​Slovenian Association for Conservation Agriculture (SZOK)

Since its establishment in 2015, the Slovenian Association for Conservation Agriculture (SZOK) has worked to raise awareness of conservation agriculture and advance its adoption in mainstream agricultural practice. Today, the association brings together more than 60 members from across Slovenia and a wide range of backgrounds, including university professors, agricultural advisers, researchers and, above all, farmers, who form the largest group within our membership.

Our work focuses on sharing interdisciplinary knowledge and practical experience, organising events and activities for members, presenting conservation agriculture to the agricultural community and the wider public, and promoting its principles more broadly.

Since 2018, SZOK has been a member of the European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF), which unites like-minded organisations from more than 16 EU Member States and beyond. In 2019, we hosted the ECAF General Assembly in Ljubljana. In cooperation with the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, we also organised the well-attended public conference “Conservation Agriculture – the Foundation of Sustainable Agriculture”, featuring distinguished guests and international speakers. The event attracted strong public interest and helped raise the profile of our work and strengthen our efforts at national level.

In Slovenia, SZOK is recognised as a credible stakeholder in discussions on the future direction of Slovenian agriculture. Together with the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders, we actively contribute to the design of measures under the Common Agricultural Policy. Our activities also extend to applied and scientific research through our involvement in several national and international research projects.