COVID-19 has forced many young EU farmers to find new ways to trade their products and has forced customers to find new ways to acquire them. The main challenge new generations of farmers must overcome is climate change and smart cutting-edge technology can play a crucial role in making agriculture more sustainable. In SmartAgriHubs, connections between farmers, SMEs and entrepreneurs have been established, with Digital Innovation Hubs at the heart of the communities. Since digitalisation and precision farming will have a strong role in the CAP reform, this event is an interesting opportunity to know how these may have a positive impact on young farming.

Programme & speakers

In this online event, SmartAgriHubs with the support of CEJA, MIJARC and RUMRA & Smart Villages will organise a high-level event. The event will have an online format to facilitate the attendance to the sessions and it will be chaired by the MEPs Jérémy Decerle and Bert-Jan Ruissen.

There will be joined by :

• Doris Marquardt, Programme officer at DG AGRI – European Commission
• Diana Lenzi, President of CEJA
• Dr. Heidi Cigan, DG CONNECT – European Commission
• Guillaume Joyau, Task officer – FNSEA (French National Federation of farmers)
• Alice Hodges, farmer and social media “Farm-influencer” 
• Cristian Bratu, farmer and member of a SAH Digital Innovation Hub
• Ioan Dragos Tudorache, Member of the European Parliament  
• Adeline Zhiyanski, Vice-President of MIJARC Europe ( International Movement of Catholic Agricultural and Rural Youth)

The meeting will highlight how smart solutions, new technologies, Digital Innovation Hubs and social networks are having a beneficial effect on young farmers and their practices. The meeting will convey important speakers from the agri-food sector alongside representatives from the EU institutions.

The event will be split into three sessions, each on a different topic but all dealing with the EU’s smart agriculture advancements and young farming.

Session 1: Challenges encountered by young farmers

Session 2: How Digital Innovation Hubs can help to overcome present obstacles of agriculture

Session 3: New tools to communicate and disseminate for farmers, along with career advice for the agri-tech sector

During the coffee break, the event will exhibit video testimonials and presentations to get to know the actual technologies used in SmartAgriHubs. The event promises not only to be a great insight into the SmartAgriHubs project but will have a loud voice in the discussion on the role of smart agriculture in the generational renewal of the rural sector.

Registration is free of costs but spots are limited. Join us on 25^th October 2021 from 09.30 to 12.00 CET. Click here to register.