On February 25th, our partner, Politecnico di Milano hosted the final conference of its Smart AgriFood Observatory, titled “Smart agrifood: segnali di ripresa, tra vecchie sfide e nuove opportunità”. The event, conducted entirely in Italian, brought together over 450 participants, including industry experts, trade associations, and technology providers.
During the conference, our GreenFit Project was highlighted alongside other leading European initiatives, showcasing the innovative work we are contributing to the future of sustainable agriculture.
The annual conference emphasizes the latest research from the Smart Agrifood Observatory. Key takeaways included:
Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
AI is rapidly emerging as a cornerstone of smart agrifood solutions, with 30% of startups already leveraging AI. In Italy, 80% of agri-tech providers plan to integrate AI, and AI-enabled Agriculture 4.0 solutions are projected to rise from 5% in 2021 to 35% by 2025.
Ongoing Challenges
Farmers still face barriers such as interoperability (33%) and skills gaps (31%). Moreover, 51% of farmers currently not using digital solutions do not plan to adopt them in the next three years.
Positive Trends
Digital solutions are increasingly extending beyond field operations into management (52%) and planning (49%). Notably, the abandonment rate after first use remains very low at just 2%, signaling strong adoption and utility.
The conference underscores how digital technologies, particularly AI, are transforming agriculture, paving the way for more efficient, data-driven, and sustainable practices, areas where GreenFit continues to make an impact.