TIC4BIO Operational Group - Increase the competitiveness of the Andalusian organic agri-food sector through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to optimize work, facilitate decision-making regarding the efficient use of water and improve the biodiversity of farms, in total accordance with the objectives of the European Green Deal

Innovative project that will increase the competitiveness of organic companies (farms and agri-food industries) thanks to the creation of an ICT tool that will facilitate decision-making both for efficient use of irrigation water and water used in agro-industry, and for calculating the degree of biodiversity on the farm and being able to improve it, responding to the environmental and natural resource conservation concerns of the most demanding market.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goals promoted by the United Nations, the European Commission published the European Green Deal in December 2019. The main objective of this Deal is to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, thus placing the environment at the centre of all European policies. As a result of this European Green Deal, two strategies directly linked to this project were published in May 2020. On the one hand, the Farm to Fork Strategy and, on the other, the Biodiversity Strategy. Both share the objective of increasing the useful agricultural area of organic production in the EU by more than 25% by 2030.

Experts say that organic farming is the agriculture of the future, a system of agricultural management and food production that combines the best practices in terms of environment and climate, a high level of biodiversity, the conservation of natural resources and the application of strict standards on animal welfare and production that respond to the demand expressed by a growing number of consumers.
The European Commission has also established that organic production is the sustainable agriculture of the future and, as such, it must lead by example.
On the other hand, the most demanding consumers are increasingly showing their interest in respecting the environment and preserving natural resources. It is well known that today, the loss of biodiversity is one of the most important environmental problems worldwide, and in climates such as the Mediterranean, water scarcity is an increasingly worrying issue.

Organic production establishes in its own standard, as principles, respect for natural systems and cycles and the maintenance and improvement of the state of soil, water and air, the health of plants and animals, and the balance between them, the responsible use of resources such as water and not only the conservation of biodiversity, but also the contribution to a high degree of it.
This innovative project will increase the competitiveness of organic companies (farms and agri-food industries) thanks to the creation of an ICT tool that will facilitate decision-making both for efficient use of irrigation water and water used in agro-industry, and for calculating the degree of biodiversity on the farm and being able to improve it, responding to the environmental and natural resource conservation concerns of the most demanding market.

To this end, the tool will be developed, implemented and fine-tuned in the pilot experience, before being opened for use by interested companies. To ensure optimal management of water and biodiversity resources, it will be based on information captured by local and remote sensors, transmitted and processed by ICTs.