BoerenNatuur and LTO Nederland are publishing a guideline aimed at bridging the gap between pilot projects and policy within the Common Agricultural Policy. The core principle is simple: ensure that pilot projects and policy work together systematically from the outset, organize process management, and ensure that promising outcomes are truly implemented in regulations and practice.
Between 2021 and 2024, 22 pilot projects focused on CAP themes such as peat meadows, circular agriculture, and simplifying the instrumentation. A rich harvest of lessons learned and recommendations emerged. At the same time, coordination with national policy remained variable. The guidelines describe how pilot projects often encountered a black box regarding embedding and scaling up, while the ministry relied heavily on final reports and the longer policy cycle. The document emphasizes that managing expectations and establishing clear points of contact are crucial.
Structure around themes and small steps
The authors advocate for thematic clusters of four to eight pilot projects with a dedicated process facilitator and identifiable policy leaders. This fosters exchanges that go beyond one-off meetings. The guidelines emphasize the value of taking small, meaningful steps, with interim feedback and adjustments, rather than waiting for a single final report. This accelerates learning and increases the likelihood that insights will directly reach those who decide on instrument adjustments.
A key lesson is timing. The previous pilot round was linked to the current CAP, while many projects had yet to begin. The guidelines recommend a realistic timeline and explicitly link this to the next CAP process. They also describe seven consecutive phases, from design and selection to implementation and scaling up, with roles assigned to policymakers, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), provinces, and pilot teams for each phase. The table on page thirteen provides a clear overview and emphasizes that someone must be responsible for the entire scaling up process.
Biomass and bio-based raw materials
For the bioeconomy, the message is concrete. Many chains begin on the farm or in the landscape. Think of grass clippings from nature management, straw and prunings, manure flows, and wetland crops in peat meadows. Pilot projects focusing on these flows often yield both business and policy insights, for example, on how to organize the value chain, monitoring, and rewards. If these insights are shared within thematic clusters with policymakers and networks, the likelihood of truly securing pathways to energy and materials increases. This can elevate residual flows on the value ladder while simultaneously contributing to climate and soil health. The press release summarizes the common threads from the pilot projects: stable policy, simpler instruments, goal-oriented management instead of means-oriented management, and a central place for entrepreneurs and the region.
From learning to landing
The guidelines distinguish three forms of scaling up: dissemination to new locations and target groups, anchoring in regulations and institutions, and deepening through behavioral and value changes. In practice, the emphasis was on dissemination, while anchoring remained vulnerable due to the lack of a fixed route and feedback loop. Therefore, the recommendation is to map out policy paths during pilot projects and involve the relevant policy departments as co-learners. This requires capacity, but results in more implementable tools and increased motivation among participants, as it becomes clear what happens to the harvest.
The discussion about the role of biomass in energy and materials demands practical evidence and clear rules of engagement. This guidance document offers a working method that allows regions and sectors to more quickly translate lessons learned into instruments, from eco-schemes to innovation schemes. Those who want to work with residual flows will find a framework for purposefully designing pilot projects, incorporating the right policy questions, and organizing scaling up. This increases the likelihood that good ideas won't be left behind in a final report, but will continue to influence the next CAP and regional implementation programs.
Source: LTO.nl
Photo: Adobe Stock, kvdkz
