Organic farming and new technologies in EU perspective

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1 Organic farming and new technologies in EU perspective Cristina Micheloni IOF2020 Vegetable Trial Ecosystem chair Agriflanders, Ghent 10 January 2019

2 New technologies to do what? Increase knowledge site specific system specific timely For example The problem: to reduce/avoid copper use and protect crops ++ The technology: image reading to measure the amount and form of Cu on the leaves and decide if it is enough to grant protection Or simply: an App to share experince and register observations

3 New technologies to do what? Reduce tasks that are unpleasent too time consuming to be timely economically unsustainable For example The problem: to manage weeds when agronomic measures fail The technology: optical tools guided harrows or weeding robots

4 Knowing that often the alternative is this, and is not in line with organic principles!

5 New technologies to do what? Increase efficiency without loosing positive side-effects respecting OF principles and goals For example The problem: use of farm produced feed (mixed crops) and fodders and reduce external feed use The technology: handy tools to analyse nutrients contents and adjust feed patterns accordingly

6 New technologies to do what? Increase efficiency without loosing positive side-effects respecting OF principles and goals ANOTHER example The problem: to obtain good productions without damaging the soil or polluting The technology: deep soil knowledge to understand soil potentials and guide its management

7 Where are we now? 1. improved precision farming: not only early detection or DSS but direct actuation Precision mechanical weeding via camera guided tools Water and nutrients precise application through continuous sensing of soil conditions + automatic actuators (less inputs but precisely distributed, night/sunday) on wheat, soybean, table grape and tomato Optimized feeding patterns through animal specific requirements knowledge and fulfillment for meat and milk production Diversified and site specific plant protection with specific meteo data sensing and infection risk calculation on grape, tomato

8 2. Beyond precision farming: Soil scanning + site specific irrigation, fertilization and weeding to identify and obtain site specific best protein/ha (in soybean) Wine shipping data-logger and fresh fruit smart box to monitor shipment conditions, regulate gas exchange and reduce waste Grazing monitoring and herdsman support to enhance pasture use, to enhance animal welfare, improve land use and reduce GHG emission Vat fermentation monitoring (in wine-making) to reduce inputs use and optimize energy and water use AR/VR to improve certification schemes and allow direct assessment of farming practices and impact by consumers (value!)

9 IOF2020: MAIN FEATURES AND AMBITIONS Large scale PILOT project To foster a symbiotic ecosystem of technology providers, players from the agri food sector, promoters of innovative/disruptive business models To accelerate the adoption and maturation of IoT technologies in the agri food sector to guarantee safe and adequate food To pave the way towards data-drive (site-specific knowledge driven) farming, capable of providing good and sustainable yields 19 USE-CASES (not case-study!) already active + new cases starting in March + link to new project SmartAgruHubs Arable crops, fruit and vegetables production, animal husbandry and welfare, logistics, traceability and certification systems... beyond IOT in farming

10 TOWARDS THE IOF2020 ECOSYSTEM FARMERS SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY INVESTORS COOPERATIVES CONSORTIUM PARTNERS GENERAL PUBLIC AND MEDIA POLICY-MAKERS AND REGULATORS END-USERS Farm equipment suppliers Food processing companies Retailers Transporters Consumer organisations IOT TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS NGOs & INTEREST ORGANISATIONS AGRICULTURAL (INDEPENDENT) ADVISORY SERVICES BUSINESS SUPPORT ORGANISATIONS Accelerators Incubators Chambers of commerce Network(s) of enterprises

11 IOT AND ORGANIC: SUPPORT OR CLASH? IT, IOT, allnew tech (if in tune with OF principles) are useful tools to farm with diversity as they allow to act differently on specific sites within the farm knowing what the differences are allows to use all the knowledge we have (need to have) on climate, soil and plant/animal needs to farm well and best manage animals, land, environment and products It is a useful technology to do better what we already do: certification, animal welfare monitoring, soil in depth knowledge, adaptation to rapid changes (climate but also market)

12 IOT AND ORGANIC: SUPPORT OR CLASH? If. They are based on farm or value chain needs and not on technology needs or availability

13 FURTHER POTENTIALS AND NEEDS Sensors to easily detect specific molecules (pesticides, SO, pheromones..) 2 but also other situations (i.e. insects presence, development etc.) Interoperability Low energy networks and tools Actuators for farming (i.e. for pesticides distribution, wild animals sensing and repelling) and for the food processing and handling To make full use of the data already available (RDP, health authorities, AOP, meteo..) CERTIFICATION SYSTEM MUST UPGRADE AND BECOME MORE RELIABLE AND LESS BUREAUCRATIC

14 WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL AND ORGANIC FARMERS NEEDS? not much on the sensors side but on actuators organic more complex but also potentially more benefitting precision farming is too shortsighted for organic as leading to miss the whole picture, but that depends on how information are used All post farming is equally useful, including certification and traceability

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16 IT/IOT AND SMALL FARMS: SUPPORT OR CLASH? Potentially it is a tool to better and more profitably farm also in small farms and remote areas if: the infrastructure is available: connectivity, affordable services etc. the tools and services are down-scaled to fit average EU farms there is a collective approach along the value-chain, within the community, in the geographic unit If the driver is sustainable European farming and not the new technology available