How can agricultural advisors help farmers turn knowledge into practical improvements? Three Dutch advisory practices shared within LIVENET show how peer learning, coordinated advice and farm-specific data can strengthen both farm performance and sustainability.
Farmers learning from farmers
Peer-to-peer consultation puts farmers’ practical knowledge and experience at the centre of the learning process. The approach begins with a host farmer presenting a specific challenge, for example related to animal health, labour efficiency or farm management. During a farm walk, the participating farmers observe the situation and ask clarifying questions, without immediately offering advice.
Afterwards, each participant independently analyses the challenge. The different observations and suggestions are then shared with the host farmer, who listens before reflecting on which ideas could be applied. A facilitator guides the process and ensures that observation, reflection and advice remain clearly separated.
This structured approach creates a safe learning environment, provides the host farmer with a broad range of practical ideas and helps visiting farmers gain insights that may also be relevant to their own businesses.
Bringing advisors together in a Multi-Actor Farm Team
Farmers often receive advice from several professionals, such as veterinarians, feed advisors and farm consultants. A Multi-Actor Farm Team brings these actors together to analyse the farm’s challenges, develop solutions and monitor results collectively.
The team follows a Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. It starts by assessing the farm’s current performance using indicators related to areas such as animal health, production, feed efficiency, labour organisation, sustainability and economic performance. The team then sets SMART objectives, agrees on responsibilities and translates these goals into a practical action plan.
By regularly monitoring and evaluating the results, the team can adjust its actions where necessary. This integrated method helps align advice from different disciplines, clarifies priorities and strengthens ownership among the farmer and the professionals involved.
Using farm data through the KringloopWijzer
The third practice, the KringloopWijzer, demonstrates the value of data-driven advisory services. This online management tool provides Dutch dairy farmers with insight into nitrogen and phosphorus flows at farm level. Using farm-specific data, it calculates nutrient efficiency, nutrient surpluses, emissions and the performance of feed, manure and crop systems.
Rather than relying only on generic averages, the KringloopWijzer shows where losses occur within an individual farm and where improvements may be possible. A farmer can, for example, use the results to reconsider dietary protein levels, improve manure utilisation or reduce the need for purchased fertiliser.
Annual analysis of the results supports a continuous improvement cycle. Farmers can discuss the outcomes with their advisors, formulate improvement goals and assess the effects of measures in the following year. This supports better-informed management decisions and improvements in economic and environmental performance.
Three practices, one shared principle
Although the practices use different methods, they share an important principle: effective advice is not simply delivered to farmers. It is developed with them.
Peer-to-peer consultation mobilises farmers’ experience, the Multi-Actor Farm Team coordinates different forms of expertise, and the KringloopWijzer turns farm data into actionable insights. Together, these Dutch examples illustrate how advisory services can facilitate learning, collaboration and continuous improvement at farm level.
