The Internet of Food & Farm 2020 (IoF2020) project accelerates the uptake of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the European food and farming sector. The project aims to improve the productivity and sustainability of the European agriculture, and thereby contributes to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To demonstrate the positive impact of IoF2020 on the SDGs, the project consortium participated at the IoT Week in Geneva, from 6 to 9 June 2017.
IoF2020 at the IoT Week
The IoT Week in Geneva gathered stakeholders from the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), amongst which the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations (UN), to discuss and adopt an “International Declaration on the Internet of Things for Sustainable Development” in support of the 17 UN SDGs.
In support of the declaration and the event, representatives of the IoF2020 consortium gave presentations, addressing how IoF2020 can contribute to the SDGs, in particular Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Climate Action (SDG 13) and Life on Land (SDG 15). Dr. George Beers from the Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and the IoF2020 Project Manager pointed out the importance of enhanced cooperation throughout the entire agri-food chain to ensure food security and environmental sustainability, and announced an open call for new partners, to be launched in 2018.
Edwin Hecker, Managing Partner at Schuttelaar & Partners and the Communication Leader of the IoF2020 project, emphasized the importance of expanding the IoF2020 ecosystem beyond the agri-food sector: “To enhance the sustainable impact of IoT technologies on food and agriculture production, we need a broad social consensus. Therefore, IoF2020 aims to engage closely with its stakeholders, including consumers and policy-makers, and communicate clearly about the benefits of IoT technologies at the early stage”.
New IoF2020 website
At the occasion of the IoT Week in Geneva, IoF2020 launched a new website, enlightening web visitors about what IoF2020 stands for and how it aims to achieve the large-scale uptake of IoTs in the food and farming sector. The new website is user friendly and offers an overview of 5 project trials and 19 use-cases. This includes an interactive map of use-cases, blog articles and an up-to-date news & events section.
More in-depth information about the ongoing project developments and video interviews with the IoF2020 partners are also available in the first IoF2020 online newsletter, published in June 2017.
NOTE TO EDITORS
What is IoF2020?
IoF2020 fosters the large-scale uptake of IoT technologies in the European food and farming sector. With €30-million co-funded by the EU, the project has the potential to drastically improve the sustainability and productivity of the European farming and food sector, while demonstrating the added value of smart webs of the connected objects in 19 use cases, covering 5 trials (e.g. arable crop, dairy, meat, vegetables and fruits) throughout Europe. More information can be found on www.iof2020.eu.
Contacts
Project coordination
Dr. George Beers
Wageningen University & Research
Wageningen, The Netherlands
+31 70 335 8337
george.beers@wur.nl
Project communication
M.Sc. Edwin Hecker
Schuttelaar & Partners
Brussels, Belgium
+32 2 502 2008
edwin.hecker@schuttelaar-partners.com
