The first of the Dutch Regional Nodes workshop series was led by NIOO-KNAW on 10 September 2024, taking place at the Agro-innovatiecentrum De Marke, in the village of Hengelo, in the Achterhoek region and province of Gelderland. De Marke, an experimental dairy farm affiliated with Wageningen University, serves as the central location for meetings among scientists, farmers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, facilitating the co-construction of knowledge in the Achterhoek region. 

This first workshop started by introducing its participants to the context and mission of the Soils for Europe project, as well as the idea behind the Regional Nodes workshops. The introduction portion of the event was followed by an exercise on identifying the 3 most important themes for soil health in de Achetrhoek.

During the exercise, participants were asked to fill out individual reflection forms and write down the three themes they deemed most important on three separate Post-it Notes, which they could then use to classify those themes into the eight mission objectives or “other”. Following this, a group discussion allowed participants to debate the results from the exercise and the rankings, reaching an agreement. 

Identifying the 3 most important themes required assessing knowledge and innovation, and using a DPSIR (Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, Response) analysis in a group setting. Many participants appeared to have a strong background in ecology and be well-versed in the themes at hand, resulting in an open, constructive and motivated group discussion.