Good Practice - Project
Improving farmers’ digital skills
A CAP funded capacity building project to improve farmers’ commercial digital skills.
General information
RDP Priority
- P1. Knowledge transfer and innovation
RDP Focus Area
- 1A: Innovation & cooperation
RDP Measure
- M01: Knowledge transfer & information actions
Summary
A growing need to improve digital skills, particularly amongst older farmers, was observed in Finland and this project helped farming businesses become more digitised, smart, efficient and profitable. With the goal of shifting ordinary farming ‘business as usual’ towards ‘Smart Farming’, this project offered straightforward, tailor-made training through a programme of ‘info-events’, training workshops, field visits and online learning resources to farmers in the South-West of Finland, in the Varsinais-Suomi and Satakunta regions.
Results
14 info-events.
37 farms participated in the training programme.
Two study trips have taken place.
A series of online training materials.
Promoter
ProAgria Länsi-Suomi
Funding
Total budget 188 706.00 (EUR)
EAFRD 63 405.00 (EUR)
National/Regional 87 560.00 (EUR)
Private 37 741.00 (EUR)
Ressourcen
Documents
Improving farmers’ digital skills
(PDF – 2.85 MB)
Context
As the number of medium-sized farms has steadily increased, so too has the need for digital assistance, robotisation, and ‘smart’ data-driven decision making.
ProAgria - the biggest national network of farm advisory services in Finland - noticed a need to improve digital skills and the use of farm management tools, so they designed a project that would help make farming businesses more efficient and profitable. With the goal of shifting ordinary farming ‘business as usual’ towards ‘Smart Farming’, the project also supported farmers in reducing their environmental impact by taking a data-driven approach to fertilising crops.
The average age of farmers in Finland is high, and many of them are at risk of digital marginalisation. It is therefore necessary to offer them straightforward, tailor-made training through the existing farmer and advisory networks that they know and trust.
Objectives
The project aimed to enhance ‘big data’ use in agriculture by improving the ability of farmers to access, contribute to, and benefit from this information source for sustaining their businesses.
Activities
A specific focus was on software and data management. Farmers already collect information, so digital devices, once they know how to use them, could easily help them collect and access even more data that will support their work.
The project activities included a programme of 50 information events and training workshops targeting farmers in the South-West of Finland, on the regions Varsinais-Suomi and Satakunta.
Based on the specific needs and requirements that farmers put forward at the ‘info-events’, smaller-group workshops and field visits were organised in response to specific themes, where participants could learn from their peers, as well as visiting experts.
The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the rollout of the events programme, so the project delivery schedule was extended until the end of year 2023.
Main results
14 ‘info-events’ were organised.
37 farms participated in the training programme, from which two study trips have taken place so far (with more planned).
The project has also produced a series of online training materials and several thematic farmers groups have been formed.
Key lessons
The COVID-19 pandemic showed that the project organisers could deliver more online training sessions (webinars) than had originally been planned. Face-to-face and on-site meetings and study visits also took place after the pandemic restrictions reduced.
Both on-line and off-line networking help knowledge sharing and relationships building between peers and support services.