SALTA International Workshop & Training School
From June 9–10, 2026, SALTA brought together an inspiring international group of experts, researchers, farmers, policymakers and innovators in Leeuwarden, the Netherlands.
The International Workshop & Training School created a unique space for exchange, connection and collaboration — all focused on practical solutions for agriculture in salinizing deltas.
A strong international community
Over the past days, the workshop was all about international knowledge exchange and collaboration on salinization and freshwater challenges.
Following a kick-off by Peter Prins (SALTA), inspiring contributions from speakers such as Dr. Abdelmjid Zouahri (INRA, Morocco), Prof. Gerrit van Straten (WUR) and Dr. Ed Barrett-Lennard (Australia) highlighted how global — and recognizable — these challenges are.
Important topics such as scaling solutions and strengthening international collaboration were addressed by Dr. Kate Negacz (VU Amsterdam, co-host of the SUSTAIN COST Action Training School), Amir Islam (Asian Farmers’ Association), dr. Mai Said (ARC Egypt) and Dr. Dionyssia (Sissy) Lyra (FAO).
Together, these contributions created a strong sense of urgency, but also a shared ambition to move forward — together.
From inspiration to practice
Through interactive group sessions, the knowledge market and discussions among participants, knowledge was actively shared and connected to practical application.
A key highlight was the field visit to the SALTA test location in Sexbierum and the Frisian coastal area, where participants experienced firsthand how solutions for salinization and freshwater availability are investigated in practice. The unique role of SALTA and its farmers’ coaches, being the connectors between farmers, researchers and policy makers was emphasized. SALTA accesses knowledge and transfers this knowledge to farmers. Its approach contributes to awareness raising and operational perspective.
This direct connection between science and practioners made the program tangible and highly valuable for participants from all regions.
Key takeaways
While the full conclusions and recommendations are captured in a separate document, one central message clearly emerged:
Salinization is a global challenge — but solutions must be rooted in regional conditions and farming practice.
Participants emphasized the importance of:
- strengthening international knowledge exchange
- working closely with farmers’ organisations and cooperatives
- developing region-specific solutions
Looking ahead
The workshop marked an important step in strengthening the international SALTA network and building momentum towards a shared knowledge and action agenda.
Together, we move forward — combining global collaboration with local solutions.
You can find the presentations of the speakers here:
Presentations of the speakers
Read the full conclusions and recommendations here:
