The On-Farm Research Grant (BRF) is a pioneering national initiative, backed by a total budget of €73,000, designed to support agroecological experimentation directly on French farms. It benefits from the support of Mirova Foundation, which provides both financial and skills-based philanthropy through the involvement of a Mirova employee on the jury, as well as enhanced visibility for the project over time. Led by farmers from the national network of pioneering farms, six projects were selected from 25 applications, covering a wide range of agricultural production systems and regions across France.
Congratulations to the six award winners! These projects will receive financial and methodological support to conduct real-life field trials starting in March 2026:
- THIERRY AILLOUD PERRAUD, Clelles (Isère) – 1 year: Organic conservation cereals. Experimentation to determine the optimal timing for mowing weeds in einkorn wheat, in order to reduce weed pressure without affecting yield or quality.
- VICTOR MOREAUD, Saint-Émilion (Gironde) – 2 years: Organic viticulture. Testing cover crops based on wallflowers and aromatic plants to reduce downy mildew in vineyards as an alternative to copper treatments.
- DAMIEN BRUNELLE, Montbrehain (Aisne) – 2 years: Conservation agriculture innovation. Development of a tool enabling strip-till, cover crop sowing, and row preparation in a single pass before sugar beet cultivation.
- FRÉDÉRIQUE BAO FERNANDES & AURÉLIEN FERCOT, Le Tréhou (Finistère) – 1 year: Market gardening on living soils. Testing systems combining mulches and cover crops to manage weeds in open fields while reducing soil disturbance.
- LAURENT ISAMBERT & JEAN-BAPTISTE BOURDELOUP, Éole-en-Beauce / Viabon (Eure-et-Loir) – 1 year: Biostimulation in organic farming. Comparison of coating and biostimulation techniques to improve yield and quality in organic potato production.
- SAMUEL BERTHONNAUD & DENIS LAROCHE, Germignac (Charente-Maritime) – 2.5 years: Viti-pastoralism. Study of the effects of sheep grazing in vineyards on ground cover management, work organization, and must quality.
For the first time in France, a grant scheme is directly targeting farmers to fund their own research-action projects.
Launched in 2024 by Pour une agriculture du vivant, this three-year initiative, supported by Mirova Foundation, highlights and promotes the innovations and initiatives of pioneering agroecological farmers. As part of the project, 200 pioneering farms have been identified across France, spanning all agricultural sectors. Among the first 100 already integrated, a Regeneration Index assesses the progress of agroecological practices, while farmer profiles and detailed RexAgri reports showcase their experiences and transition pathways.
All this data is available through an open-source interactive map: https://agroecologie.org/carte
This tool enables professionals to directly connect with pioneering farmers to organize visits, exchange practices, or develop research projects. It serves as a key reference to make agricultural innovation more visible and accelerate the agroecological transition.
Discover the press release and the selected projects: