AGRI Smart

With the global population surpassing 9 billion by 2050 and food demand increasing by 70%, traditional farming fell short in addressing future needs. Recognizing the importance of sustainable production, digital farming emerged, leveraging precision technology. Precision agriculture, defined as applying the right treatment at the right time and place, gained traction, particularly in irrigation methods aimed at water conservation and improved yields (2019). In 2019, 24 EU Member States acknowledged the potential of digital technologies in addressing economic, social, climate, and environmental challenges in agriculture. Roberto Viola from the European Commission highlighted consumer expectations for high-quality, safe, and environmentally conscious food (08/03/2020). Digital farming, integrating AI, robotics, and data analysis, arose as a solution to enhance farm efficiency and environmental sustainability. Digital technologies were expected to enhance rural life quality and attract younger individuals to farming. With only 5.6% of European farms run by those under 35 in 2017, the "AGRI's" project aimed to equip adult educators with tools to promote awareness and provide skills for entrepreneurship in the agro-food industry.

With these premises, the "AGRI Smart" (AGRI’s) Cooperation Partnership project aimed at: Objective 1: Promoted agriculture entrepreneurship as a sustainable farming model. Objective 2: Developed precision agriculture in Europe to answer the growing need for food and promoted a new model of farming towards a more sustainable one. Objective 3: Empowered adults with digital and entrepreneurial skills in the agro-food industry to become actors of a sustainable future and become more competitive actors at the same time.

The activities that were implemented during the project lifetime were the following: Production of a Guide addressed to all adults interested in the topic. For this purpose, partners used surveys for needs analysis, conducted research, interviews with professionals, and employed peer-review methodologies. Production of a Training Format addressed to adults' trainers/educators. Partners implemented the output through research, peer-review methodology, piloting of the Training Format, local workshop implementation, and collection of feedback. Creation of a social community to be used by farmers interested in/using precision agriculture and willing to share and/or discuss their experience regarding precision agriculture practices.

In order to reach the objectives, the project's partners produced the following results: 1 guide that explained the concept of precision agriculture and how it could help achieve a more sustainable model of production. The guide contained a state-of-the-art overview in the involved countries regarding precision technologies applied to the agricultural industry. It included examples of best precision agriculture practices to showcase the benefits and encourage future entrepreneurs to consider them. The guide was addressed to adults interested in the topic. 1 Training Format for adults' educators interested in promoting agricultural entrepreneurship in a sustainable way. The Training Format provided the target group with tools and methodologies to be used and reproduced at the local level. It aimed to give new skills and knowledge to young adults interested in agricultural entrepreneurship, guiding them on how to start a business in agriculture. The Training Format included modules covering entrepreneurial skills applied to agriculture, incorporating digital skills for young adults to be prepared for a new farming model, such as data analysis, Artificial Intelligence, social media communication, etc. 1 social community on a web platform where farmers could share their experience with precision technologies used in their agricultural business. It served as a space for discussion among farmers regarding these technologies and the data they collected to improve farming methods, ultimately leading to better quality and more sustainable products.