AGRI4POL held its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Freiburg, Germany, from 10 - 12 March 2026, bringing together around 60 partners and stakeholders for three days of discussion, exchange and forward planning.

Hosted and organised by the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, the meeting marked the end of the project’s first year and offered a valuable moment to discuss its progress while setting the direction for the work ahead.

The programme opened with project-wide updates, followed by a series of workshops that quickly set a collaborative tone. Discussions ranged from pollination systems and crop breeding strategies to modelling approaches and upcoming fieldwork, reflecting the project’s broad scientific scope. Across sessions, a common thread emerged: how to better understand and support the role of pollinators in sustainable agriculture.

As the meeting progressed, attention turned to the wider context in which AGRI4POL operates. Partners explored the social and economic importance of pollinators, not only for agriculture and food production, but for society as a whole, while also examining how research findings can better inform agricultural and conservation policies at both European and international levels.

The AGM also created space for the next generation of scientists within the project. Early-career researchers came together to discuss how their work can be more closely integrated into AGRI4POL, highlighting both their contributions and the need to strengthen their role in shaping the project’s long-term impact. They also had the opportunity to showcase the diversity of research within the project through a series of poster presentations with topics spanning from crop diversity and pollinator interactions to habitat restoration and the unintended ecological effects of certain farming practices.

Keeping collaboration in mind, a dedicated session was organised, focusing on building synergies with other European initiatives working on pollinators and biodiversity. Projects such as Butterfly Europe, VALOR, ProPollSoil, HeLEX, WildPosh and ENCORE shared their work, opening the door to future knowledge exchange and joint efforts.

Practical solutions were also high on the agenda. Participants discussed concrete actions to support biodiversity and pollinator-friendly farming, drawing insights from projects like RestPoll and FarmBioNet, alongside local initiatives such as the Baden-Württemberg Living Lab Network.

Last but not least, project partners stood in front of the camera, providing useful insights about their professional background, as well as detailed involvement in AGRI4POL. The footage is currently being edited by the dissemination team and will be transformed into two dedicated social media campaigns - stay tuned!

The images from the event are available in dedicated AGRI4POL gallery. Follow our social media channels on LinkedIn and Bluesky to get more insights of the AGM using the hashtag #AGRI4POLmeets2026.