The problem
The Balearic Island’s agricultural sector manages 85% of the whole land surface. They base their economic activity on a very busy tourism sector (with a population of one million inhabitants, they welcome around 16 million tourists a year). The islands’ economic, social and environmental sustainability depend on there being a balance between both of tourism and agriculture sectors.
In spite of this, the agricultural sector lags behind the other sectors in terms of innovation and adoption of the new disruptive technologies, which will allow them to be more competitive and to generate more synergies with the tourism sector, therefore increasing its income and positive impact. The challenge is to make everybody, especially those related to the world of tourism, aware of how agriculture is essential for tourism and show them how tourists are interested in the agricultural part of the islands.
Technologies, such as IoT will support the achievement of this challenge: on the one hand, the deployment of NADIA in Agromallorca thanks to the data gathered will help them to reduce costs and be more efficient (water, pesticides…) at the same time PLOUTOS traceability solution will contribute to give more accurate information to consumers on the quality of the products. This information will also be used to inform tourists, not only on the quality of the products but also on new tourist activities linked with the agri-food sector (as visits to the farms or experience the possibility to make their own oil, for example).
The solution
The solution to the problem will be addressed with a mixture of technological, social, entrepreneurial and insitutional innovations!
Firstly, the focus will be on the introduction of the IoT platform NADIA in the agri-food sector as well as to generate synergies related to the identification of joint activities in the tourism and agricultural fields. Additionally, other kinds of activities that complement and improve the farmer’s position in agri-food value chains and relate their activity with the world of tourism. This will also include all scaling-up activities related to the solutions offered by the islands’ different cooperatives, reaching the farmers’ directly as well as showing them what technological developments are available that could improve their productivity and competitivity and development of new services linking agriculture and tourism. These new services will allow tourists to carry out immersive activities in the Balearic countryside such as make their own oil, visit almond trees in bloom etc.
Specifically, the Pilot’s activities will center on smart agricultural applications, such as the introduction of the IoT platform NADIA and traceability solutions to share information throughout the whole value chain, allowing to generate more efficiencies and trust among the whole value chain and making easier the certification processes. Moreover, it will entail multidevice monitoring in real-time to check temperature, humidity, etc rates in the SIP by deploying sensors and other devices in Agromallorca, as well as benchmarking tools to make lists to learn how each field, harvest, etc reacts and develops, and generate a catalogue which improves the information that can be shared with tourist operators. Finally, the proposed solution is related to the development of new functionalities on the NADIA platform adapted to the requirements of the agri-food sector and its value chain, and supporting the link between agri-food and tourism.
The Innovations
Technological: Based on introducing and using the NADIA platform in the agricultural sector, addressed to increase the efficiency in the production process and to reduce costs, as well as facilitating processes that nowadays are being implemented manually.
Social: Helping to regenerate wealth and the competitiveness of this sector will give the islands the balance and sustainability they need. With this, quality employment will be created, young people will be more attracted to the sector thanks to the use of digital technologies and the quality of life and the environment will be improved.
Organisational/Entrepreneurial: Leading companies to the digitization of their decision making, storage and data analysis. A completely autonomous digital system that will optimize its costs and improve its productivity.
Institutional: Enhanced collaboration between cooperatives and the exchange of information. Improvement in the achievement process of certifications, tracking of established regulations and the definition of new standards for the sector. In the Balearics hardly any agri-food companies have international certificates.
Sustainability
Economic: Resources will be optimized and production will increase. Costs will drop and by having real time data better decisions will be taken, depending on the needs and requirements of every company. In the Balearics, a higher level of economic balance will be promoted, as well as the collaboration between tourism and agriculture.
Social: Employment will be generated, and the agri-food sector will be a new and attractive sector for young people.
Environmental: Water consumption will decline. The data obtained will be used to learn more about the harvests and the need of nutrients, leading to a better looked after and more attractive environment.
The partners
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