Status Of Digital Agriculture In 18 Countries Of Europe And Central Asia

Digital agriculture has the potential to contribute to a more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable agriculture and meet the agricultural goals of a country or a region more effectively, and both ICTs and agriculture are important enablers in achieving SDGs. Most stakeholders have long recognized the need for national e-agricultural strategies. Nevertheless, most of the countries have not yet implemented a national strategy for the agricultural sector's use of ICTs. ITU Offices for Europe and CIS regions in collaboration with FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia developed this report on state of Digital Agriculture and Strategies developed in 18 countries. The emerging role of ICTs in Europe and CIS region is clearly observed and experienced as an engine for agricultural development, especially in view of the growing demand for reliable information and its quick access at all levels of the industry. The state of the digital agriculture ecosystem differs from country to country and is also fragmented by the regions, within the individual countries. There is an overwhelming wave of innovation in this area where a digital agriculture strategy can be helpful in finding the right path.

The present report is the outcome of the joint call on good practices on Digital Excellence in Agriculture, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Office for Europe and Office for CIS and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations Office for Europe and Central Asia. The document presents a summary version of the 171 eligible submissions of good practices and innovative solutions advancing the digital transformation of agriculture in Europe and Central Asia. This call complements the joint FAO-ITU review on the Status of Digital Agriculture in 18 countries of Europe and Central Asia (ITU-FAO, 2020)1 and provides evidence on how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) play an emerging role in the agriculture landscapes of the regions, acting as an engine for agricultural development. However, the adoption of digital technologies in agriculture differs from country to country, and from region to region. The review in the 18 countries highlighted that smallholder farmers have yet to experience the widespread benefits of this digital transformation, and they are lagging behind when it comes to the adoption of digital agriculture solutions and innovations due to lack of trust in the potential of ICTs, limited digital skills, connectivity issues and restricted availability of ICT-based solutions to utilize and scale up. Realizing the full potential of digital agriculture transformation requires identifying, sharing and implementing best practices and proven solutions across countries, involving all actors in participatory processes.

Agriculture is becoming increasingly knowledge intensive: farmers have to make more and more complex decisions on the use of their land, the selection of the agricultural commodities they plant, the choice of markets on which to sell their agricultural products and other key decisions that impact their livelihoods and that of society. The development of ICTs is a major driver of economic growth. It is also an accelerator for innovation and change. FAO has been promoting the use of ICTs in agriculture and has focused on ICT innovation in improving agricultural production and value chains. However, innovation is an elusive combination of people, processes and technologies. Many projects put technology alone at the core of proposed solutions intended to address emerging and existing challenges, but this is not a sustainable solution in many cases. Recently, FAO and the International Telecommunication Union, have jointly prepared a National e-Agriculture Strategy Guide which aims to help countries mainstream ICTs into agriculture and develop or revitalize e-agriculture strategies in line with agricultural goals and priorities. This paper is intended to assist policy-makers and stakeholders of e-agriculture in transition economies to map the policy and technological environment in their countries, would show case e-agriculture initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia and provide with recommendations on formulation of e-agriculture strategies.

This report is the outcome of the Digital Excellence in Agriculture: FAO-ITU regional contest on good practices advancing digital agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Office for Europe and Central Asia and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Offices for Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Launched in November 2020, the contest sought to identify, showcase and celebrate good practices and innovative solutions that have proven successful in advancing the digital transformation of agriculture in the regions. With nearly 200 applicants from 36 countries in the regions, the initiative revealed a diverse, dynamic and future-thinking ecosystem of innovators and problem-solvers. This report summarizes the main trends in digital services and products, the most important technologies used, as well as the difficulties and challenges that arise in the development of digital agricultural applications. Presenting the 29 finalists, the report shares the key challenges applicants are addressing, the digital technologies they are using to succeed, their journeys and their plans for the near future based on the information provided. The report also analyses how the technology infrastructure, the regulatory and business environment, the availability of human capital, and the COVID-19 pandemic represented both challenges and opportunities for digital agriculture practitioners. It provides useful information for developers and service providers already active in this field or planning to enter it, as well as guidance for decision-makers on possible points of intervention.

Amidst the challenges confronting agriculture in Europe and Central Asia, this casebook unfolds the stories of 25 farmers and agripreneurs who have successfully embraced digital technologies. [Author] The accounts presented here reveal that, despite the effects of climate change, the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the enduring impact of COVID-19, opportunities for innovation and resilience can still be found. [Author] The case studies presented here, grouped into five distinct use cases, illustrate the transformative power of digitalization in agriculture, and serve as tangible examples of the successes and lessons learned on the path to sustainable development. [Author] By harnessing the power of digital technologies in agriculture, we can prepare ourselves for the digital transformation of agrifood systems, which are at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with effects on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals. [Author]

This regional publication provides an overview of the development of organic agriculture in eighteen (18) countries in the following ECA sub-regions: Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan); Eastern Europe (Belarus, Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine); South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia); and South Eastern Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey). The report includes an in-depth analysis of how these countries have achieved the current state of organic agriculture regarding legislative and policy frameworks, governance systems, production, key actors, marketing, opportunities and challenges, and future strategies. The presence of transparent and reliable information enables credibility, informed decision-making and policy-making, and investment in the development of the organic agriculture sector.

This volume gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of biosystems engineering, as presented at the 12th Conference of the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering (AIIA), held in Palermo, Italy, on September 19-22, 2022. Focusing on the challenges of improving the resilience of agriculture, forestry and food systems in the post-Covid era, it shows how the research has addressed the following topics: Monitoring and modelling hydraulic and hydrological processes in agriculture and forestry systems; Challenges in stream rehabilitation and soil conservation strategies; Sustainable water resource management under climate change scenarios; Planning safe, healthy and resilient territorial, built and green systems; Cultural heritage preservation and rural landscape protection, planning and management; Plant and livestock production processes and technologies. Healthy and Organic farming. Animal welfare; Energy, waste and by-products smart use; Post-harvest logistics and food chain structures technology; Applications and experiences in smart agriculture and forestry; One Health, management and standardization for agriculture and forestry machinery and structures; Big data, machine learning and data hub in biosystems engineering. The contributions were selected by a rigorous peer-review process, and offer an extensive and multidisciplinary overview of the research in the field of biosystems engineering for sustainable agriculture.

This country gender assessment (CGA) for the Republic of Azerbaijan was undertaken as part of FAO and national commitments to promote gender equality while integrating a gender perspective into its operations. The resulting CGA report focuses on the intersections of gender, agriculture and rural development, and presents a snapshot of critical gender-based inequalities and their consequences for agricultural production and rural livelihoods in Azerbaijan. The assessment includes recommendations on enhancing agriculture and developing rural communities with a gender-sensitive perspective, taking into consideration gender roles and differences between women and men in access to productive resources, inputs and information. The process of developing and finalizing the CGA was overseen by the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Azerbaijan, within the “Improved food security and rural livelihoods through women’s economic empowerment” (WEP) project in Azerbaijan, funded through the FAO–Azerbaijan Partnership Programme (FAPP).