The future of agriculture is digital
Digitalization has set a comprehensive transformation in motion, and Austrian female and male farmers are also strongly affected by this fundamental and rapid change. Agriculture Minister Norbert Totschnig and State Secretary Florian Tursky presented the Digital Action Plan Smart Farming today in Vienna.
Digital technologies create advantages and opportunities and provide suitable answers to current challenges such as climate change, labor shortages, legal requirements, or consumer demands.
As part of the Digital Action Plan Austria, an implementation strategy for digitalization in agriculture has now been developed together with the Federal Ministry of Finance.
With the digital action plan, the right measures are being taken in the key fields of action.
The government program 2020–2024 “Out of responsibility for Austria.” provides for the development and implementation of a digitalization strategy in agriculture in line with the objectives of the CAP strategy.
“Last year, we developed a strategic foresight on digitalization in Austrian agriculture and analyzed the potential for success of digitalization in agriculture in order to be best positioned for the future,” explained Totschnig.
In an extensive process, nearly 100 experts from 51 organizations developed more than 30 proposed measures in 8 fields of action (administration, funding, research and development, innovation, communication, education, further training and advisory services, infrastructure), with the aim of advancing digitalization in agriculture.
The focus of future activities lies on
- raising awareness and building understanding of the topic of “digitalization,”
- building digital skills,
- improving access to data and increasing data use,
- reducing administrative burden,
- creating incentives through targeted support of digital technologies and services,
- promoting research and development to create innovation
Competence Center for Digital Agriculture
The framework for better networking is to be established through the creation of a Competence Center for Digital Agriculture in Wieselburg.
Overall, innovations, products, and services will emerge that create real added value for Austrian farmers and society and sustainably strengthen and secure Austria as a business location.
“Successful digital transformation means more value creation, more jobs, and a higher quality of life for everyone,” said State Secretary Tursky.