European Agri Innovation Summit – Lisieux 25-26 June 2019

European Agri Innovation Summit – Lisieux 25-26 June 2019

On the 25 and 26 of June 2019, the second Agri Innovation summit, co-organized by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food (with the national rural network), the Normandie Region, the European Commission and the European network PEI- AGRI, was held in France, in Lisieux.

Dedicated to the innovation for agriculture, forestry and especially to the European Partnership contribution for the Innovation to a Productive and Sustainable Agriculture (PEI-AGRI) concerning the agro-ecological transition, the summit brought together more than 400 participants, including more than 150 actors from all over Europe: farmers, foresters, rural development actors, researchers, advisers, teachers, co-operatives, companies, associations, decision-makers … 120 innovative projects and networks were presented into workshops or “Market place” and 8 visits of Normands projects were organized.

Solicaz, RITA’s GUYAFER project leader, was invited to present his project throught a poster of “Soil: fertility, biological life and fighting against erosion” work session. This workshop theme highlighted the fact that, after years of considering the soils only as inert substrates where its loss of fertility was offset by adding chemical inputs, the quality and health of soils and their fundamental role for the ecosystem became the center of agricultural and forestry concerns. The aim is to stop the erosion, to strengthen and maintain soil fertility and its biological life through the supply of organic matter, soil preparation and cultures diversification – including the introduction of legumes and intermediate cultures to improve the symbiosis between plants and micro-organisms, to fight against pollution and climate change (A better water and molecules retention, carbon storage).

Solicaz also has:
– attended various roundtables in plenary sessions about the transition to agro-ecology.
– participated to the crop nutrition workshop.
– attended a field visit on the GIEE Biodiversity to promote the biodiversity in agriculture (concept of ecosystem services).

https://www.reseaurural.fr/Sommet-agri-innovation-2019

RITA 2 (2017-2018)

RITA 2 (2017-2018)

In continuation of the project RITA 1 (2013-2015) – GUYAFER: Participatory enhancement in the FERtility of French GUYAnese soils. Towards a durable agriculture with a high organic output.

The Launching of RITA 2 in 2017-2018.
The Gathering

Objective: To promote durable, organic agriculture, integrated in step with ecological transition and responding to the local and global issues of durable development.

  • Respond to the needs of farmers
  • The design and evaluation of innovative cropping systems
  • Improvement of soil fertility through adapted practices
  • Transfer of agro-ecological practices to agricultural professionals

Phase 1- Acquisition of data through experimentation
Phase 2- Transfer of results


Collaboration with :
– other project promoters
– research organizations
– professional agricultural organizations
– the Chamber of Agriculture

A collaborative framework based on a participatory approach in co-design, in which the farmer collaborates actively in the design of experimentations.

Theme day on legumes at the CFPPA in Matiti (23.01.2016)

Theme day on legumes at the CFPPA in Matiti (23.01.2016)

Solicaz took part in the leguminous event at Matiti Agricultural High School, which brought together about 40 people, actors from the agricultural world.

The guests visited the fodder platform and the active fallow of the school before discovering the different experiments carried out by IKARE and Solicaz at the local level.

G. Paul has developed the subject of agroforestry with fixing trees. She presented the results of the planting of several Inga legume species (sweet pea) on degraded soil at depth to show the beneficial effects that nitrogen fixing trees can have in the agroforestry sector.

The topics covered were:

  • The process of nitrogen fixation by legumes
  • Practical case of the experimentation on a mine site on the ground degraded in depth.
  • The advantages of agroforestry and the possible associations.