Agrifood Data Workshop - A data workshop for agriculture and food

Agrifood Data Workshop (ADW) was a national data workshop aimed at simplifying and securing the use and sharing of data, as well as promoting innovations within the agrifood supply chain.

The workshop has provided support, tools, and methods to enhance competence and data-driven innovation among actors wishing to share data in the agrifood supply chain. The focus has been on the secure and efficient sharing of data according to the Data Governance Act, and a prototype tool for automatic data classification and publication, called “The Washing Machine,” has been demonstrated.

More Digitalized Rural Businesses – The Path Forward…

This project targeted business promoters and Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), including micro-enterprises, within the green sectors (primarily agriculture and food).

The project has:

• Assessed the needs and opportunities for support for the target group micro and small enterprises in the green sectors.

• Evaluated the offerings of business promoters aimed at increasing the digital maturity of this target group.

• Highlighted experiences from digitalization in other industries and adapted a tool to digitalize SMEs in agriculture and food.

The European Union aims to accelerate the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises through a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) to enhance their competitiveness. However, how can this be best achieved for rural businesses? The project demonstrated how companies in primary production can benefit from the EDIH network.

The long-term goal of the project was to increase the digital maturity of Swedish micro and small enterprises in rural areas, contributing to increased production with robust economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Another goal was to enhance collaboration among business promotion actors to better understand how they can assist micro and small enterprises in rural areas to embrace the opportunities of digitalization

The project compared the support needs of SMEs and micro-enterprises in the green sectors in rural areas with the available support from business promoters. This comparison identified certain gaps that business promoters can address to develop and improve their offerings. The project disseminated knowledge about digitalization experiences from other industries and adapted a tool to further digitalize SMEs in agriculture and food. This tool is well-suited for use by EDIHs and has been shared with various business promoters. The project also compared the contributions of an EDIH focused on the needs of the target group with other initiatives aimed at the same group.

Modular battery swap system for work machines

The project has developed and demonstrated how a modular battery swap system can be used in electric work machines in various industries. The purpose of the project was to demonstrate innovative technology where battery swap technology enables battery-powered machines in agriculture and forestry. The project has completed the following:

1. Designed and built a modular battery pack for work machines

2. Designed and built an automatic battery swap station

3. Completed a prototype for an autonomous electric agricultural machine

4. Electrically converted a machine for forestry

We have succeeded in creating a working battery swap concept. The concept has been shown at several different demo events. The project has received a lot of positive publicity in the media. The project creates opportunities to run work machines in agriculture and forestry without the batteries needing to be unnecessarily large, heavy and expensive to carry with the machine in the field.

Building electrified work machines is not a big deal. What is new in this project is that we demonstrate a battery replacement system for work machines - that works in real life!

The project group has worked hard together for two years and achieved brilliant results that we are very pleased with. As expected, it took some time to agree on a concept for the common component battery pack, but once it was set, work took off.

In the project, we have built seven battery packs, two electric work machines and a battery swap station including electrical system, control system and other adaptations. This would not have been possible without a dedicated and very talented project group!

To keep businesses competitive in world markets, the number of farms in most countries is decreasing while farm size is increasing, and parcels making up the farm area are extremely fragmented. It is common for farms to expand faster than available arable land near the farm center, leading to longer distances between the farm center and field areas. Consequently, logistic costs increase and affect the farm's profitability and the environment. Moreover, there is often substantial overlap between different farms, which implies that it is possible for farmers to collaborate with each other. We developed and proposed three optimization models to describe different levels of collaboration and sharing restrictions. Many practical considerations need to be weighed, such as the soil type and crops used. We collected detailed information on farms, parcels, and cost drivers in seven large instances for our case study in Sweden. One instance had 1431 farms and 32,091 parcels with 96 crop types. The resulting optimization models were very large; special pre-processing and optimization techniques were developed for their solutions. The theoretical potential for collaboration in logistic cost reduction was very large, ranging from approximately 10% to 50% depending on the form of the collaboration. Because a large part of costs comes from less use of diesel for transport resources, the reduction in cost is directly related to a reduction in CO2 emissions. © 2022 The Authors. International Transactions in Operational Research

Can eyetracking as a tool be used to educate new staff at a farm?

This pilot project evaluates the potential of eyetracking as a tool for training new staff on a farm in practical knowledge about animal welfare.

