One of the biggest challenges in modern agriculture is data. Everyone has it, but it’s locked away in silos. Farmers are (rightfully) protective of it, and building one giant, central database for all of Europe is just not practical or secure. So, how do we build a connected, data-driven agricultural ecosystem without forcing everyone into a single “mothership”? And how do we convince farmers—the ones creating the most valuable data—to participate? This is exactly what we’ve tackled with the AgriDataValue (ADV) platform architecture. It’s built on two core ideas that change the game.

1. Growing Sideways: A “Platform of Platforms”

First, we knew a single, monolithic platform wouldn’t work. The ADV platform is designed as a multi-instance, “platform-of-platforms.” Instead of one big system, imagine a network of independent ones. A regional farmers’ co-op in France can run its own ADV platform instance. A national agricultural ministry in Greece can run another. Each instance is a complete, self-contained hub. But here’s the magic: they are all designed to securely talk to each other. This is what we call “horizontal expansion.” When a new organization wants to join, they just plug in their own instance. The whole ecosystem grows organically, region by region, without a single point of failure. It’s scalable, resilient, and respects that data is often best managed locally.

2. Solving the “Why Share?” Problem

Okay, so we can connect the platforms. But why would a farmer, who is busy running a business, want to share their data? This is the “data provider blocking problem,” and our answer is simple: incentives. The ADV platform isn’t just about storing data; it’s about valuing it. We’ve built in a Marketplace concept that directly addresses the “What’s in it for me?” question. A farmer or data provider can choose to upload a dataset (like soil moisture levels or drone imagery). They can then negotiate its value and set clear sharing policies. This turns data from a passive byproduct into a potential asset. By making this process transparent—using a secure, shared ledger to record agreements and transactions—we build trust. The farmer knows exactly who is using their data and that they are being compensated for it. This motivation is the key to unlocking the data silos and fueling a new generation of agricultural apps and insights. By combining a scalable, federated architecture with a fair and motivating marketplace, the AgriDataValue platform aims to create a data economy that truly benefits everyone.

The concept of AgriDataValue project is shaped around CAP objectives, thereby enhancing farmers’ contribution to the implementation of the CAP itself.

The activities of ADV pilots are aligned with the CAP objectives in several fields like climate change mitigation, efficient resource management and animal welfare.

Focusing on ADV italian pilots, Pilot #15 and Pilot #17 managed by Ri.Nova in the region of Emilia-Romagna, it was implemented AI-powered disease prediction systems in order to favour a reduction in pesticide use, enabling optimisation of the use of resources and limitation of losses in agricultural products. Both pilots contribute to improving disease prediction, favouring data-driven decision-making for pest and disease management and reducing the use of pesticides.

The activities carried out under Pilot #15 and Pilot #17 comply with CAP objective 5 – Effective natural resource management, which aims at fostering sustainable development and efficient management of natural resources such as water, soil and air by reducing chemical dependency.

Specifically it complies with CAP result indicator R.24 – Sustainable and reduced use of pesticides which goal is increasing the share of utilised agricultural area (UAA) under supported specific commitments which lead to a sustainable use of pesticides, thereby reducing risks and environmental impacts such as pesticides leakage.

Within the Italian CAP Strategic Plan framework, the Region Emilia-Romagna has also activated the measure SRA 19 – Reduction in the use of plant protection products according to which farmers receive a subsidy per hectare when implementing one or more of the following actions:

• Action 1 – 50% reduction in the drift of plant protection products
• Action 2 – Reduction in the use of plant protection products containing active substances identified as the most dangerous
• Action 3 – Adoption of advanced crop protection strategies based on biotechnological and biological methods

Pilot #15 and Pilot #17 are playing a pivotal role by steering agriculture towards more sustainable and productive practices, leveraging digital technologies for more efficient resource management and greater protection of the environment and soil.

We are pleased to share our latest publication, “Sustainability Challenges in the Bovine Sector and the Implementation of Waste Management Policies within the EU Framework.”

The paper examines the environmental impact of the bovine industry and explores how EU policies, circular economy strategies, and smart farming technologies can transform waste into valuable resources. It highlights the need to align science, policy, and practice to advance sustainable, low-impact livestock production and support Europe’s climate goals.

Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focha.2025.101129

You may find the AgriDataValue Publications here  

On 24–26 September 2025, the National Paying Agency (NPA), Lithuania, invited the paying agencies of the Baltic States and Poland to the conference “Innovations and Technologies – the Driving Force of the Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Rural Development 2023–2027”. Agricultural progress, good farming practices, and the use of artificial intelligence in the paying agency activities were the main topics discussed by the conference participants this year.

The conference was dedicated to discussing current issues in the agricultural sector, innovations and sharing experience in support administration.

