In the framework of the European Innovation Association for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI, in English, AEI-AGRI, in Spanish), MAPAMA has decided to launch a focus group on digitization and big data in the agri-food and forestry sector and in rural areas.

As recent studies and reports show, the future of the economy in general is linked to digitalization, and the challenges of the rural environment and the agri-food and forestry sector must be addressed from the perspective of a digital transformation if we wish them to continue being, respectively, a living and populated environment and a competitive and sustainable sector economically, socially and environmentally.

In the case of agricultural and agri-food activity, the use of technology is essential to maximize crop yields and the use of resources, increasing productivity and generating an activity that is more respectful to the environment and adapted to climate change . Likewise, the development of a true 4.0 food industry that interacts with the consumer and offers attractive products and services is essential to continue being leaders in marketing and export, generating wealth, employment and value-added.