Greece move to smart farming

The Greek government aims to use Copernicus, Europe’s earth-monitoring system, to maximise the potential of smart farming, which will help the country ensure its position in the post-crisis era, Greece’s digital policy minister told EURACTIV.com.
calendar icon 10 November 2017
clock icon 3 minute read

Speaking in Thessaloniki at the “Greek farming growth” event organised by Gaia Epixeirein, a consultancy which brings together farmers, the IT and banking sector, Nikos Pappas pointed out now that the country gets out of the bailout programme, it has to enhance its digital skills in order to turn the page toward fair and sustainable growth.

Pappas, a politician and economist serving as Minister of State, explained that Greek products wouldn’t be competitive in the global market if they continue to be produced the way they are today – a move to smart farming is a progressive step:

Smart farming can create all the necessary conditions to improve production and the product itself as well as create new jobs in several sectors.

We want the technology of tomorrow, today, available for all.

A close ally of Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, Pappas also emphasised the government’s initiative to establish a Space Agency, which will interconnect as a hub with major Greek and international research centres. He also promised that the country would soon have its own micro-satellite system, which will be created exclusively by Greek universities.

By giving farmers access to cutting-edge digital technology, the European Commission’s grand ambition is to make farming more competitive, reduce its environmental impact, cut food prices and better inform consumers about the food they eat.

To read the full story, head to the EURACTIV site

As reported by EURACTIV

Emily Houghton

Editor, The Pig Site

Emily Houghton is a Zoology graduate from Cardiff University and was the editor of The Pig Site from October 2017 to May 2020. Emily has worked in livestock husbandry, and has written, conducted and assisted with research projects regarding the synthesis of welfare and productivity of free-range food species.

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