Smart data for sustainable agriculture: less hassle, more green
In supermarkets, consumers are drowning in a sea of sustainability labels. Confusing for them, but also farmers can't see the forest for the trees. Obtaining these labels demands an enormous amount of time and effort. Berent Baris is investigating ways to simplify this process, benefiting both farmers and the environment.
‘We are trying to make farmers’ lives a little easier,' says Baris, a researcher at the CML. The rapid growth in sustainability requirements has placed heavy demands on farmers. They often have to submit the same information multiple times in a slightly different format. As the market’s focus on sustainability grows, it’s crucial that this progress remains manageable. ‘This new project seeks to ease the administrative burden for farmers.’
Streamlining sustainability standards
CML is collaborating with Agriplace, a tech company co-financing the project. Helene van den Dries of Agriplace explains, ‘Agriplace already plays a significant role in reducing the administrative burden and enhancing market opportunities for farmers. Smarter solutions are essential to keep pace with the expanding demands.'
Rapid growth in sustainability requirements demands a lot from farmers
Hans Huijbers, chair of People 4 Earth Foundation, represents farmers in this project. ‘Our ambition is to place farmers at the centre and equip them with tools that genuinely enhance their sustainability practices.’ This approach allows farmers to contribute effectively to addressing major societal issues, such as climate change.
Van den Dries emphasises the importance of CML’s expertise: ‘Leiden University’s knowledge is indispensable for analyzing and harmonizing existing sustainability indicators.’ Huijbers agrees: ‘CML provides the scientific assurance needed to develop a robust solution.’ Baris is exploring this area as part of his PhD research on information systems that use indicators (such as the Agriplace platform where farmers can enter their sustainability information). His research includes mapping existing sustainability indicators and assessing their quality and applicability.
Practice-oriented indicators do not say everything about environmental impact
The project’s long-term vision extends beyond current practice-oriented indicators. For example, using less nitrogen fertilizer may seem more sustainable in theory, but it doesn't fully capture the actual environmental impact. Additional data—such as crop yields, soil water depth, and soil saturation—are needed to create performance-based indicators. ‘By aligning local targets via these indicators with what we’re truly aiming for—biodiversity and environmental quality—we can make a real impact,’ says Baris.
Research that has a direct impact on the agriculture sector
In the long run, the project aims to contribute to the standardisation of a comprehensive set of performance-based indicators for farm-level sustainability. While ambitious, this goal is attainable given the ongoing advancements in agriculture and digitalisation, Baris notes. ‘When you consider the sector's development, these objectives are within reach.’ The partnership with Agriplace is vital to achieving this vision. ‘It’s exciting to be part of a project where our research will directly impact and drive meaningful change within the industry.’
‘Farmers are the solution, not the problem’
And what about consumers? Will they notice any of this? Van den Dries is optimistic. Although there’s still a long way to go, claims about sustainable and “better” products are becoming more trackable and reliable. For instance, standards are evolving to be more data-driven, which can help verify a product’s impact.' Agriplace enables farmers to collect data once and then respond to multiple standards. We need to change our perspective, Huijbers concludes. ‘Farmers are the solution and not the problem.’ This project helps make that slogan a reality.
About the project and obtained grant REACT EU
This project is a collaboration between Leiden University, the People 4 Earth Foundation, Agriplace, Nedato, ZLTO, GreenYard and Nature's Pride, aiming to make agricultural chains for outdoor crops more sustainable. The People 4 Earth Foundation received a grant of €691,000 from the Kansen voor West III - REACT EU programme for this initiative.
Read more about the grant and the collaboration here.
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