Farmtopia, a Horizon Europe project running from September 2023 to August 2026, aims to democratise digital farming, focusing on small-scale farmers. With 22 partners from 12 countries, Farmtopia addresses the limited adoption of Agricultural Digital Solutions (ADSs) despite substantial investments. These technological solutions hold potential to boost the economic and environmental performance of the agricultural sector, especially for small farms struggling to access cost-effective digital solutions that are suitable for their needs.
Small Farms: Big Impact
The coordination team of the project from NEUROPUBLIC AE PLIROFORIKIS & EPIKOINONION, explained that Farmtopia envisioned impact includes providing access to validated ADSs to over 64,000 small farms.
“The project will facilitate the co-creation of Agriculture Digital Solutions (ADSs) to ensure they will solve real problems, fit the needs of small farms, and be cost-effective. Thus, we will set up 18 Sustainable Innovation Pilots (SIPs). Out of these, 9 pilots have been pre-selected, while the remaining 9 will be granted through an Open Call process. These SIPs primarily focus on crops and livestock, addressing the underdeveloped and insufficient existing Agricultural Digital Solutions (ADSs) while also spotlighting regionally important crops. The ADSs will be validated in various countries across Europe.”
Dionisis Solomos and Nikolaos Marianos
NEUROPUBLIC AE PLIROFORIKIS & EPIKOINONION
Farmtopia will also develop reusable software modules, business and governance models, and scalable infrastructure for ADSs, which will reduce costs for both farmers and ADS providers.
Farmtopia’s Open Call for Innovation
The upcoming Open Call will enable the co-creation and testing of smart solutions for small farms by 9 new Sustainable Innovation Pilots (SIPs). These farms will benefit from Farmtopia’s reusable software modules. A total of €900,000, equating to €100,000 per SIP will be distributed.
“Foodscale Hub will lead the Open Call activities and also oversee the communication, dissemination and exploitation of the project’s results and activities, making them easily understandable and accessible to a wide audience. This will ensure that the project’s valuable knowledge benefits a broad range of stakeholders and informs crucial decisions.”
Mladen Radišić, CEO of Foodsclale Hub
EU Project Cultivating Community
Farmtopia’s collaborative approach will bring together a diverse spectrum of stakeholders spanning the entire agricultural value chain, including farmers, ADS providers, farm advisors, scientists, policy makers, AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems) actors, and other key stakeholders who will collectively contribute to its mission.
The Farmtopia project has received funding by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. All the information is available on the project’s website, as well as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and Youtube.
Project Coordination
Dionisis Solomos
NEUROPUBLIC AE PLIROFORIKIS & EPIKOINONION
Methonis 6 Kai Spiliotopoulou 18545, PEIRAIAS, Greece
Email: d_solomos@neuropublic.gr
Project Communication
Prof. Mladen Radišić
Foodscale Hub
Narodnog fronta 73, Novi Sad 21000, Serbia
Email: mladen@foodscalehub.com
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
