Issues and needs
FARMWISE is a European project for transforming the European agricultural sector. The project involves 18 beneficiaries and 2 affiliated partners from 13 countries. This multidisciplinary project, funded by the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (GAP-101135533), brings together experts in water management, agriculture, climate, sensors, Earth observation, data and AI, with the aim of developing sustainable solutions to the challenges of water management and climate change.
The FARMWISE project aims to bridge the gap between science and agriculture by providing sustainable solutions that can be integrated into everyday farming practices. It works with academic and regulatory institutions to improve water quality and soil health across Europe, in line with European environmental policies. The project focuses on promoting collaboration through multi-stakeholder groups.
It also develops scenarios to predict the impact of climate change and management practices on water availability and quality by 2030, 2050 and 2100, using interactive maps.
FARMWISE evaluates innovative solutions by analysing their technical, theoretical and functional aspects under a variety of conditions, while expanding data sets to ensure scalability. It is also creating agricultural risk assessment strategies and setting up precision irrigation systems to cope with extreme weather events. Finally, the project uses AI to develop a decision support tool for managing water and nutrient resources across Europe, integrating machine learning with physics-based models for better environmental management.
Expected results
The FARMWISE project consists of five main tasks, each with specific objectives, regarding sustainable agriculture and environmental protection.
- Develop collaboration between stakeholders to meet agricultural challenges and promote supportive public policies at regional and European levels. The aim of this task is to jointly make policy recommendations relating to water management, resilience in the face of extreme weather conditions and habitat protection, as well as to establish a "training the trainers" programme to strengthen capacity in sustainable practices.
- Develop scenarios to predict the impact of possible management practices on water availability and quality by 2030, 2050 and 2100. This includes creating interactive maps and assessing the effects of climate change on water resources to guide future environmental strategies.
- Evaluate innovations in agriculture, analysing their theoretical, technical and functional aspects through tests and case studies. The aim is to expand the data sets and assess the scalability of these innovations under future EU climate scenarios.
- Develop agricultural assessment, risk management, mitigation and adaptation strategies, with a focus on incorporating solutions to manage the impacts of extreme weather events. This includes the introduction of precision irrigation and drainage systems to reduce the effects of drought and run-off, with the aim of reducing nutrient and pesticide pollution.
- Use AI to create a decision-support system for managing water quality and quantity across the EU. This involves integrating physics-based models with machine learning to develop water and nutrient management strategies, offering scenario-based options for mitigating environmental impacts.
BRGM’s role
BRGM is a secondary participant in the FARMWISE project, and contributes its expertise mainly within a task concerning data (WP2). As the French geological survey, BRGM will provide essential geological, hydrological and environmental data to help achieve the project's goals. It will also draw on its experience in database management to ensure that project data is structured, managed, stored and shared efficiently.
As part of WP2, BRGM will also work on developing scenarios to predict the impact of climate change and management alternatives on water availability and quality by 2030, 2050 and 2100. It will draw on data and information obtained through the FAIRWAY project and other previous initiatives.
Partners
- ULUND (Lund University; Sweden)
- WU (Wageningen University; The Netherlands)
- UOULU (Oulun Yliopisto; Finland)
- UPW (Universytet Przyrodniczy we Wrocławiu; Poland)
- UPV (Universitat Politecnica de Valencia; Spain)
- H-DA (Hochschule Darmstadt (University of Applied Sciences H-DA); Germany)
- UNIBO (Alma Mater Studiorum - Universita Di Bologna; Italy)
- BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres; France)
- CER (Consorzio di Bonifica di Secondo Grado Per Il Canale Emiliano Romagnolo Canale Giandotti; Italy)
- CSIC (Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas; Spain)
- GN (Gårdstånga Nygard AB; Sweden)
- AA (AmoreAqua AB; Sweden)
- AGRICOLUS (AGRICOLUS S.R.L.; Italy)
- SITES (Sustainable Innovation Technology Services Limited; Ireland)
- NSC ISSAR (National Scientific Center Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research Named After O.N. Sokolovsky; Ukraine)
- AGRODIT (IO-dit AB; Sweden)
- CBT (Cobet Tratamientos del Agua S.L.; Spain)
- NTC (Nutricontrol S.L.; Spain)
- UNINE (University of Neuchâtel; Switzerland)
- UEA (University of East Anglia; United Kingdom)
