Working together towards sustainability

The EKOAgriTech exhibition-forum on organic crop production technologies took place on July 4, 2023. The science community, policy makers and the public talk a lot about sustainability, but not enough about what concrete actions should be taken to promote organic farming.

The four institutions the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, the Lithuanian Organic Farms Association, The Lithuanian Agricultural Advisory Services and Ekoagros company have come together to organize the The EKOAgriTech exhibition-forum.

“This is a great opportunity to talk to farmers, provide them with on-the-spot information, and showcase equipment for organic farms,” said Daiva Kizerskiene, Marketing Manager of the event’s main sponsor UAV “Dotnuva Baltic”.

Bringing together researcher, farmers, and consultants

The forum-exhibition, which took place at the Akademiaj, Kedainiai dist., provided an opportunity to bring together scientists, consultants, farmers, and all those interested in organic agriculture.

In the geographical heart of Lithuania, the participants were able to see and learn about the latest scientific achievement and technologies. The event featured the newest varieties of cereals, legumes, grass mixtures, as well as innovative technologies such as bacterial inoculation, strip sowing, and agricultural machinery.

The EJP SOIL projects presented new international recommendations, digital monitoring systems, and new digital mapping opportunities to event participants.

“Participants had the opportunity to discuss their concerns about organic farming, soil health, choice of machinery and crop insurance with scientists, consultants, business representatives, and fellow farmers,” says dr. Vita Tilvikiene, the Deputy Director of the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, one of the main event organizers.

EJP SOIL projects presented

During the exhibition, attention was drawn to the EJP Soil program. Researchers from the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry are actively involved in different EJP SOIL projects (TRACESoils, STEROPES, SensRes, CarboSeq, SERENA, MaxRoot, AGROECOseqC, SoilCompaC, EOM4SOIL, MixRootC etc.), which were presented at the event.

Participants had the opportunity to become acquainted with the results of some projects in more detail at the presented poster stands or experiments. Most of these projects are ongoing, and their results will be presented in future events or publications.