CHOICE at the International Congress on Biodiversity and Agriculture 2026 in Jaén, Spain
The first edition of the International Congress on Biodiversity and Agriculture (ICBA 2026) took place in Jaén, Spain, from 14 to 17 April 2026. Held under the slogan “The Natural ABCs: Cultivating Knowledge, Regenerating Life, and Protecting the Countryside,” the congress brought together researchers, public institutions, practitioners, and companies to reflect on topics such as ecosystem services, the resilience of agricultural systems, the value of environmental conservation for consumers, and the evolution of agricultural and environmental policies.
As part of the congress, our climate expert, Raquel González from the R&D&I department of Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía (CAAND), shared insights and activities from CHOICE’s Spanish pilot with participants in the exhibition area on 15 and 16 April.
CHOICE in the section on knowledge transfer and agricultural practice
The congress was organised into three thematic sections: Biodiversity in Agrosystems; Markets, Profitability, and Biodiversity: From Ecological Benefits to Economic Impact; and Knowledge Transfer and Agricultural Practice: From Theory to the Field.
Within this third section, Raquel presented a CHOICE poster and exchanged views with participants about the project’s pilot campaigns in Spain.
The poster highlighted the Spanish pilot and how CHOICE is supporting the uptake of more sustainable practices among farmers and livestock producers in Andalusia. It was designed to show the direction of the pilot, and underline how this knowledge is being shared with the sector. For that reason, it gave particular attention to digital campaigns, data storytelling and A/B testing as tools for communicating sustainable practices in a clearer and more engaging way.
The full poster is available here.
Spanish pilot activities in Andalusia
The Spanish pilot, coordinated by CAAND, focuses on olive groves and the livestock sector in Andalusia. Its activities aim to encourage more sustainable practices and foster engagement with farmers and livestock producers around the environmental and economic challenges facing the sector.
Over the past months, this work has combined stakeholder engagement with communication and campaign development. A key milestone was the launch of the first campaigns in autumn 2025: in October for the olive grove sector and in November for the livestock sector. Both focused on how digital tools can support more efficient, sustainable and profitable farm management. For olive growers, the emphasis was placed on precision agriculture and crop monitoring, showing how digitalisation can help optimise resource use, reduce costs and improve yields. For livestock farmers, the campaign highlighted how tools such as sensors, drones, GPS and mobile applications can improve water management, livestock monitoring and the overall efficiency of extensive farming systems.
The pilot advanced further in early 2026 with new campaign actions in both sectors. In the olive grove sector, the focus shifted to integrated production systems as a pathway towards more resilient, sustainable and economically viable farming. In the livestock sector, the campaign highlighted the importance of improving pastures through vegetation cover, rotational grazing and holistic management practices that support soil restoration, biodiversity, animal health and farm self-sufficiency.
A valuable space for exchange
ICBA 2026 provided a particularly relevant setting for these conversations. The congress featured 63 posters, and the audience was made up mainly of biodiversity experts, especially from the research and academic worlds, while also including companies such as consultancies specialised in biodiversity.
This made the exhibition area a useful space for sharing CHOICE’s work with people already active in closely related fields. Through the poster and the discussions around it, Raquel was able to show how the Spanish pilot connects practical agricultural challenges in Andalusia with new ways of communicating and transferring knowledge on sustainability.
This was especially timely, as the pilot is progressing through a series of campaigns in both the olive grove and livestock sectors. By focusing on issues such as digitalisation, integrated production, pasture management and resilience, these actions help turn sustainable practices into concrete and relatable examples for the sector.
Looking ahead
Participation in ICBA 2026 helped place CHOICE’s work in Spain within a wider conversation on biodiversity, resilience and the future of agriculture. It also reinforced a key idea behind the Spanish pilot: identifying sustainable practices is only part of the challenge — ensuring that they are understandable, relevant and transferable to the people working in the sector is just as important.
As the pilot continues, CHOICE will keep engaging farmers, livestock producers and other stakeholders in Andalusia through its ongoing activities and campaigns. After the first campaign launches in late 2025 and the next round of actions in early 2026, the final campaigns for both the olive grove and livestock sectors are planned for May 2026.
Together, these actions aim to continue bringing practical knowledge, real examples and sustainable solutions closer to the people who can apply them on the ground.
Learn more about CHOICE’s pilot activities in Spain here.
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