Thousands of agricultural systems, one interoperability challenge

At a recent CEI-Sphere webinar “Solving Connected Data Challenges” held on 26 May 2026, experts from iLINK, Marqués de Valdueza, WikiFarmer, and Fraunhofer IESE unpacked how connected data could rewrite the rules of European agriculture. Everyone talks about “data‑driven agriculture,” but on the ground it still looks like paper printouts, siloed apps, and trucks that might be somewhere. Europe is now building a shared agricultural data space and anyone in the food chain who doesn’t plug into it will be left optimising the past.

“Without interoperability, organisations can struggle to achieve end-to-end visibility, traceability, and operational efficiency throughout the whole chain.”

When Systems Don’t Talk, Everyone Loses

Modern farms generate information from multiple sources: sensors monitor field conditions, drones capture images, machinery records operational data, farm management systems analyse performance, logistics providers track shipments, but most of these systems still operate independently. According to Panagiotis Zikos from the COP-PILOT Cluster 3A project, this fragmentation creates problems throughout the agricultural value chain with tangible consequences:

  • Delayed pest detection can lead to crop losses of up to 30%.
  • Chemical use continues to rise while becoming less effective.
  • Supply chain visibility remains limited.
  • Consumers have little insight into how food was produced and transported.

The challenge extends beyond technology: different stakeholders use different systems, standards, and processes and in some cases, critical information still exists only on paper or in spreadsheets. Without a way to connect this information, businesses struggle to gain a complete picture of what is happening across the supply chain.

Turning Data Into Decisions

The COP-PILOT Cluster 3A project is tackling this challenge by connecting technologies that typically operate in isolation.

The project combines:

  • Farm sensors providing real-time field data
  • Drones and robotics for monitoring and pest detection
  • Farm management software for analytics
  • Blockchain-based traceability systems
  • Smart logistics platforms

The objective is to create a continuous flow of information from the farm to the final consumer. This connected approach allows stakeholders to identify issues earlier, respond faster, and coordinate activities more effectively. The project has reduced intervention response times by more than 50%, lowered chemical use by more than 20% through targeted spraying, and reduced transport-related CO₂ emissions by more than 10% through route optimisation.

Logistics: The Weak Link in Data Sharing

Logistics remains one of the most fragmented parts of the agri-food ecosystem. Agricultural products often move through multiple transport modes before reaching their destination and at each stage, information can become disconnected.

Several challenges stand out:

  1. Transport operators frequently use different platforms that cannot exchange information easily
  2. Many organisations still rely on paper records, spreadsheets, and disconnected software systems. Even when data exists, sharing it remains difficult.
  3. The introduction of Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) requirements across Europe is increasing the need for digital freight documentation and information exchange.

Why Traceability Matters

Consumers increasingly want to know where products come from, buyers want visibility into orders, regulators require more detailed information about goods moving through supply chains. Traceability sits at the centre of all three demands, to address this, the COP-PILOT project records key events throughout the supply chain using blockchain technology. The result is a verifiable record of a product’s journey, consumers can access this information through a QR code, allowing them to see how food was produced, handled, and transported before reaching the shelf.

Connecting Data Without Centralising It

According to Bernd Rauch from Fraunhofer, the challenge is enabling existing platforms to exchange information. The approach being developed within the Common European Agricultural Data Space (CEADS) focuses on connecting these systems while allowing organisations to retain control of their own data. Instead of centralising information, the model allows data to remain with its owner, common governance rules for data exchange, direct information sharing between participants. This approach recognises that agriculture does not need fewer systems, it needs systems that can communicate.

A Business Reality Check

Fadrique Álvarez shared the experience of a multi-generational family business in Spain producing olive oil, wine, vinegar, and honey. The company controls production from cultivation through to processing, helping maintain the quality standards required for international markets, technology is becoming increasingly important on the farm.

New plantations allow greater mechanisation, harvesting systems reduce dependence on labour, the company is also beginning to test drones for agricultural treatments, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce operational complexity. The motivation is practical: labour is becoming harder to find, more expensive, and more difficult to manage, technology helps address those challenges.

Managing Complexity at Scale

The challenge becomes even greater when thousands of suppliers are involved. WikiFarmer operates with more than 50,000 verified suppliers across Europe and manages transactions across multiple product categories and international markets. As a merchant of record, the company coordinates supplier compliance, documentation, logistics, payments, quality control. Every transaction requires multiple documents, to manage this complexity, suppliers, logistics providers, and buyers share information through connected dashboards.

Visibility is critical, buyers want to know where orders are, when they will arrive, and whether delays are likely. If a quality issue or documentation problem occurs, stakeholders need immediate access to accurate information. For companies operating at scale, data sharing is no longer simply an efficiency tool. It is a customer requirement.

The Real Challenge Is Connection

The challenge is turning enormous amounts of data into something useful across farms, logistics networks, marketplaces, and regulatory systems. The examples shared during the webinar point to the same conclusion: whether the goal is reducing crop losses, improving logistics, meeting compliance requirements, or providing traceability to consumers, success depends on connecting information that is currently fragmented. Agriculture’s next digital challenge is not generating more data, it is making existing data work together.