Introducing 4Growth: supporting digital and data-driven solutions in agriculture and forestry.
Understanding the market to forecast future growth.
The agricultural and forestry sectors hold profound importance in the foundation of both the European and global economies. The EU Green Deal, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 all set ambitious targets towards environmental sustainability and economic viability of the sectors in Europe, concerning areas such as reduction of the use of pesticides, increase in organic farming output, and in the promotion of sustainable use of wood-based resources.
Digital technologies and data play a pivotal role in revolutionising the agricultural and forestry sectors, ushering in a new era of efficiency, sustainability, and productivity. Understanding and forecasting the evolution of digital and data markets is paramount in navigating the rapidly changing technology landscape.
In today’s interconnected world, where digital platforms help drive commerce, understanding market trends is essential for policymakers, farmers, foresters, and investors to adapt strategies, identify emerging opportunities, and anticipate consumer behaviour. With this in mind, the 4Growth project was launched in January 2024, and a kick-off meeting was held in February in The Netherlands to understand better and predict the digital and data markets within agriculture and forestry.
What will the project do? Gather data and visualise the market.
4Growth aims to understand where, how, and to what extent digital technologies and data are being adopted within the agricultural and forestry sectors. It will do so by collecting a wide range of ground truth data via distributed observatories across Europe and identifying key factors or constraints for uptake. 4Growth will showcase the uptake through the “4Growth Visualisation Platform” which will combine powerful storytelling with advanced visualization of market data. This will contribute to a deeper knowledge of what influences market adoption, which in turn will allow 4Growth to develop robust forecasts to guide policymaking and increase further uptake.
Our role.
Our role involves three main aspects:
We are supporting the foundations: datasets and user stories. Together, we will conduct a detailed analysis of project-generated datasets and user stories to understand insights and requirements. The groundwork will inform the design and development of the visualization platform, ensuring it effectively addresses project objectives.
Design and development of the platform. We will define the digital user experience based on dataset and user story evaluations, ensuring intuitiveness and user-friendliness. Additionally, we will create initial design sketches for key platform components and develop and test front-end and back-end technologies to ensure seamless performance and usability.
Collaboration with partners for iteration. We will collaborate closely with partners and stakeholders throughout the project to incorporate feedback and ensure the platform evolves in line with objectives. This iterative process aims to create a platform that effectively communicates insights, driving impact in the digital agriculture and forestry field.
Who is it for?
The 4Growth Visualisation Platform will be a versatile tool catering to diverse audiences with distinct needs and interests. Policymakers can use its insights to craft informed strategies aligned with initiatives like the EU Green Deal, ensuring alignment with overarching environmental sustainability goals. For farmers, foresters, and investors, the platform will help identify emerging market trends and opportunities, guiding resource allocation and investment decisions. Researchers and academia can leverage its comprehensive market data for in-depth analysis, fueling further exploration and innovation in agriculture and forestry. Stakeholders and the general public will find value in gaining transparent insights into market dynamics and the adoption of digital technologies, fostering a deeper understanding of the sector’s evolution.
The team behind 4Growth.
4Growth brings together a consortium with years of experience in operational and R&D activities committed to understanding and contributing to the uptake of digital agriculture and forestry through a multi-actor approach. Thus, leader in innovation Stichting Wageningen Research (The Netherlands), acting as overall project coordinator and user uptake and market analysis specialists Evenflow (Belgium), acting as project technical manager are joined by LE Europe (Ireland), Future Impacts (Germany), Vizzuality (Spain), Foodscale Hub (Greece) and a group of key agricultural and forestry experts; Geoponiko Panepistimion Athinon (Greece), INTIA (Spain), CTIFL (France), ILVO (Belgium), VTT (Finland), AgriFood Lithuania (Lithuania) and Aristotelio Panepistimio Thessalonikis (Greece). The consortium is specifically designed to understand, measure, forecast and visualise the bigger picture of digital agriculture and forestry, uncovering the fine details of how such solutions can support practitioners in achieving environmental sustainability and economic performance and, finally, guiding decision makers in creating a conducive environment for all of the above.
For further information: https://4growth-project.eu/
Technical Manager, Mr Lefteris Mamais. Email: lefteris@evenflow.eu
Project Coordinator, Dr. George Beers. Email: George.Beers@wur.nl
Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement №101134855.
