How does the exchange of knowledge and experience work in agriculture? And how can we promote it? With AKIS—the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System!
Ultimately, the transformation and advancement of European agriculture can only succeed if knowledge, innovation, and cooperation go hand in hand. AKIS brings together all stakeholders who generate, share, and apply knowledge in agriculture. These include farmers, advisory services, research institutions, companies, educational institutions, government agencies, and policymakers. The goal is to promote the exchange of knowledge, accelerate the translation of innovations into practice, and jointly develop solutions to challenges such as climate change, resource efficiency, and digitalization.
A good example of AKIS in practice is the development of digital decision-making tools: Using satellite data and weather information, a farmer receives early warnings of drought stress in his crops. The underlying method was developed jointly by researchers, advisory organizations, and farms and tested in the field. The findings, in turn, are incorporated into the further development of the application. The European partnership project “Agriculture of Data” (AgData) promotes the use of Earth observation, environmental, and agricultural data—as well as modern data technologies, including artificial intelligence—to develop data-driven solutions for sustainable agriculture. At the same time, the project brings together researchers, funding bodies, policymakers, advisory services, and practitioners, thereby creating the conditions for effective knowledge and innovation transfer across Europe. Through its transnational research projects, national use cases, and active stakeholder engagement, AgData strengthens the exchange between the various AKIS actors. This leads to the creation of practical digital solutions and the continued development of AKIS. If you like to learn more, click here to read about AKIS, and here to learn about EIP-AGRI, and you also may like to have a look into the EU-FarmBook, which is providing easy access to research knowledge.