The regional conference “Closing the mineral cycles at farm level – Good practices to reduce nutrient loss in the Wielkopolskie region” took place on 13 November 2014 at the National Research Institute in Poznań, Poland. It aimed to present the results of the study “Resource efficiency in practice – Closing mineral cycles” commissioned by the DG Environment (European Commission). It focused on the good practices, which were identified as potential ways to reduce the nutrient loss at farm level and to close mineral cycles, based on the current state of nutrient saturation within the Wielkopolskie region.

In addition to the presented solutions, further measures were identified during the conference, including: proper support of agricultural advisory services to promote knowledge transfer of best practices and to demonstrate innovative methods visually; awareness raising on various forms of cooperative and joint actions, their potential benefits and regulatory support; and cooperation improvement between the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture. Around 45 participants took part in the discussions, representing regional farmers, farm advisers, regional and national policymakers (incl. representatives of regional water boards and the Ministry of Agriculture), researchers and students. The conference was supported by the Wielkopolska Agriculture Advisory Centre in Poznań and WWF Poland.

The regional conference in the Wielkopolskie region is one of four regional conferences held in the framework of the project to present and discuss the applicability of project findings with a broader group of regional stakeholders. The outcomes of the four regional conferences were also presented at the final policy conference, organised in Brussels, on 18 November 2014.