Brussels, 19/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Regions for Innovation in Farming and Food (ERIAFF), a platform for cooperation and sharing experiences has been set up by two dozen European regions on the initiative of the region of Tuscany in Italy. It was unveiled in Brussels on Tuesday 19 February to representatives of DG Agriculture and DG Environment at the European Commission and operators in the industry. The meeting provided an opportunity for development partnerships among groups of regions to draw up synergistic action plans in a number of domains: new farm organisation and management systems; logistical innovation and the creation of new services for farm operators and the agri-food industry; getting innovations from the lab to the field; new forms of management and organisation of rural areas to ensure a better integration of town and country; the introduction of new techniques and technologies to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture (water and energy usage, innovative ways of tackling insects and other pests and ways of dealing with animal diseases); greener forestry management and higher quality food. (FG/transl.fl)