Assessing the impact of digital technology solutions in agriculture in real-life conditions

Projektinformationen

QuantiFarm

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: 101059700

DOI

10.3030/101059700

Projekt abgeschlossen

EK-Unterschriftsdatum 1 Juni 2022

Startdatum 1 Juli 2022

Enddatum 31 März 2026

Finanziert unter

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Gesamtkosten

€ 7 397 382,50

EU-Beitrag

€ 7 397 382,50

Koordiniert durch

GAIA EPICHEIREIN ANONYMI ETAIREIA PSIFIAKON YPIRESION
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - QuantiFarm (Assessing the impact of digital technology solutions in agriculture in real-life conditions)

Berichtszeitraum: 2024-01-01 bis 2025-03-31

Zusammenfassung vom Kontext und den Gesamtzielen des Projekts

The last decade has seen an explosion of interest and investment in the use of digital technologies in agriculture and food production. These initiatives have come under the label of “precision agriculture”, “smart farming” and more generally digital agriculture. Despite the many predicted benefits of the use of data and digital technology solutions in agriculture (DATSs), actual uptake and use by farmers in the EU has been slow and limited for several reasons. These include a lack of knowledge about such tools, insufficient clear and “hard” data on the costs and benefits of DATSs, their impact on sustainability when used under real life conditions, as well as impediments that can be defined as “softer” or social factors such as farmers’ cultural and behavioural attitudes.

There is a need for independent quantitative and qualitative assessments of the multiple costs and benefits and potential sustainability gains of DATSs, examining both their positive and negative potential impacts. It is also important to make these assessments of DATSs and their wider impacts replicable, comparable and of practical use. This is of particular importance for farmers, their advisors, and policymakers, as this is an essential stepping-stone to facilitate the widespread uptake of DATSs in the sector and guide the design of tailored and effective policy measures.

The overall objective of QuantiFarm is to support the further deployment of DATSs as key enablers for enhancing the sustainability (economic, environmental, social) performance and competitiveness of the agricultural sector, by a) establishing an assessment framework for assessing the impact and effectiveness of DATSs in agriculture and b) developing innovative tools, services and recommendations for farmers, advisors, and policy makers.

Arbeit, die ab Beginn des Projekts bis zum Ende des durch den Bericht erfassten Berichtszeitraums geleistet wurde, und die wichtigsten bis dahin erzielten Ergebnisse

During the first 33 months, QuantiFarm performed a wide range of activities, leading to significant achievements and impactful outcomes.

The project established and launched 30 Test Cases (TCs) involving 115 commercial farms across 20 EU countries to assess DATSs in real production settings. For each farm using a DATS, an equivalent farm with similar characteristics from the same location, but not employing a DATS, has been engaged in testing activities.

Extensive primary research was conducted to identify the behavioural factors driving farmers’ adoption of DATSs, resulting in the creation of an Integrated DATS Adoption Framework that highlights key behavioural determinants across the decision-making process.

QuantiFarm also developed and refined the Assessment Framework along with its associated Governance Mechanism. Two cycles of piloting activities have been completed across the designated TCs to evaluate the actual costs, benefits, and sustainability implications of more than 38 different DATSs using the Assessment Framework. 24 out of 30 TCs have demonstrated net positive financial benefits from DATSs use.

A comprehensive Toolkit was developed, comprising 4 Decision Support Tools and 1 Policy Monitoring Tool The Toolkit aims to raise awareness and improve data availability regarding DATSs while supporting evidence-based decision and policy-making. It includes information on over 530 DATSs, and allows users to input their farm characteristics and receive personalized services.

The project also launched the Digital Innovation Academy, aimed at strengthening farm advisors’ capacities to deliver innovative advisory services for DATS selection, adoption, and application. The Academy offers 12 training workshops alongside an online educational platform, combining synchronous and asynchronous learning at both EU and national levels.

Finally, QuantiFarm advanced its policy planning methodology, producing actionable recommendations to support the wider adoption of DATSs and to improve sustainability and competitiveness within the agri-food sector.

Fortschritte, die über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinausgehen und voraussichtliche potenzielle Auswirkungen (einschließlich der bis dato erzielten sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen und weiter gefassten gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen des Projekts)

QuantiFarm will deliver the following results:

-Agri-tech value chain networks in 30 EU locations and 7 agricultural sectors, serving as test beds and multipliers for digitalization.
-Quantitative & qualitative assessment of 38 DATSs over three cultivation periods, generating comprehensive evidence on DATS performance.
-An integrated analytical framework outlining the main determinants of DATSs adoption across all stages of the decision-making process, supported by practical guidelines for farm advisors.
-A robust assessment framework with 21 monetary and 80 sustainability indicators for evaluating the real-world performance and impacts of digital solutions on farms.
-An open-access toolkit for farmers & farm advisors, offering personalized decision support services for DATSs selection, with information on >500 digital offerings.
-3 decision support tools, available within the toolkit: a) a Recommendation System to identify the most suitable DATS based on farm specific characteristics and a set of operational criteria, b) a Cost Benefit Calculator to estimate the monetary benefits of a selected digital DATS when applied to a specific crop and farm profile, and c) a “Benchmarking tool” to obtain performance metrics based on calendar data, supporting benchmarking and side by side comparisons.
-An accessible monitoring tool for public authorities to track agricultural & environmental metrics tied to DATSs use, enabling evidence-based policy implementation.
-A Digital Innovation Academy to strengthen the advisory capacities of farm advisors in the field of digital farming, grounded in primary research and real-world evidence.
-Actionable recommendations for policy makers to design effective interventions targeting the behavioural drivers of digitalization.

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