Periodic Reporting for period 2 - INNOSETA (Accelerating Innovative practices for Spraying Equipment, Training and Advising in European agriculture through the mobilization of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems)
Reporting period: 2019-11-01 to 2021-10-31
The adoption of new technologies and agriculture digitalization are priority objectives, and key element for the accomplishment of new challenges included in the European Green Deal, the recently launched European Farm to Fork Strategy and the new CAP. The list of relevant R&D projects funded by the EC, national or local authorities, is indeed remarkable, allowing to generate a large list of stimulating devices, products, new concepts and practical tools to help farmers in their daily work. However, the degree of adoption of these new technologies is rather poor and heterogeneous among EU MS and related to specific types of farmers.
However, even considering the large list of available tools (new technical solutions, training materials, extensive online resources to improve knowledge) there is still a big gap between research, academia, and developing sectors on the one hand, and the majority of daily practices on the other. There is important room for improvement in the dissemination and communication of the large and important list of materials that are already available.
Appropriate and effective training to foster new knowledge and skills are key factors to accomplish the adoption of new legislation and technologies/ practices. Consequently, measures need to be taken to improve the educational level of all involved stakeholders. Achieving new competencies will lead to an improvement of the adoption of new technologies, and the thorough understanding of the EU legislation, which, in turn, will ensure a holistic and sustainable way of action.
The main objective of INNOSETA is to set up an Innovative self-sustainable Thematic Network on Spraying Equipment, Training and Advising to contribute in closing the gap between the available novel high-end crop protection solutions either commercial or from applicable research results with the everyday European agricultural practices. In this regard INNOSETA aims at promoting the effective exchange of novel ideas and information between research, industry, extension and the farming community so that existing research and commercial solutions can be widely communicated, while capturing grassroots level needs and innovative ideas from the farming community.
The main goal of the INNOSETA project was to develop a universal, easy-to-use, and free accessible platform where users could find and take advantage of all these new developments, training materials, ongoing projects, and industrial solutions that are ready to be used and directly implemented in their daily work, in their own language, and at their educational level. It has been found that, in most cases, these materials are not very well known and do not reach their final target. By using the developed platform, the users, whatever their language, educational level, or needs, will be able to find a large and precise body of information regarding the use of PPP.
However, even considering the large list of available tools (new technical solutions, training materials, extensive online resources to improve knowledge) there is still a big gap between research, academia, and developing sectors on the one hand, and the majority of daily practices on the other. There is important room for improvement in the dissemination and communication of the large and important list of materials that are already available.
Appropriate and effective training to foster new knowledge and skills are key factors to accomplish the adoption of new legislation and technologies/ practices. Consequently, measures need to be taken to improve the educational level of all involved stakeholders. Achieving new competencies will lead to an improvement of the adoption of new technologies, and the thorough understanding of the EU legislation, which, in turn, will ensure a holistic and sustainable way of action.
The main objective of INNOSETA is to set up an Innovative self-sustainable Thematic Network on Spraying Equipment, Training and Advising to contribute in closing the gap between the available novel high-end crop protection solutions either commercial or from applicable research results with the everyday European agricultural practices. In this regard INNOSETA aims at promoting the effective exchange of novel ideas and information between research, industry, extension and the farming community so that existing research and commercial solutions can be widely communicated, while capturing grassroots level needs and innovative ideas from the farming community.
The main goal of the INNOSETA project was to develop a universal, easy-to-use, and free accessible platform where users could find and take advantage of all these new developments, training materials, ongoing projects, and industrial solutions that are ready to be used and directly implemented in their daily work, in their own language, and at their educational level. It has been found that, in most cases, these materials are not very well known and do not reach their final target. By using the developed platform, the users, whatever their language, educational level, or needs, will be able to find a large and precise body of information regarding the use of PPP.
Objectives achieved:
• Identification of the main problems affecting users related to crop protection activities and their level of adoption of new technologies.
• Identification of the main reasons for not adopting the latest technologies and developments that are already available.
• Search and classification of a large list of already available SETAs (Spray Equipment, Training and Advising material).
• Development of the INNOSETA platform, which has already been implemented with an important database of materials.
• Create an international network in collaboration with other close EU projects focused in the crop protection topic
• Develop a practical and useful policy recommendation’s guide trying to help authorities in the development of actions aiming to improve the crop protection process, totally aligned with requirements established in the Farm to Fork Strategy.
Main achievements:
• Practical data obtained after a wide survey to identify the main concerns, problems, and needs of users in the different countries.
• Intense collection, evaluation, and classification of already available SETAs. More than 1200 SETAs were identified, evaluated, and classified.
• Design, development, and implementation of the INNOSETA platform where all the classified and selected SETAs have been properly uploaded.