NPA Director Fortunatas Dirginčius welcomed the conference participants and emphasized that today, in the field of agriculture, when implementing the Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Rural Development of Lithuania 2023–2027 (Strategic Plan), many tasks are being taken over by robots and automated systems: “Modern methods of plant fertilisation, automated processes, innovations that allow monitoring farm activities and performing their analysis are no longer the future. Farmers are already using such tools today.”

The presentations delivered during the conference included those by NPA’s Director Fortunatas Dirginčius presenting digital solutions in implementing the Strategic Plan, by the Control Department Director on ALNSIS 1.0 and 2.0 regarding control and administrative systems, followed by presentations of the Latvian paying agency representative about shared Earth Observation platforms, insights from private innovation providers (on image classification, Sentinel-2 image use). Representatives of agencies from Estonia and Poland held discussions on the digital and information technology solutions used in their activities and stressed their importance in administering support measures.

In addition, during the conference a cooperation agreement was signed with the Polish Paying Agency (ARMA). A particularly relevant topic was discussed too – the conclusion of the 2014–2020 Rural Development and Aghriculture programming period. Conference participants shared the challenges they are facing and looked for ways to overcome them.

Active and meaningful discussions with colleagues from the Latvian, Estonian, and Polish paying agencies were especially valuable in seeking joint solutions on how to improve the support administration process and ensure smooth and high-quality agency work.

The presentation delivered by the NPA Deputy Director Tomas Orlickas focused on the NPA’s international projects, the interplay of support measures under the Strategic Plan, and lessons learned through its implementation. The international projects were presented as elements integrated in an overall digital ecosystem that includes parcel delineation, crop classification, and remote sensing, supporting Lithuania’s CAP Strategic Plan and more biodiversity-sensitive agricultural policy. In his presentation the NPA Deputy Director also focused on the international projects as part of a wider area modeling and monitoring system being developed by the National Paying Agency, highlighting the Horizon Europe AgriDataValue project among them:

Horizon Europe AgriDataValue project – with its purpose to advance the digital transformation and agri-environmental monitoring of agriculture by creating a distributed (not centralized) smart-farming data platform. The project activities include:

• – Use big data to optimize production, enhance environmental sustainability, and ensure fair income for farmers.
• – Build systems for area monitoring, sensor networks, climate / area change monitoring (soil moisture, erosion, crop damage, yield forecasting), and crop & object auto-classification from geotagged photos.
• – Integrate or align with existing satellite / remote sensing platforms (e.g. Sentinel data) and related projects under Horizon, etc.

As a result a pan-European, open-source data space will be created for agriculture, fostering smart farming and agri-environmental monitoring through an innovative “platform of platforms”. Key results include a functional, federated platform for data sharing and interoperability, the development of new business models for data monetization, innovative AI and federated machine learning tools for increased trust in AI adoption, and the implementation of large-scale pilot projects across 9 EU countries to test these solutions in real-world conditions. The results of the project will allow the farmers to get access to a much wider diversity of relevant data, that will facilitate a smoother and faster transition towards smart agriculture.

Representatives of agencies from Estonia and Poland held discussions on the digital and information technology solutions used in their activities and stressed their importance in administering support measures.

In addition, during the conference a cooperation agreement was signed with the Polish Paying Agency (ARMA). A particularly relevant topic was discussed too – the conclusion of the 2014–2020 Rural Development and Aghriculture programming period. Conference participants shared the challenges they are facing and looked for ways to overcome them.

Active and meaningful discussions with colleagues from the Latvian, Estonian, and Polish paying agencies were especially valuable in seeking joint solutions on how to improve the support administration process and ensure smooth and high-quality agency work.

On 9–11 September, 2025, the IACS Community Exchange (ICE) annual conference, organised by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in collaboration with the EC DG AGRI and the French Paying Agency (ASP) took place in Reims, France. The event brought together representatives of the European Commission (EC), national authorities, research institutes, and industry to discuss the future of agricultural monitoring and data-driven policy in the EU.

The 3-day programme covered a broad range of topics dedicated to the implementation and evolution of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Key sessions focused on: IACS quality assessment and upcoming reporting obligations; data sharing for evidence-based policymaking and farm-level services; advances in LPIS updates, including the use of AI; integration of space and Earth Observation (EO) technologies into CAP monitoring; experiences of Member States (MS) and candidate countries with Area Monitoring System (AMS) implementation; the role of industry and innovative solutions in supporting Paying Agencies.

At the ICE conference Lithuania was represented by Tomas Orlickas, the Deputy Director of the National Paying Agency (NPA). He familiarised the conference participants with the status and vision of the AMS in Lithuania, with the possibilities of developing smart, data-driven public services and with the respective Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe and LIFE projects.

Alongside the technical sessions, the conference also offered opportunities for EU MS, EU candidate countries and stakeholders to exchange best practices on agricultural monitoring, climate adaptation, biodiversity, and carbon accounting.

