TY - JOUR
T1 - Geospatial Framework for Assessing the Suitability and Demand for Agricultural Digital Solutions in Europe
T2 - A Tool for Informed Decision-Making
AU - Chalazas, Theodoros
AU - Koukourikos, Antonis
AU - Bauwens, Jan
AU - Berkvens, Nick
AU - Van Beek, Jonathan
AU - Kalatzis, Nikos
AU - Papadopoulos, George
AU - Ilias, Panagiotis
AU - Marianos, Nikolaos
AU - Brewster, Christopher
PY - 2025/4/25
Y1 - 2025/4/25
N2 - This study introduces a geospatial comprehensive methodological system aimed at evaluating the suitability and need for agricultural digital solutions (ADSs) across Europe. This system integrates a diverse range of factors, including geophysical characteristics, climate patterns, and socioeconomic conditions, evaluated at regional- and farm-specific levels. By leveraging open-source Earth observations and socioeconomic data, we develop multiple performance, environmental, and socioeconomic similarity indexes that compare regions based on shared characteristics, such as soil quality, climate, and socioeconomic factors. Using advanced statistical and multi-criteria analysis tools, these indexes are tailored to different stages of agricultural production, enabling region-specific assessments that identify and prioritize the needs for digital solutions across Europe. The results indicate that the developed indexes effectively categorize regions based on comparable characteristics, facilitating the targeted recommendation of ADSs. Additionally, a connectivity performance index is created to assess the local deployment model of agricultural digital solutions (cloud, edge, or mixed), ensuring that the recommendations for technological implementation are feasible and effective given the local connectivity conditions.
AB - This study introduces a geospatial comprehensive methodological system aimed at evaluating the suitability and need for agricultural digital solutions (ADSs) across Europe. This system integrates a diverse range of factors, including geophysical characteristics, climate patterns, and socioeconomic conditions, evaluated at regional- and farm-specific levels. By leveraging open-source Earth observations and socioeconomic data, we develop multiple performance, environmental, and socioeconomic similarity indexes that compare regions based on shared characteristics, such as soil quality, climate, and socioeconomic factors. Using advanced statistical and multi-criteria analysis tools, these indexes are tailored to different stages of agricultural production, enabling region-specific assessments that identify and prioritize the needs for digital solutions across Europe. The results indicate that the developed indexes effectively categorize regions based on comparable characteristics, facilitating the targeted recommendation of ADSs. Additionally, a connectivity performance index is created to assess the local deployment model of agricultural digital solutions (cloud, edge, or mixed), ensuring that the recommendations for technological implementation are feasible and effective given the local connectivity conditions.
KW - agricultural digital solutions (ADSs)
KW - geospatial analysis
KW - earth observation
KW - multi-criteria decision-making
KW - sustainable agriculture
KW - SOIL
KW - DATASET
KW - MODELS
U2 - 10.3390/ijgi14050185
DO - 10.3390/ijgi14050185
M3 - Article
VL - 14
JO - ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information
JF - ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information
IS - 5
M1 - 185
ER -