The multi-actor stakeholder community has been at the heart of FATIMA. It is with them and for them that methodology, systems, services, tools, products, and frameworks have been developed and implemented throughout the project. A multi-stakeholder platform directory is available. User alliances and networks maintain their importance after the end of the project, as they are one of the key foundations for sustainable implementation of the FATIMA services after the project end.
FATIMA Services, tools and products are technically mature, innovative, and well-positioned in a rapidly expanding market. The core services include crop monitoring, management zoning, VR (variable rate) fertilization scheduling (pre-season & in-season) and irrigation scheduling (crop water requirement prediction one week ahead).
A set of business cases has been developed, responding to the requirements of local and regional users on the ground (e.g. farmers, farmers’ associations, farm consultants, extension services).
Farm-level Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is a complementary tool that helps farmers to decide which technology to adopt or service to buy. It is available as a calculation sheet (“CBA calculator”). It has the twofold function of assessing farm profitability on one hand and economic feasibility of a FATIMA service on the other hand.
FATIMA has produced a wide range of tools, from webGIS platforms to calculators (for nutrients, yield, irrigation, WEF, CBA); a comprehensive EO methodology package; models; a high-resolution variable rate technology (VRT) scanner-spreader; several adapted VRT fertilizer spreaders; Wireless sensor networks (WSN); to thematic frameworks.
During the three project years, FATIMA has generated comprehensive databases of biogeophysical and socioeconomic data.
In the long term, changes in agricultural practices (crop rotation, cover crops) and transformation to more sustainable production systems (conservation agriculture, organic agriculture) are also indicated. In FATIMA, we have put this in the framework of agroecology and developed a transition roadmap, based on scenario assessment combined with multi-annual field work.
An important part of the comprehensive FATIMA strategy has been an in-depth socio-economic assessment using Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) and Choice experiments (CE), as well as cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and water-energy-food (WEF) analysis.
Policy aspects of both short-term and long-term strategies have been analyzed and pilot cases documented, leading to a set of policy recommendations.
