Evaluating digital tools for Europe’s agroecology
While many initiatives aim to boost the uptake of digital tools in agriculture, few assess how these tools align with agroecological principles such as diversity, circularity and knowledge co-creation. D4AgEcol(opens in new window) addressed this gap systematically. “Digitalisation is not automatically good for agroecology,” says project coordinator Andreas Meyer-Aurich from the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy(opens in new window). “We didn’t want to add more technology, but to assess what’s already there and understand its real value.” As a Horizon Europe coordination and support action(opens in new window) (CSA), the consortium reviewed more than 100 digital tools and systems across Europe, analysing how each contributes to sustainable farming. A framework based on the FAO’s 10 Elements of Agroecology(opens in new window) – including resource efficiency, resilience and social equity – guided the evaluation. “We used the FAO’s 10 Elements as a compass to see where digitalisation supports or conflicts with agroecology,” explains Meyer-Aurich. The result is an online inventory(opens in new window) providing open-access data on each tool’s functions, costs and ecological relevance. The inventory helps researchers and policymakers compare technologies and identify gaps where innovation could better serve agroecological goals.
Mapping what works
Through 12 multi-actor case studies spanning arable and livestock farming, orchards and agroforestry systems, the team explored how farmers, advisers and developers view the potential of digitalisation as an enabler for agroecology and for organic farming, and the barriers that limit its potential. For example, a workshop to assess the use of farm robots for sowing and weeding on organic sugar beet farms identified erosion control and out-of-date regulations as key challenges to wider adoption. Results showed that while digital tools can improve data collection, traceability and soil management, many remain designed for high-input systems and inaccessible to smaller or more diversified farms. The D4AgEcol assessment framework(opens in new window) for digital tools can help address these challenges and further these technologies.
Evidence for policymaking
A key output is a set of fact sheets(opens in new window) indicating the potential of digital tools to enable agroecology and a thorough analysis of the barriers of the technologies. Furthermore, the project delivered seven national roadmaps outlining needs for involved European countries and a European roadmap to indicate actions supporting the common agricultural policy(opens in new window) (CAP) and the European Green Deal(opens in new window). The results were published in a policy brief(opens in new window). Together, these outputs can guide policymakers in integrating digitalisation more effectively into Europe’s transition towards ecological farming. Moreover, D4AgEcol results are informing research agendas and signalling future funding priorities for digitalisation in agriculture. D4AgEcol also plays a central role in the Digital Agroecology Cluster(opens in new window), a network of seven Horizon Europe projects, including PATH2DEA, working at the interface between technology and ecological farming. Its inventory and framework now feed into the Cluster’s shared knowledge base and will contribute to the European R&I AGROECOLOGY Partnership(opens in new window). “While some potentials of digitalisation for agroecology can be seen, there is a lack of knowledge about the effects for many aspects of agroecology,” adds Meyer-Aurich. “There is a clear need for more holistic research on the impact of digital tools and technologies on farming systems and the environment.” In essence, D4AgEcol has shown how digitalisation, used thoughtfully, can strengthen Europe’s move towards farming that works with nature, not against it.
