The GreenFit consortium gathered on March 23–24 in Valletta for its 2nd Plenary Meeting, hosted at the Valletta Design Cluster and organised by our Maltese partners, Merill Rural Network (Merill) and Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation (MaYA). Over two productive days, partners reviewed project progress, strengthened collaboration, and advanced preparations for the upcoming pilot phase.
The meeting offered an in-depth look at GreenFit’s tools and solutions, soon to be tested in real-world pilots across Europe.
Day 1: Understanding Challenges and Building Collaboration
The first day opened with an engaging round table on focus group findings from each pilot country. Partners discussed key barriers, incentives, and challenges affecting the adoption of climate-smart practices, developing a shared understanding to guide tool development and pilot activities.
Interactive workshops followed, covering:
- Shaping and supporting sustainable value chains
- Enhancing usability and adoption of digital tools for farmers
- Strengthening communication and dissemination strategies to boost project visibility
- Designing impactful training and capacity-building initiatives
GreenFit’s Partners participated in workshops
The day concluded with a special speech by Dr. Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Minister for European Funds of Malta, who shared valuable insights on the pivotal role of innovation and collaboration in shaping a sustainable agricultural future.
Day 2: From Tools to Action
Day two focused on piloting and implementation, ensuring that all partners were aligned on the objectives and expected outcomes of the upcoming pilot activities. The highlight of the day was a series of pitching sessions from our technology providers, who presented their tools in a practical, user-focused way, showing clearly how end users will interact with them and the benefits they provide in real farming contexts, without diving into overly technical details.
External stakeholders from Malta also joined these sessions, providing real-time feedback by voting on how clear, simple, and easy-to-understand each pitch was. This interactive evaluation helped ensure that the solutions are accessible and immediately applicable for farmers. The day concluded with collaborative exercises on Pilot Profiles and Planning, where partners built on previous sessions and stakeholder interactions to define operational frameworks and concrete next steps for the pilot phase. These exercises laid the foundation for effective pilot implementation, helping to translate insights and tools into practical, on-the-ground solutions for climate-smart agriculture.
GreenFit’s Partners strengthening collaboration in workshops
To conclude the day on a cultural note, our partners had the chance to experience a taste of Malta through a hands-on session making traditional pastizzi.
Conclusion
The meeting wrapped up with a shared sense of momentum and commitment, as GreenFit moves closer to delivering practical, user-friendly solutions that support Europe’s transition to climate-smart agriculture.
A heartfelt thank you to our Maltese partners, the Merill Rural Network and Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation (MaYA) for their excellent organization and warm hospitality throughout the meeting!
GreenFit’s Consortium Partners in Valletta Design Cluster