by the representative of the applicant initiative (LL/RI). Applicants need to provide answers to questions designed to gather detailed information on their initiatives broken down into five main areas: Identity details, Activities, Objectives, Governance and Values.

Timeline of the application: 

Application Deadline: 31 March 2026

Selection: by 30 April 2026

Notification: by 15 May 2026

Online onboarding: by 15 June 2025

For more information, please visit the application and criteria guideline document which explains the application process, eligibility, benefits of membership and the inclusion criteria. In addition, it is recommended to review the PDF version of the full questionnaire before completing the online form in order to adequately prepare for the application. The online form takes approx. 45 minutes to complete.  

APPLICATION FORM

APPLICATION AND CRITERIA GUIDELINE