• Design and organization of different regional workshops where representatives of stakeholders from different sectors have the opportunity to experience the platform, giving intense and important feedback about its utility, possible improvements, gaps, and other useful information.
• Important development of international networking. During the first part of the project a large networking activity has already been developed. INNOSETA has been in contact with a large list of other similar and/or collateral projects, including those for the EU, with a national or local scope. Collaborations have been already established with other EU projects.
• INNOSETA project and INNOSETA platform have been included as training activity in the BTSF (Better Training for Safer Food) course on PAE – Pesticide Application Equipment. This course has been already followed by more than 400 attendants representing EU Member States responsible of the implementation of the mandatory program of inspection of sprayers in use.
• Identification of the main problems affecting users related to crop protection activities and their level of adoption of new technologies.
• Identification of the main reasons for not adopting the latest technologies and developments that are already available.
• Search and classification of a large list of already available SETAs (Spray Equipment, Training and Advising material).
• Development of the INNOSETA platform, which has already been implemented with an important database of materials.
• Create an international network in collaboration with other close EU projects focused in the crop protection topic
• Develop a practical and useful policy recommendation’s guide trying to help authorities in the development of actions aiming to improve the crop protection process, totally aligned with requirements established in the Farm to Fork Strategy.
Main achievements:
• Practical data obtained after a wide survey to identify the main concerns, problems, and needs of users in the different countries.
• Intense collection, evaluation, and classification of already available SETAs. More than 1200 SETAs were identified, evaluated, and classified.
• Design, development, and implementation of the INNOSETA platform where all the classified and selected SETAs have been properly uploaded.
• Design and organization of different regional workshops where representatives of stakeholders from different sectors have the opportunity to experience the platform, giving intense and important feedback about its utility, possible improvements, gaps, and other useful information.
• Important development of international networking. During the first part of the project a large networking activity has already been developed. INNOSETA has been in contact with a large list of other similar and/or collateral projects, including those for the EU, with a national or local scope. Collaborations have been already established with other EU projects.
• INNOSETA project and INNOSETA platform have been included as training activity in the BTSF (Better Training for Safer Food) course on PAE – Pesticide Application Equipment. This course has been already followed by more than 400 attendants representing EU Member States responsible of the implementation of the mandatory program of inspection of sprayers in use.
The INNOSETA project has an important impact on society in general. In most cases, there is a lack of knowledge about the use of PPP in agriculture. The development of INNOSETA enables the communication to society of the importance of the already available efforts, developments, and new technologies that aim to accomplish the general objective of a safer and more sustainable food production. These tools also demonstrated the need for a rational use of PPP to guarantee enough food production to feed the global population. The use and implementation of all the tools already collected, classified, and uploaded onto the INNOSETA platform will allow for the fulfilment of an accurate, safe, and environmentally accurate process.
INNOSETA contributes to improve the adoption of new technologies, helping end users to discover and use materials already available, but in most cases difficult to find. INNOSETA offers a large data base of available materials (SETAs) linked to crop protection activities. The project platform promotes developments and tools from other public and private financed projects (most of them EU projects), organized and placed in a logical way, easy to be used. INNOSETA long-term impact relates with the development of a free and public “PPP application database” where manufacturers, academia, authorities, advisors and final users (farmers) will upload, store and find practical tools for their daily work.
INNOSETA consortium has been working hard in three main aspects: a) continue updating and expanding the database, i.e. enlarging as much as possible the list of available SETAs (right now the platform includes more than 1000 entries); b) promote and disseminate the INNOSETA platform within the EU territory and all around the world. The target exceeds the EU borders, being a good opportunity to influence on third countries’ producers (most of them EU food suppliers) as well; and c) establish a practical and feasible solution to guarantee the sustainability of the platform. The main objective of the latter activity is to avoid letting the results of three years of efforts and an important investment to be just become obsolete.
INNOSETA contributes to improve the adoption of new technologies, helping end users to discover and use materials already available, but in most cases difficult to find. INNOSETA offers a large data base of available materials (SETAs) linked to crop protection activities. The project platform promotes developments and tools from other public and private financed projects (most of them EU projects), organized and placed in a logical way, easy to be used. INNOSETA long-term impact relates with the development of a free and public “PPP application database” where manufacturers, academia, authorities, advisors and final users (farmers) will upload, store and find practical tools for their daily work.
INNOSETA consortium has been working hard in three main aspects: a) continue updating and expanding the database, i.e. enlarging as much as possible the list of available SETAs (right now the platform includes more than 1000 entries); b) promote and disseminate the INNOSETA platform within the EU territory and all around the world. The target exceeds the EU borders, being a good opportunity to influence on third countries’ producers (most of them EU food suppliers) as well; and c) establish a practical and feasible solution to guarantee the sustainability of the platform. The main objective of the latter activity is to avoid letting the results of three years of efforts and an important investment to be just become obsolete.