SCALE-it

SCALE-it aims to increase the availability, accessibility and adoption of cost-effective alternatives to contentious inputs in organic farming, thereby reducing dependency on critical plant protection products, manure from conventional farms, antibiotics, anthelmintics, and synthetic and GMO-derived vitamins. Through a multi-actor approach involving stakeholders across the organic value chain, SCALE-it develops, validates and demonstrates innovative solutions that support the transition towards more sustainable, resilient and environmentally friendly farming systems in line with the EU Farm to Fork Strategy.

Approach

• Develop and upscale innovative alternatives, products, tools and holistic management practices, advancing the most promising solutions to Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 7–9. 
• Further improve less mature alternatives through literature reviews, experimental testing and validation before demonstrating them under organic farming conditions. 
• Conduct more than 65 demonstration trials across Europe, led by Local Ambassadors who engage farmers and stakeholders through local dissemination and training events. 
• Support companies in developing roadmaps for market uptake, registration and intellectual property protection, while assessing farmers' and consumers' acceptance of innovative alternatives. 
• Produce decision-support and advisory tools, targeted communication materials and training packages, while contributing to evidence-based policymaking on the use of inputs in organic farming through national and international multi-actor activities.

Collaboration with OH-FINE

The partnership between SCALE-it and OH-FINE leverages the complementary strengths of both projects to accelerate the uptake of innovative and sustainable practices in organic farming across Europe.

Key elements of collaboration:

• Exchange of practice-oriented knowledge, including demonstration results, training materials, videos and practice abstracts developed within SCALE-it. 
• Mutual dissemination and exploitation of project results through OH-FINE's Organic Farming Compass, regional knowledge hubs and SCALE-it's communication and demonstration networks. 
• Joint communication and participation in events, webinars and training activities to increase the visibility and uptake of project outcomes among farmers, advisors, researchers and other AKIS actors. 
• Exchange of methodologies and best practices on multi-actor engagement, knowledge transfer and capacity building to strengthen innovation uptake across Europe. 
• Contributions to EU policy dialogue by promoting practical solutions that support the transition towards more resilient, sustainable and competitive organic farming systems. 

This collaboration will strengthen the reach, scalability and long-term impact of both projects by connecting innovative on-farm solutions with effective knowledge-sharing mechanisms, ultimately supporting the wider adoption of sustainable practices across the European organic sector.