Ploutos innovation project has the potential to significantly impact agri-food value chains in a positive way. By monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and highlighting the sustainability impact of these hand-selected pilots in terms of economy, environment, and business, we can understand better the underlying structures and drive positive change in the agri-food industry.
For this reason, we focus on developing more efficient innovation schemes that can lead to cost savings for farmers, reduced water usage, and a positive impact on the environment and the consumers.
By keeping track of the sustainability impact of our pilots and effectively communicating this information, we aim to demonstrate our commitment to driving positive change in the agri-food industry.
Pilot 1
Supporting a frozen fruit value chain to optimise their production and reduce their environmental footprint is a task that needs a lot of preparation, planning and thorough analysis.
Key achievements observed during the first reporting period include:
(a) the deployment of two stations that cover 2 different climate/soil zones;
(b) the set up of the Smart Farming (SF) service;
(c) the integration of the service and the first set of advice regarding irrigation, fertilisation and pest management;
(d) the connection of gaiasense and the systems of Alterra with Ploutos interoperability solution.
Successful Performance
Economic
Based on the first results (from the past 23 months) a significant reduction of inputs was observed. More specifically, production costs decreased by 32-39%
Social
During the implementation of the pilot, emphasis was given in promoting the collaboration between the various actors of the value chain. In this context, an Open Day was organised in Mandalos to connect farmers, members of the regional government, representatives of the food processing industry and policy makers. This fruitful meeting allowed the participants to get acquainted with each other and exchange views on the challenges and envisaged benefits of the pilot.
Environmental
Reducing inputs using SF solutions resulted in fewer chemicals being used and a reduction in irrigation.
More specifically, the following numbers were achieved:
(a) reduction of pesticides by 58-65%
(b) reduction of water consumption by 36-70%
(c) improved fertilisation efficiency and avoidance of soil degradation by 95%
Pilot 2
Creating and ensuring better food-chain contracts that promote an improved durum wheat production is an important step forward for the arable crop sector and can ensure timely and fast payments to the farmers after a damage has occurred.
Key achievements observed during the first reporting period include:
(a) the development of parametric end-to-end insurance policy for durum wheat obtained with the use of the Decision Support System (DSS);
(b) the definition of a parametric insurance mechanism targeting wheat production in terms of quantity, safety and quality;
(c) the modification of the DSS granoduro.net, by introducing a new functionality (predicting yield and yield losses);
(d) the identification of 30 farms willing to participate in the pilot and the deployment of weather networks
Successful Performance
Economic
The average yield obtained from the farms (3,3 t/ha) is above the expected National average and last year’s production for the area (according to the ISTAT data) and the product has a high protein content (17%). An increase of revenue was observed (less than 20%), which is considered a success, given the increased prices in energy, supplies and commodities.
Social
Even though the evaluation of the social dimension of the innovation is ongoing, it is nonetheless observed that the insurance mechanism in place is making sure farmers’ revenue is safeguarded and the DSS can further help them learn and apply best practices to run their crops.
Environmental
The use of the DSS in field management leads to an optimisation of inputs in the durum wheat cropping stage. Overall, a decrease in the use of nutrients (nitrogen), active ingredients and water was observed, and greenhouse gas emissions were lower compared to the baseline values.
Pilot 4
Developing traceability solutions that cover the horticulture greenhouse value chain can lead to improved operations, better sustainability performance and brand recognition.
Key achievements observed during the first reporting period include:
(a) the creation of a questionnaire to record crop management data;
(b) the installation of weather stations in different greenhouses;
(c) the development of a dashboard and a data lake to gather all data from the different sources;
(d) the analysis of data and the subsequent sharing of the data with the farmers and UNICA technicians.
Successful Performance
Economic
Resources consumption optimisation and yield enhancement was observed. Furthermore, the new model of managing and analysing information led to an acceleration of the organisational process across the value chain.
Social
The implementation of the pilot has created improved working conditions for the employees in view of the automated process of data collection that reduces time and effort. Moreover, there was an productivity increase, while new digital skills were gained.
Environmental
Best practices regarding the use of water and chemicals were understood and applied throughout the participants’ greenhouses. According to the KPIs set out in the beginning and the baseline values given, there was a reduction in water consumption and pesticides use and an increase of the product quality. An reduction of about 10% in pesticides use is expected in the next growing season.
Pilot 6
Applying a soil-passport approach and precision farming technologies to increase soil health and sustainability in Slovenia, is a challenge that (if it is successful) can lead to the improvement of the efficiency and sustainability of agriculture. These methods allow for precise monitoring and management of soil health and crop growth, increasing yields and reducing the environmental impact.
Key achievements observed during the first reporting period include:
(a) the selection of 8 pilot farms that can participate in the project;
(b) the application of 37 targeted fertilisations;
(c) the decrease in the use of fertilisers by 31,5%;
(d) the decrease in the production costs by 21,23%
Successful Performance
Economic
Based on the first results (during the past 23 months) a reduction of fertilizers was observed at an average of 31,5% and a subsequent reduction of production costs by an average of 21,3%. Given the current economic landscape, this reduction is a significant success that should be further explored.
Social
The pilot’s activities were promoted via social media channels, as well as via the local agricultural fair AGRA 2021.
Environmental
The main environmental impact metric is the reduction in the use of fertilisers due to the optimised fertilisation plan applied (31,5% reduction).
Pilot 10
The increase of the grapevine sector’s sustainability can be achieved by introducing payments for ecosystem services provision and a parametric insurance scheme that can sufficiently support farmers.
Key achievements observed during the first reporting period include:
(a) the definition of a parametric end-to-end insurance mechanism and selection of the oracle;
(b) the modification of the Decision Support System (DSS) vite.net, according to the needs of the pilot;
(c) the set up of the DSS comprising the identification of the farms and the deployment of weather stations for data collection;
(d) the identification of the algorithms that are used for the calculation of Carbon Credits (CCs).
Successful Performance
Economic
The development of a parametric insurance scheme secured the farmers’ revenue in case of adverse weather conditions.
Social
Even though the social evaluation is ongoing, it is pointed out that the use of the DSS serves as a knowledge transfer tool for the farmers, who can learn best practices and apply them to their crops.
Environmental
The use of the DSS in crop management leads to an optimisation of inputs. This translates to a reduction in the use of nutrients, active ingredients, water and greenhouse gas emissions, compared to the baseline value. Moreover, the possibility to calculate the carbon credits saved in the field can motivate farmers to adopt sustainable techniques.
Recent Comments