A basic prerequisite for economically profitable animal production is healthy animals with good growth. Detecting animals in need of extra care during rounds is a challenge when there are many animals that need to be checked in a short time. The experience of the staff is an important component, but access to qualified staff is a scarce commodity. The experience of the skilled staff is rarely written down but constitutes a tacit knowledge that is very sensitive to whether staff quit or fall ill. Hiring foreign labor is becoming more common, in which case the potential to take part in the workforce's overall competence will determine how well the new workers will succeed in their tasks.

By using technical tools such as eyetracking, you can record what a person is looking at in a certain environment. With this technology one could easily show and educate, e.g. staff, new employees, and students, what it is an experienced caretaker looks at when minding the animals. The technology makes it possible to visualize what an experienced caretaker is observing. In that way eyetracking has the potential to improve the working environment by streamlining the work of training new staff and getting everyone in the work team (experienced or not) to perform the tasks at the same high level as the most experienced.

I denna rapport presenteras ett av tre områden för att effektivisera jordbrukets logistik som undersökts i projektet ”Energieffektivisering av Jordbrukets logistik - fördjupning och utveckling” som har arbetat vidare på resultat från ett tidigare pilotprojekt om energieffektivisering av jordbrukets transporter. De tre områdena är, (1) skiftning av åkermark (2) planeringsverktyg för att simulera, planera och optimera logistikarbetet på gården (3) nyckeltal för logistikarbetet på gårdsnivå för att sporra till effektivisering. Alla tre bedöms som viktiga delar i arbetet med att effektivisera och minska energiåtgång och klimatpåverkan från jordbrukets transporter och i förlängningen livsmedelsproduktionen.

I denna rapport har möjligheter att effektivisera maskinanvändningen på jordbruksföretag genom att använda kartläggning och nyckeltal undersökts. Detta har gjorts genom att maskinanvändning på tre gårdar loggats. Dessa gårdar var att betrakta som medelstora gårdar med svenska mått mätt och har olika produktionsinriktningar.

Loggning genomfördes av dieselförbrukning och tidsåtgång för totalt nio maskiner på tre gårdar. Loggningsutrustningen kopplades till maskinernas CAN-bus och data laddades ner till Drivecs molntjänst via mobilt bredband. Loggning skedde också av GPS-data där maskinerna befann sig vid en viss tidpunkt och dessa refererades till olika skiften, inomgårdsområden, transportvägar och även t.ex. snöröjning eller annan entreprenadverksamhet.

Ur dessa data beräknades nyckeltal manuellt fram för dieselförbrukning och tidsåtgång per gröda, fält och aktivitet. Nyckeltalen svarade mot vad lantbrukarna efterfrågade. För att vara rättvisande och heltäckande behöver loggningen vara mer tillförlitlig och inkludera alla maskiner i växtodlingen. En slutsats var att loggning och nyckeltalsberäkning måste ske helt automatiskt för att fylla en funktion och dessutom behöver nyckeltalet ha metadata som beskriver vad det beskriver, hur det samlats in och hur representativt det är.

I projektet undersöktes också vilka möjligheter det fanns till att skicka denna information automatiskt från Drivecs system till LRF Konsults Digital Bonde och där integreras med ekonomiska data.

Ytterligare forskning behövs för att nyttiggöra resultaten från detta projekt. Det behövs också målinriktat arbete med både vidareutveckling och kunskapsspridning till jordbrukare.

The work presented in this report is one of three different areas of improving the efficiency of agricultural logistics that have been investigated in the project ”Energieffektivisering av Jordbrukets logistik - fördjupning och utveckling”. The three areas are, 1) Shifting of arable land (2) Planning tool for simulating, planning and optimizing logistical work on the farm (3) KPIs for logistics work at farm level to spur efficiency. All three areas are considered to be important parts in the work of reducing energy consumption and climate impact from agricultural transports and in food production.

In this report KPIs has been investigated by logging of machine activities on three farms. These farms were medium-sized with different production. Logging of diesel consumption and time required was carried out for a total of nine tractors on three farms. The logging equipment was connected to the tractors' CAN bus and data was downloaded to Drivec's cloud service via mobile broadband. Logging was also done by GPS data where the tractors were at a certain point in time and these were referred to different fields, farm centre areas, transport routes and for example areas where entrepreneurial work such as snow removal is performed.

