8. Community of Practice meeting

The Sociomedical Institute at ZRC SAZU, a partner in the SafeHabitus project (2023–2026) the Horizon Europe programme, organised the eighth Community of Practice (CoP) meeting on 12 March 2026. The event focused on discussing the possibilities of transferring the good practice of the Belgian non-governmental organisation Agricall which provides interdisciplinary, neutral, and confidential assistance to farmers in distress due to various difficulties in managing their farms, to the Slovenian context. The meeting was attended by members of the Slovenian Community of Practice, comprising representatives of the public sector, research community and farmers’ organisations.

Part of the meeting was conducted as a workshop, in which participants, working in groups, identified key challenges and advantages of transferring this practice. They emphasised the importance of Agricall’s approach and expressed support for developing similar practice in Slovenia. They also highlighted that such a practice should build on existing support mechanisms already operating in Slovenia, such as the comprehensive support for farmers provided by the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry of Slovenia, while also considering the cultural and social specificities of the local environment.

The event sparked a constructive discussion and raised important questions about the potential transfer of the Agricall practice to Slovenia. The discussion on the possibilities for establishing a similar practice in the Slovenian context will continue in later phases of the project.