The project focused on tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), sensors, robotics, remote sensing, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies help farmers make more precise and timely decisions, for example by optimising irrigation, reducing pesticide use, or monitoring soil and crop conditions in real time. On six representative showcase farms, digital tools and technologies were examined regarding their roles in supporting agroecology. Applications showcased there included tailored water and nutrient management in olive groves, vineyards, and on vegetable farms, as well as targeted pest control for arable crops and in agroforestry, and sensor-assisted precision livestock farming.
For identifying both the opportunities and barriers of digital agroecology applications, PATH2DEA adopted a bottom-up, collaborative approach where farmers, researchers, technology providers, and other stakeholders worked together. This ensured that the digital solutions that got earmarked for agroecological farming systems responded to real farming needs and remained aligned with agroecological principles. Farmers consistently highlighted the importance of practical, easy-to-use technologies that complemented their local knowledge and farming experience.
As a primary outcome, PATH2DEA created linkages and eased knowledge gain and exchange within and among digital agroecological farming systems. This endeavor resulted in the set-up of the "Digital Agroecology Cluster", a network of projects and initiatives in digital agroecology, which was destined as a sustainable legacy element of the PATH2DEA project, with the intention of continuing beyond the project’s lifetime as an instrument operated by the Agroecology partnership.
