Enhancement of the agri-food sector by smart technologies and bioeconomy principles

How IoT technologies and bioeconomy principles can enhance and support the agri-food sector?

The Webinar: “ENHANCEMENT OF THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR BY SMART TECHNOLOGIES AND BIOECONOMY PRINCIPLES” (4 November, 2024) was organized by AgriFood4Future CoVE Greece, which includes AKMI International, ELGO DIMITRA and AGENSO.

The event, part of the Erasmus+ AgriFood4Future project’s promotion and awareness campaign on emerging food trends and sustainable food production practices, explored the potential of IoT technologies in smart farming, of water circularity and bioeconomy in the agri-food sector. 

Aspects presented referred to weather monitoring in agriculture, to water and resources reuse and use optimization, to the exploitation of GIS applications and IoT systems, 

Four organizations presented their innovation experiences and their solutions:

• AKMI International: Innovative approaches in transforming the agri-food sector
• AGENSO: IoT exploitation for smart farming and water circular economy in agriculture
• ELGO DIMITRA: Sustainable agricultural practices, renewable energy, and circularity 
• Malaga TechPark: Transnational cooperation, synergies and knowledge exchange in the agri-food sector 

The webinar concluded using an interactive approach that promoted the active involvement of the participants. Mentimeter application was used to receive anonymous and robust feedback by the participants concerning their awareness and opinion. 

Based on the outcomes, around 35% of the participants were not aware of the IoT potential in the agri-food sector. Moreover, 100% of the participants stated that water circularity is very significant in the sector. The promotion of sustainable growth and circular economy was identified by the participants as a key objective in the EU strategy, while the agricultural sector was identified as the sector that most benefits from bioeconomy and digital adoption in Europe. Finally, participants identified the improvement of sustainability in wild harvests as the primary goal of enhancing skills and adopting digital tools for farmers and rural entrepreneurs. 

Under the framework of promotion of digital technologies in the agricultural sector, AGENSO showcased its solutions. This included weather stations for environmental monitoring, sensors for water management (quantity and quality), for air and soil monitoring, as well as online platforms developed by AGENSO for enhancing and supporting the exploitation of digital technologies. In addition, automation capabilities (including irrigation full automation and remote control, water loops management automation using IoT, and resources use automation using IoT sensor data such as weather stations, soil sensors, etc.) were presented to the participants to minimize production costs and increase productivity under a sustainability integrated framework. 

The AgriFood4Future project aims to transform the agrifood sector through digitization, environmental, social and economic sustainability, and new skills training. Innovation and cooperation are essential to ensure a sustainable future for agrifood.

You can see here the recorded webinar.

For further questions, please reach out to Bochra Kammoun (b.kammoun@arvalis.fr)