On March 18, 2025, PATH2DEA hosted the first webinar of its Series in collaboration with two projects of the PATH2DEA Digital Agroecology Cluster, namely Reforest and D4AgEcol.
The event had over 100 attendees, from Europe and beyond, and featured presentations from the EU Commission, DG AGRI and representatives from the projects mentioned above, followed by an interesting debate with the audience.
The webinar was a great example on how the partnership between various projects within the PATH2DEA Digital Agroecology Cluster provides a model for achieving greater synergies and value in agricultural sustainability.
Key Insights from the Presentations
The event was moderated by Francesca Bellino, Policy Officer at FiBL Europe and responsible for the coordination of the PATH2DEA Digital Agroecology Cluster.
Mr. Miguel Fernández, from DG AGRI, gave the audience an overview on the latest EU Vision of Agriculture and Food, focusing on the role of digitalization in agriculture. He gave clear example of the current existing mechanisms that support the uptake of digital tools but also illustrated the future plans of the Commission through the implementation of the EU Digital Strategy for Agriculture, which will be published later this year.
Martin Lukac, ReForest's coordinator, presented how digital platforms are unlocking investment opportunities in agroforestry. He showcased DeepRoots, a platform designed to connect landowners with investors, enabling new financial mechanisms for agroforestry expansion. He also stressed that while public funding exists, blended finance models are essential to achieving large-scale agroforestry adoption.
Evangelos Anastasiou, from the University of Athens, working in the D4AgEcol project, introduced the D4AgEcol Platform. This platform provides information on various digital tools and technologies that contribute to agroecology, a key resource for data collection, knowledge exchange, and farmer decision support.
Tom Van Nieuwenhove, from Inagro and Iride Volpi from AEDIT, working in the Path2Dea project, showcased technological tools compatible with agroecological practices, presenting practical examples from Belgium and Italy where digital innovations are helping farmers implement sustainable farming methods.
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