Smart farming: Digitalization of agriculture & vision of the new CAP

High-level event in the European Parliament

On the 29th of January, IoF2020 & SmartAgriHubs will organise a high-level event in the European Parliament in Brussels, hosted by ECR Group. The event will highlight project achievements and contributions to EU agriculture, as well as look to the wider world of new agricultural techniques and their future. The meeting will convey important speakers from the agri-food sector alongside representatives from the EU institutions.

You can register for the event via mail to [email protected].

The Event

The event will largely be interactive, fostering debates with key representatives from different fields of the agricultural sector. The preferred format of the sessions is therefore a panel discussion, allowing plenty of time for audience interaction and discussion. The event will be split in three different sessions chaired by Members of the Parliament, each on a different topic but all dealing with the EU’s agricultural and food policies.

Introduction

The time of this event is no coincidence: with the recent European elections, the newly formed Commission, and the CAP currently being reformed, this is a strategic moment for IoF2020 & SmartAgriHubs to seek the limelight, and present their vision to the future. Developments in the digitalisation of the world at large, and agriculture specifically, have only seen an exponential increase.
In light of the renewed CAP, IoF2020 & SmartAgriHubs contribute to an array of the 9 priorities that have been recognised by the new Commission. This project, as well as this event, especially contributes to digitalisation’s potential in increasing competitiveness, environmental care, food protection and rural connectivity.

First session

The first session will explore the EU’s agricultural and food challenges and the role of digitalisation therein. The session will be chaired by Bert-Jan Ruissen, MEP in the AGRI committee who knows first hand the challenges Europe’s farmers face. Representatives from IoF2020 and SmartAgriHubs alongise food scientists will elaborate on the importance of ecosystem building to boost the EU agri-food sector.

Second session

The second session will explore a less obvious, but possibly even more contentious issue: the question of data management, and how to enhance the adoption of smart farming technologies. In implementing smart farming solutions, farmers no longer only harvest crops, but data as well. The all-important questions that have pondered urban minds, therefore also reached rural areas. This session is going to be chaired by Petros Kokkalis, MEP in the ENVI Commitee who will be accompanied by representatives from the agricultural machinery and farming industry.

Third session

Let’s look to the future: what is the long-term vision for the EU’s agriculture, CAP reform, and a place for smart farming? Chaired by Norbert Lins, MEP and President of the AGRI Committee, who better to have on the panel than the voice of young farmers alongside project officers and coordinators from both projects to round off the last session.

The full event programme can be found here.