OPENAIRE OpenAire CORE (RIOXX-UK Aggregator) riUAL - Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Almería (Spain) Recolector de Ciencia Abierta, RECOLECTA Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute DOAJ NIBIO Brage Crossref https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/10944/3/10944-Ingram-et-al-%282022%29-Do-Agricultural-Advisory-Services.pdf http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/599/pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050599 Land Open Access 2022-04-20 <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><article><p>The need to provide appropriate information, technical advice and facilitation to support farmers in transitioning towards healthy soils is increasingly clear, and the role of the Agricultural Advisory Services (AAS) in this is critical. However, the transformation of AAS (plurality, commercialisation, fragmentation, decentralisation) brings new challenges for delivering advice to support soil health management. This paper asks: To what extent do agricultural advisory services have the capacity to support the transition to healthy soils across Europe? Using the ‘best fit’ framework, analytical characteristics of the AAS relevant to the research question (governance structures, management, organisational and individual capacities) were identified. Analysis of 18 semi-structured expert interviews across 6 case study countries in Europe, selected to represent a range of contexts, was undertaken. Capacities to provide soil health management (SHM) advice are constrained by funding arrangements, limited adviser training and professional development, adviser motivations and professional cultures, all determined by institutional conditions. This has resulted in a narrowing down of access and content of soil advice and a reduced capacity to support the transition in farming to healthy soils. The extent to which emerging policy and market drivers incentivise enhanced capacities in AAS is an important area for future research.</p></article> 2. Zero hunger S1 soil health agricultural advisers agricultural advisory services; soil health; governance; agricultural advisers; sustainable soil management; soil policy; advice S 0211 other engineering and technologies Agriculture sustainable soil management 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences 02 engineering and technology governance advice agricultural advisory services S589.7_Agricultural 0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries soil policy Julie Ingram, Jane Mills, Jasmine E. Black, Charlotte-Anne Chivers, José A. Aznar-Sánchez, Annemie Elsen, Magdalena Frac, Belén López-Felices, Paula Mayer-Gruner, Kamilla Skaalsveen, Jannes Stolte, Mia Tits, 2022-04-19 journalpaper <?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><article><p>The need to provide appropriate information, technical advice and facilitation to support farmers in transitioning towards healthy soils is increasingly clear, and the role of the Agricultural Advisory Services (AAS) in this is critical. However, the transformation of AAS (plurality, commercialisation, fragmentation, decentralisation) brings new challenges for delivering advice to support soil health management. This paper asks: To what extent do agricultural advisory services have the capacity to support the transition to healthy soils across Europe? Using the ‘best fit’ framework, analytical characteristics of the AAS relevant to the research question (governance structures, management, organisational and individual capacities) were identified. Analysis of 18 semi-structured expert interviews across 6 case study countries in Europe, selected to represent a range of contexts, was undertaken. Capacities to provide soil health management (SHM) advice are constrained by funding arrangements, limited adviser training and professional development, adviser motivations and professional cultures, all determined by institutional conditions. This has resulted in a narrowing down of access and content of soil advice and a reduced capacity to support the transition in farming to healthy soils. The extent to which emerging policy and market drivers incentivise enhanced capacities in AAS is an important area for future research.</p></article> Do Agricultural Advisory Services in Europe Have the Capacity to Support the Transition to Healthy Soils? 10.3390/land11050599 677407