Provided by Wikifarmer
The Challenges Facing the Agricultural Industry
In recent years, agricultural production has encountered significant problems that have negatively affected the agri-food chains, such as the rapid increase in the prices of agricultural products. These problems include climate change, adherence to traditional and unsustainable farming methods, and a need for more modern knowledge. Even though farmers produce the most valuable part, they usually receive the most negligible value from the food supply chain.
According to research indicating modern farming methods, approximately 1.9 to 2.2 billion farmers still insist on traditional production methods. However, the past few years there is a strong desire for change, especially under the pressure of climate change. This is also confirmed by a Wikifarmer study, in which over 20% of participating farmers worldwide highlighted that the lack of relevant knowledge is the key (and the element they lack) for mitigating the effects of climate change and adopting sustainable practices.
The need for transparency and education in the agri-food sector is also evident at the business level to promote sustainable practices, food safety, and modern production methods. Companies operating in food production, catering, and trade can guide their employees in education and apply knowledge across the entire spectrum of their operations, from the factory to the packaging and transportation of food.
The Need for Modernization: The Wikifarmer Academy
To address these issues and the need for modernization, Wikifarmer has created the Wikifarmer Academy, with a great variety of useful courses in 4 languages, to deal with the most critical issues related to applying traditional production and marketing practices. Ilias Sousis, co-founder and CEO of Wikifarmer, confirming the necessity for modernization and digitalization of the agricultural sector, said: “Since the founding of Wikifarmer, we have collaborated daily with a multitude of producers from around the world and with large or small to medium-sized enterprises, and the need for modernization is evident. Many stages of the food production and marketing chain rely on techniques and methods that were effective many years ago.”
Through Wikifarmer Academy courses, the components of the agri-food chains can maximize their operations’ productivity and enhance their business activities. Consequently, higher profitability in the agricultural sector leads to more investments in production capabilities, increased employment, and more sustainable agriculture. It aims to help farmers, agronomists, professionals, and students upgrade their skills and deepen their knowledge through online courses to promote sustainable development in the agri-food chains.
The courses focus on agricultural production topics and answer the need for sustainability while introducing transparency in the agri-food chain with knowledge related to marketing agricultural products and more efficient entrepreneurship.
The Wikifarmer Agricultural Academy is the latest addition to Wikifarmer. It aims to empower farmers and industry entrepreneurs and reshape the agri-food sector through education. Specifically, users can find specialized courses with high-quality and fully up-to-date content on sustainable production practices written by leading scientists and agronomists.
Reshaping of Agricultural Sector
Petros Sagos, Chief Content Officer of Wikifarmer, observed a gap between theory and practice in the sector, and he said: “The idea of Wikifarmer stemmed from a significant gap I noticed between what universities produce and teach and what farmers can understand and implement in reality.” Specifically, research has been conducted in the last few years on alternative, sustainable cultivation and production practices that can contribute to the sector’s development. On the contrary, production, sales, and harvesting methods still need to be approached with outdated methods.
This need for applicable knowledge is reflected in the fact that, after only a few months of operation, the Wikifarmer Academy has already developed a range of courses available on the website, which experts in agriculture author. Currently, the courses are available in English, Greek, Spanish, and French.
Contact person: Persa Sakellaridi
persa@wikifarmer.com / academy@wikifarmer.com
+30 6955192779
Image: Ai Generated Growth Seedling royalty-free stock illustration. Credit: Chil Vera / Pixabay