From these data, KPIs were calculated manually for diesel consumption and time consumption per crop, field and activity. The KPIs corresponded to what the farmers wanted but in order to be useful, logging needs to be more reliable and include all machines and activities in the plant production. One conclusion was that in order to utilize KPIs as a driver for change, the logging and KPI calculations must be done automatically and in addition, the KPIs calculated needs to have metadata that describes, for example, how representative the KPI is.

The project also investigated the possibilities for sending this information automatically from Drivec's system to LRF Konsult's Digital Bonde and to integrate it with economic data.

Further research activities are needed in order to implement the results from this project. Targeted work is needed with both further development and dissemination to farmers.

The work presented in this report is one of three different areas of improving the efficiency of agricultural logistics that have been investigated in the project ”Energieffektivisering av Jordbrukets logistik - fördjupning och utveckling”. The three areas are, 1) Shifting of arable land (2) Planning tool for simulating, planning and optimizing logistical work on the farm (3) KPIs for logistics work at farm level to spur efficiency. All three areas are considered important parts in the work of reducing energy consumption and climate impact from agricultural transports and in food production.

More efficient agricultural logistics can be achieved through better planning and coordination of all activities throughout the production process. This improved planning then requires decision support to get a holistic grip on the interacting parts of the process. In this report, we have begun the work to investigate how farmers can make agriculture more efficient by having access to good and simple planning and simulation systems, thereby reducing energy consumption and costs at farm level.

We have made a review of which systems (for plant cultivation) that are available on the market today (with focus on the Swedish market) and identified shortcomings, gaps and needs for continued development. We have also in a case study exemplified the decisions a farmer make, and which tools are used. In the longer term, the aim is to have tools for simulation, planning and optimization of logistics for agriculture.

There are many applications for planning, control and monitoring of agriculture activities on the market, but no purely logistics planning tools. Many of the tools available on the market are de facto not decision support, but rather business support, where the user can fill in the business conditions and to some extent follow the development during the year. For the applications to provide real decision support, they need to be more intelligent by being able to analyze large amounts of data smarter, make simulations of different scenarios and make assessments on plans. Internationally, the range of programs, apps and other IT support for agriculture management is very large, but the gaps are mainly the same. However, it is not easy to apply an internationally developed tool to Swedish conditions and regulations.

Antalet gårdar i Sverige minskar medan deras storlek ökar för att kunna hålla verksamheten konkurrenskraftig på marknaden. En vanlig situation är att gården vill expandera snabbare än det finns tillgänglig mark nära gårdscentrum. Detta leder till att gården får längre avstånd till sin åkermark. Detta extra avstånd har en kostnad, både för gårdens lönsamhet och för miljön.

En föregående pilotstudie studerade kostnaden för transport av skörd och stallgödsel (spannmål, vall och stallgödsel). Studien visade att kostnader för transporter blir minst halverad om man byter till mark som ligger närmare gården. Denna studie studerade endast fyra gårdar, och inkluderade inte sociala aspekter.

Detta fortsättningsprojekt syftar till att få en bättre insikt i de tekniska (geografiska) och även sociala faktorer kopplade till markbyte. Den tekniska delen av projektet innebär utveckling av ett verktyg för att 1) räkna avstånd mellan gårdscentrum och fält i hela Sverige, 2) identifiera bästa matchningar för markbyte mellan gårdar, och därmed minimera avstånd mellan gårdscentrum och fält, och 3) uppskatta potentiella besparingar av drivmedel och kostnader kopplade till markbyte.

Våra resultat visar att verktyget ger ett stabilt underlag som beslutstöd. Däremot behövs mer studier för att komma överens om det bästa sättet att implementera verktyget i Sverige, särskilt angående ägarskap, affärsmodell och utveckling av nya funktioner. Den teoretiska potentialen för markbyte mellan två gårdar är uppskattad till 12,4 %.

Den sociala delen av projektet undersökte lantbrukares attityder till markbyte. I semi-strukturerade intervjuer med lantbrukare, och seminarium med andra intressenter, undersökte vi hinder, förutsättningar, samt potential för implementering av verktyget. Våra resultat visar att verktyget var positivt mottaget men att det finns fler faktorer att ta hänsyn till t.ex. jordart, odlingsmetod och förtroende.

