Shared Land
The Flemish Ardennes Landscape Park and CenSE are committed tointroducing farmers in the Ardennes to innovative agricultural machinery designed to combat soil erosion. After all, soil erosion is a major challenge in the region. Specialized machinery is part of the solution, but it is often too expensive or unfamiliar to farmers. Together with the Flemish Ardennes Landscape Park, we aim to turn the tide through the shared use of specialized machinery.
CenSE is applying its expertise in circular business models and systems thinking to develop, through a process-oriented approach, a sustainable business model supported by the Flemish Ardennes Landscape Park and its stakeholders.
A Solution to Soil Erosion
Soil erosion is a widespread problem in Ardennes agriculture, but it can be solved by using non-inversion tillage. This means that farmers disturb the soil as little as possible while taking other measures to keep it as healthy as possible.
Innovative Techniques
Non-inversion tillage is not yet very common in Flemish agriculture because:
- farmers are not yet sufficiently familiar with the method
- the machinery required represents too large an investment.
The Flemish Ardennes Landscape Park aims to address this by educating farmers about the technique and by establishing a sharing system for the specialized machinery and equipment they need.
Unusual but Extraordinary
Sharing systems are not yet common in Flemish agriculture, yet their benefits are numerous. This project alone:
- gives the sector more financial breathing room
- reduces the agricultural sector’s material footprint
- contributes to healthier and more resilient soils in the Flemish Ardennes, thereby helping to restore our planet.
The Flemish Ardennes Landscape Park hopes that the sharing system will make sustainable farming methods more appealing and accessible. At the same time, it also aims to inspire other agricultural regions in Flanders to set up sharing systems, as each region faces its own challenges.
# agroecology, innovation, agriculture, renting & sharing, sharing system
Project Partner | Funding
- Odisee Research: Karen Brabant is a senior researcher at the Center for Sustainable Entrepreneurship (CenSE).
- Do you have a question about the Flemish Ardennes Landscape Park? Feel free to contact Dieter Depraetere.
- Project supported by Vlaanderen Circulair.