Techcoach: Connecting Operational Groups Across Borders to Enhance Farmers’ Ability to Assess, Adopt, and Integrate Smart Crop Farming Technologies

Programme(s): HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment 

Topic(s): HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-01-8 - Broaden EIP Operational Group outcomes across borders by means of thematic networks to compile and share knowledge ready for practice

Call for proposal: HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE-01

Funding Scheme: HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions

Grant agreement ID: 101182908

Objective:

Smart Crop Farming technologies allow farmers to optimize inputs and tailor cultivation practices to specific crop requirements. Despite the potential of these technologies to enhance agriculture, their adoption remains surprisingly low in Europe. Well-organized, farmer-focused, multi-actor advisory systems and networks can play a crucial role for farmers to understand and implement Smart Crop Farming technologies. These advisory systems involve multiple stakeholders and prioritize farmers' needs, while enabling knowledge exchange among diverse players. Operational Groups (OGs) provide a strong platform for this, but many lack the required capabilities.
TechCoach's main objective is to strengthen farmers’ ability to assess, adopt, and integrate Smart Crop Farming technologies at the farm level, by facilitating collaborative innovation and multi-actor advisory in Operational Groups and AKIS. This will be achieved through the mobilization of OG’s and AKIS actors, as well as the utilization of existing and new thematic networks and Multi-Actor Approach projects, to gather and disseminate knowledge and experience for application in local contexts across Europe.
TechCoach will serve a dual purpose: (1) strengthening the results of Operational Groups, and (2) accelerating these results through networks at the national and EU level. The approach includes 3 levels of interventions. Firstly, we learn how EIP Operational Groups facilitate their members in the adoption of Smart Farming technologies. Good practices are described, and gaps are identified. At the start of the project, TechCoach will work with 10 OG’s in 5 countries. Secondly, we connect project OGs, other OGs and AKIS actors in national networks to share knowledge and experience on the theme of facilitating Smart Crop Farming adoption and to narrow the identified gaps. And thirdly, we connect OGs and national networks across borders and enhance pan-European learning and collaboration in Smart Crop Farming.