At the conference the Deputy Director of the NPA Tomas Orlickas delivered a presentation titled “What’s Next After AMS? Strategy of Lithuania.” The presentation outlined Lithuania’s forward-looking vision of the AMS and its evolution into a more integrated, data-driven approach to agricultural governance.

Alongside the projects funded under Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe and LIFE programmes, including Horizon 2020 ENVISION and EIFFEL, a key focus of Mr. Orlickas’s contribution at the ICE conference was on the Horizon Europe project AgriDataValue, which supports the development of an innovative, distributed platform for smart farming. By combining satellite data, on-the-ground sensors, and big data analytics, the project aims to:

• Enhance farm-level insights for precision agriculture;
• Strengthen environmental sustainability and monitoring;
• Support evidence-based policymaking;
• Ensure a fair income for farmers while improving the resilience of agricultural systems.

Within this framework, the NPA contributes to advancing the Area Monitoring & Sensors System, which will integrate EO data with sensor-based monitoring to improve the detection of crop conditions, soil health, and environmental pressures. This work will also help prepare Lithuania for the future of climate-smart agriculture, ensuring that monitoring tools not only support compliance but also provide added value to farmers and policymakers.

By engaging in projects such as AgriDataValue, and by actively contributing to EU-wide dialogue at the ICE conference, Lithuania demonstrates its commitment to modernising agricultural policy, supporting farmers with innovative tools, and aligning with Europe’s broader sustainability and digital transformation goals.

The Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) is honoured to contribute to a European research project dedicated to one of the greatest challenges of our time: the impact of climate change on agriculture and the transition towards sustainable farming practices.

As the Romanian authority responsible for implementing the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), the Common Agricultural Policy ‘s “first pillar”, APIA has extensive experience in supporting farmers and ensuring that EU agricultural policies translate into tangible benefits at the national level. Within this project, APIA has the opportunity to extend its expertise to the European scale.

Our contribution focuses on several key activities:

• Macro-level CAP analysis at the EU level: looking at the overall framework, objectives, and instruments of the CAP, and evaluating how they support farmers in adapting to climate risks such as droughts, floods, soil degradation, or biodiversity loss.
• Coordination of the CAP component: ensuring that the project outputs include a clear and consistent view of how CAP can foster resilience and sustainability across all Member States.
• Technical contributions to climate impact projections: working alongside European partners to link Agri-climate indicators with farming practices, soil health, and biodiversity, and to benchmark potential adaptation measures.

This work is essential because agriculture is one of the sectors most vulnerable to climate change. At the same time, it is also part of the solution: through sustainable practices, innovation, and targeted policies, farming can adapt and even help mitigate the effects of a changing climate. The Common Agricultural Policy plays a central role in this process, providing financial support, incentives, and a common framework for all EU countries.

By engaging in this project, APIA contributes to a better understanding of how CAP functions at a European scale and how it can evolve to meet the challenges ahead. Our aim is to help shape recommendations that will make European agriculture more resilient, more sustainable, and better prepared for the future.

AgriDataValue has released a new informative video showcasing the project’s aims, objectives, and technological innovations. Discover how AgriDataValue aspires to be the “Game Changer” in Smart Farming digital transformation and agri-environmental monitoring, enhancing competitiveness, fair income, and smart-farming capacities through its innovative, open-source, multi-technology Agri-Environment Data Space (ADS).

👉 Follow us on YouTube and social media to stay connected and learn more about our journey!

The AgriDataValue project was recently showcased at the agricultural and livestock equipment exhibition Agro Vision 2025 in Filiatra, Messinia. The Agro Vision exhibition took place from September 5 to 7, 2025. It is the leading agricultural fair in the Peloponnese, showcasing the full spectrum of agricultural production and agri-technology. Visitors had the opportunity to learn about the project’s goals, its key innovations, and the benefits it brings to the agricultural value chain.

We are pleased to announce the release of our fifth AgriDataValue newsletter, featuring the latest news and updates from the project.

Read the newsletter here.

On Thursday, August 21, 2025, NILEAS organised an informative event was held in Chora Messinia on the topic: “Olive oil contamination: Good practices in the field and the olive oil mill for olive oil”.  

The contamination of olive oil by undesirable substances, such as pesticides, hydrocarbons, plasticizers, etc., is a critical issue that affects the quality of the product, its marketability, as well as the income of producers. An effective solution requires thorough information sharing and close cooperation between producers and olive oil mills. 

George Kokkinos, President of NILEAS, presented AgriDataValue Project. He outlined NILEAS’ three pilot use cases: disease forecasting, anti-frost control, and pest management for olive fruit flies, highlighting how these tools help anticipate risks and support decision-making. He concluded by emphasizing that with pests and diseases causing significant economic damage and losses in olive production, smart farming tools that predict the risk of damage in advance provide reliable information for making relevant management decisions. 

The event was attended by more than 100 participants, including farmers, advisors, and olive-mill owners.