Second meeting of the Advisory Working Group of the SCIA-AKIS Coordination Body

On September 26, the Agri-Food Advisory Working Group of the SCIA Coordinating Body (AKIS) held its second meeting, coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. This group, composed of agri-food advisory experts from different areas, met to delve deeper into the analysis of the Agricultural Advisory System and the entities that provide Agricultural Advisory Services in the Autonomous Communities and to advance the preparation of documents to be submitted to the European Union. These documents will reflect the work carried out with the aim of strengthening advisory services in the agri-food sector, thus promoting the modernization and transformation of the entire production chain in Spain.

One of the meeting's main points was the analysis of the Agricultural Advisory System (FAS), regulated by Article 15 of Regulation 2115/2021. This section included a brief historical review of the system's evolution, as well as an assessment of its current status for the 2023-2027 period in the various Autonomous Communities (CCAA). The CCAA managers participated in a round of interventions where they presented the current status of agricultural advisory calls in their respective regions, highlighting the perceived problems and challenges they face.

The debate also included the situation of entities offering agricultural advisory services in the regional governments, with the presentation of data collected by the AKIS Advisory Platform. Representatives from the regional governments discussed the publication and visibility of these entities, as well as the need to strengthen their role in supporting the sector.

Another highlight of the meeting was the presentation of the roadmap for the Policy Briefs , key documents that will guide advisory policies in specific areas. Under the leadership of the SGID (Subdirectorate General for Innovation and Digitalization), the strategy for the preparation of these reports was established, which will cover topics such as sustainable nutrition, organic production, and the promotion of innovation. Experts such as Luis Orcaray Echeverría (INTIA), Auxiliadora Vecina (ECOVALIA), and Lola de Toro (CeiA3) outlined the next steps to follow in each of these areas, with the aim of ensuring that agricultural advisory services respond to the sector's contemporary challenges.

These types of Advisory Working Group meetings are essential for developing a common approach among the regions and ensuring that the agri-food advisory system in Spain is effective and aligned with European goals for sustainability and modernization of the sector.