E-AGRI PROJECT - DURATION: 2011-2014/ FP7, EU COLLABORATIVE PROJECT (SICA)

THE BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
The innovative application of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the rural domain, with a primary focus on agriculture, is a new paradigm of sustainable development in developing countries, as more than 50 % of population are still living in rural areas. The E-AGRI project aims to support the uptake of European ICT research results by setting up an advanced crop monitoring service in two developing economies, Morocco and China. The activities of capacity building will be carried out in the third country, Kenya, to raise the interest of local stakeholders on European E-Agricultural practices and to pave the way for an eventual technological transfer in the future.

METHODOLOGY
The E-AGRI assess the crop growth monitoring conditions and forecast the crop yields using:
- Agrometeorological modelling (i.e CGMS)
- Indicators derived from remote sensing
It takes also advantage of the approaches based on ground survey and satellite image analysis to estimate the crop acreage in the study areas.
Furthermore, the project entails an important component of knowledge dissemination networking and capacity building. These activities will be implemmented through specific training courses and thematic workshops (first was organised 12-14 October 2011 in Rabat(Morocco) on 'Yield forecasting based on remote sensing')- as well as agricultural bulletins i different countries.

CONSORTIUM: 9 ORGANISATIONS FROM 7 COUNTRIES OR REGIONS

1. VLAAMSINSTITUUT VOOR TECHNOLOGIE AND ONDERZOEK (VITO, BE) - COORDINATOR
2. JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE (MARS UNIT, AGRI4CAST, EU, IT)
3. WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY (SDLO, ALTERRA, NL)
4. UNIVERSITY OF MILAN (IT)
5. INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE (INRA, MO)
6. CHINEES ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (CAAS, CHINA)
7. ANHUI INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMICAL RESEARCH (AIFER, CHINA)
8. JIANGSU ACADEMY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (JAAS, CHINA)
9. DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCE SURVEYS AND REMOTE SENSING (DRSRS, MIN. OF ENV., KENYA)

23 November 2011 - Raffaelo room (ed. 26A)

E-AGRI_progress_meeting_programme.pdf [270.65 kB]