H2020 DIVERsify

Brief

DIVERsify was an EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation project examining intercropping as an agroecological approach with potential to combat climate change, improve soil health, boost natural pest control, and diversify producers’ incomes. The project needed to communicate both the research and practical stakes of intercropping, drawing on pilot-site studies from the project and the local knowledge of communities with long-held or emerging mixed cropping practices. The project wanted intercropping placed in context, with both its potential benefits and significant challenges journalistically explored.

Activity

• Provided consultancy on project narratives and communication strategy
• Filmed or interviewed across the project’s areas in Europe, Africa and the Middle East with scientists, farmers and local communities
• Produced an episodic web-documentary series designed to maximise reach through Facebook’s shift to video and initial rollout of Facebook Watch as a YouTube competitor
• Adapted material into additional short social videos for the Scottish Government to highlight Scottish institutions’ roles in international research, with the James Hutton Institute

Outcomes

• The web-documentary series, Growing Beyond Monoculture, and associated clips gained over 100,000 views*, and helped shape and consolidate the project’s communication of key findings and recommendations to target audiences (*achieved 80k+ views on Facebook and 20k+ via Vimeo embeds).
• Additionally helped highlight areas for the project’s successful application for second stage funding