The number of farms in Sweden is decreasing while the size is increasing as most farms grow bigger in areal in order to remain competitive on the market. However, this situation set pressure on farmers looking to expand. It is rare for farmers to find available land close to their farm and therefore start to cultivate land further away. The extra distance has a cost, both for the farmers’ profitability and for the environment. Previous study looked at four particular farms focusing on the cost related to the harvest (cereal or forage). By simulating an exchange of land to closer ones, the cost for transport of the harvest was at least halved in the four cases. The study looked mostly at the technical aspect and included only the four cases.

Therefore, this project aims to have a broader perspective, both in term of geography and also by looking at the social factors related to land exchange. During the project, a tool has been developed to calculate on a national level the distance between each field and the farm cultivating it. The tool is also used to minimise the distance between field and farm by allowing fields to be exchanged between farmers. Moreover, the tool has been used to estimate the potential for diesel use and cost reduction related to land exchange. Using the tool as ground for discussion, semi-structured interviews have been performed with farmers to understand the hinders and driving forces for land exchange between each other. During these interviews, the potential for implementing the tool was also discussed.

The theoretical potential if limiting the exchange of land only between two parties at a time would be 12.4 %. Moreover, this number would decrease when considering the practical and social barriers such as the soil characteristics, the different cultivation methods (organic/conventional, no-till) and trust between farmers.

The development of an application for optimal land exchange will require not only a robust model for distance calculation and optimization of land exchange but also a well-developed and user-friendly interface. Depending on how the application will be used, by single farmers or by consultants and advisers, different versions of an application may be required.

The tool developed during the project has been positively received both by farmers during the interviews and also by other stakeholders during the concluding seminar. It gives a solid basis and acts as decision support tool. More is needed to agree on the best way to implement it in Sweden, in particular looking at the ownership, business model, and the development of new functions.

The feeling of softness and smoothness of paper tissue products is an important performance factor in the market place. In a series of panel tests, the relationship between instrumental measurements and perceived softness and smoothness was investigated. Samples of tissue base paper – napkin and toilet paper – were evaluated for surface roughness. The samples were placed on a hard, smooth glass substrate and the respondents used one finger to stroke along the sample surface. Instrumental measurement and characterization were performed using differentinstruments: Emtec TSA and Lena Softness Tester. The results divide the base paper material into product groups, but general mathematical relationships could be found between the test panel and the measurements when normalized in different ways. Measurements using the Lena produced the best correlation with the panel ratings because its principle resembled the method of the test panel most closely. However, a general relationship usingmaterial properties was shown to produce as good an estimator for the surface roughness as the results obtained with the Lena. This relationship consisted of the ratio between the plasticity and the elasticity of the tissue paper (in-plane properties), normalized for thickness. This suggests that those three material properties are fundamental to the perception of surface roughness as evaluated in this study. Using a trained haptic panel to evaluate test samples of similar grammage with variations in furnish and machine operation settings generated a good correlation to the TSA measurement (r=0.9). The panel was more susceptible to variation in furnish than variation in peak pressure, and this was particularly evident for samples evaluated on the Yankee side.

Package design includes a number of considerations ranging from protecting the content to conveying the brand image. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding on how Swedish consumes perceive product packaging attributes, with a special emphasis on in which way packaging material (carton, paper plastic), and structural design (folding carton, paper bag, standing pouch and plastic bag), have an emotional impact on consumers' evaluation of the product and packaging. Assessing the appearance and effectiveness of a packaging system is often confounded by branding, why it is important to separate the brand influence from the attributes of the packaging system. Thus, in the experimental part, packaging prototypes of different structural design and materials were manufactured in order to present commercial cereal brands in different types of packaging. The research involved a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, comprising (i) focus groups on cereal (muesli) packaging; (ii) a mock-up study of four muesli packaging types: transparent plastic bag, carton box, paper bag, and a resalable stand-up plastic pouch; and (iii) a questionnaire on environmental attitudes to packaging materials. Fourteen respondents participated in the focus groups and 20 in the mock-up study. Result show that the paper bag and the carton box were perceived to be the most environmentally friendly packaging material. Heavy ink usage on paper bags and carton boxes can however raise concern regarding the environmental impact. Introducing functionality and good print quality can cause preferences to divert to an alternative packaging material. In the mock-up study the standing pouch was the most liked package type regardless of brands. Functional reasons (protect, re-closable etc.) and appearance reasons (nice print, nice colours) was claimed for giving this package high ratings.