On 21 March, the Dutch provinces of Overijssel, Drenthe and Flevoland hosted a seminar on the regional perspective of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on productivity and sustainability in agriculture. The seminar, followed by study visits which presented local best practices in the field, focused on examples of the role of local and regional authorities in establishing an "innovation culture" based on a bottom-up approach.

As one of the keynote speakers at the seminar, Mr Jerzy Zajakala, Mayor of Łubianka, stressed the potential to increase labour force participation in rural areas through innovative practices and promotion of short supply chains and local markets. Developing local agricultural and food systems, Zajakala said, is crucial to redress current imbalances in the agri-food chain, which are threatening the agricultural sector's sustainability.