ICT-AGRI-FOOD is an ERA-NET Co-fund that wants to underpin the transition towards more sustainable and resilient agri-food systems with digital technology. Data from the entire food chain is used for this purpose. All stakeholders benefit, but ultimately it is the consumer who will be able to make smarter, healthier and more appropriate choices based on information about environmental impact, origin, nutritional value, safety and integrity.

Space Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture

On 25 January 2023, the European Space Agency (ESA), alongside the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) organised an event to bring together the space and agri-food sectors with the aim of tackling joint challenges and to draw up a shared roadmap. Without action, these challenges can only get worse.

During the event, speakers, panellists, and participants had the opportunity to shape their shared vision for the future of sustainable agriculture using space-enabled technologies. As Nick Appleyard, Head of the Downstream Business Applications Department at ESA highlighted at the event, ESA Space Solutions is not a newcomer to the agriculture sector. The first project referenced in its portfolio was a German-led activity with Vista GmbH called Talking Fields, starting in 2009 with a feasibility study and later a demonstration project aimed at providing farmers with affordable and low time-consuming, end-to-end precision farming services to increase production efficiency. This activity helped ESA build its knowledge of the agriculture sector through providing its expertise in space. Several other success stories were highlighted by companies including Spacenus, Telespazio Vega Deutschland and academic institutions including GFZ-Potsdam.

More information: Shaping the future of agriculture through space | ESA Business Applications

The recording of the day can be watched here.

STRATEGIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AGENDA (SRIA)

The SRIA reviews the main current and future challenges for sustainable agriculture and agri-food systems as well as the key goals and it describes the state of the ICT and robotics art and trends as well as the current and future challenges of ICT and robotics adoption in agri-food systems.

PDF icon SRIA

CALLS

ICT-AGRI-FOOD will focus particularly on data capture, data sharing, transmission, and analysis; decision support and automation over the entire food system from soil to Fork. Secondly, ICT-AGRI-FOOD will organise additional joint activities involving strategic actions for intensifying European and international coordination of “ICT-enabled agri-food systems” as well as one to three additional funding call(s) without EU co-funding.

KNOWLEDGE INCUBATOR

Interaction and collaboration between nationally-funded projects and transnational projects through the Knowledge Incubator events will increase the opportunities for coordination of research and ensuring best use of resources.

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The objective of the ICT-AGRI-FOOD project is to contribute to accelerate the development and uptake of digitisation in the agri-food sector by providing products and services, leading to jobs and sustainable production methods. The project’s strategy rests upon the following principles:

- Take advantage of the complementary capacities and skills of all ICT-AGRI-FOOD Consortium members, building on their experience in previous ERA-NETs, in particular ICT-AGRI 1&2, JPI FACCE and agrifood related research projects and the related management experience;

- Use the flexibility of the ERA-NET Cofund instrument, particularly in the Additional Activities. The five-year duration of this initiative will require fine-tuning of the ICT-AGRI-FOOD activities during its life-cycle due to the rapid innovations and changing priorities of the sector.

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