The scope of the project is on a systematic overview of existing ICT DSS tools in ARD that support crop farming, precision livestock farming, climate and quality control and farm management. Therefore, software services for the collection, analysis and visualization of spatial data can effectively support decision-making processes among different stakeholders. Based on such a systematically derived overview, existing gaps will be identified and filled by developing new training materials as well as two DSS prototypes for specific purposes referring to the FARM focus. The project activities are aimed at and tailored according to the needs of the target group such as ARD experts, trainers and policy makers, researchers, academic staff, students, farmers, development practitioners, as well skilled and unskilled adult and other members of vulnerable groups.
The results developed in the project (so-called intellectual outputs) are summarized here.
Due to the different ICT developments in the Agriculture Rural Development, a comprehensive inventory is necessary. Many regions within Europe are comparable and allow methods that have already been tested to be adopted. For small and medium-sized agricultural companies in particular, it is necessary to obtain an easily accessible overview, which first shows existing developments and makes them tangible in the next step. There is no prepared and well-structured solution within the ARD, which offers all stakeholders the opportunity to get information quickly and in full. Therefore within this output an interactive dashboard was created that represents the most relevant European ICT and DSS hotspots that were identified during this first project phase. Only the most important data are initially recorded on the map and made available to the user. With the help of this dashboard, agricultural businesses have quick access to the market and will learn which tools are already in use and can get a comprehensive picture.
Visit the dashboard here: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/923e875221154c218a0c9f0e9a5fe22e
The result of this output is an online catalogue of ICT and DSS tools that will be openly accessible and available on the project website and on the websites of the partner institutions. It therefore represents a further development of the first output. In this output, an assessment of the ICT and DSS tools shown above will be made. All best practice examples deemed relevant by the evaluation will be analyzed and evaluated in more detail. This is not just about having a list of existing tools, but rather a specific description including empirical values from selected examples.
This output was finalized September 2022. A link to the publication of the on-line catalogue will follow.
This output is an innovative approach in the ARD field. DSS tools enable the agriculture and agri-food sector to assess, monitor, and reduce negative impacts of agricultural methods and techniques for the environment. From a producer’s perspective, tools must accomplish these objectives in a cost-effective manner. Two new prototypes will be designed within FARM project both of them accompanied with practical instructions. The aim is to provide the complete design of tools that will help in achieving better efficiency, development as well as improving the quality of decision making in ARD.
The finalization of this output can be expected by the end of December 2022.
The objective of this output is to systematize the ICT and DSS tools in all training spheres (formal, non-formal), by encompassing the competences, knowledge and skills for stakeholders in ARD. The outcome of this output is making a framework in this field which will be accompanied with training material including recommendations for the various groups of stakeholders.
The finalization of this output can be expected by the end of December 2022.
Knowledge, skills and innovation are the indispensable foundation of sustainable development. European agricultural and rural development policies have a long-standing record of stimulating innovation, moreover, sharing knowledge within networks speeds the process of adoption of innovations. Given these preliminary considerations, the first challenge of FARM project is to boost knowledge and technology transfer in the agricultural sector. The possibility to increase the level of information available to ARD (Agriculture and Rural
Development) about new technologies is directly linked to sectorial investments, economic and environmental efficiency and sustainability, food healthiness and safety, ability to compete in the international market area.
The support in agriculture and rural development (ARD) remains a vital component for economic, social and environmental sustainability. The ARD faces the challenge in terms of sustainable management of natural resources, depopulation and contributing towards the economic development. The scientific development complements this challenge by focusing on knowledge share and fostering the technology and innovations in ARD. According to economic theory and practice, the formation and transfer of knowledge form a basis of economic development.
Moreover, although direct demand for knowledge is today lower than in the past, economic literature confirms the importance of wide networking, in terms of diversification and number of subjects, for the introduction of new technologies in the agro-food sector (Muscio et al., 2017). There is still a huge gap in European agriculture concerning technological development and organization. Consequently, in a vast majority of European countries and regions, especially those of southern Europe, a well-developed sphere of formation and transfer of knowledge is required. E2020 in ARD fosters innovation, cooperation, and development of a knowledge base in rural areas, enhancing farm viability and competitiveness of all types of agriculture in all regions and promoting innovative farm technologies and sustainable management.
Duration
01.11.2020 – 31.12.2022
Funding
Erasmus+, Strategic Partnerships (KA 203; 2020-1-DE01-KA203-005688)
Partner
Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT; Spain)
University of Cyprus (UCY; Cyprus)
Vytautas Magnus University (VMU; Lithuania)
Association for Internationalization of Education and Science (INTER-EDU; North Macedonia)
