INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
Digital application launched to address the challenges of innovation and sustainability in agriculture
The Soil Health Scorecard provides innovative advice on steps to improve soil health .
ABACO Group , a European leading Agri-tech company , and NIAB , a crop science organisation , have partnered together with ASDA , Tesco and McCain Foods to launch a digital application aimed at supporting farmers and growers to better manage the health and productivity of their soil and the assessment of soil quality across the UK .
This innovative solution provides a database to record and analyse soil sample results and offers tangible advice to farmers on how to improve the quality of their soil .
The partnership arrives in a challenging period for the agricultural and farming sectors . As rising costs and soil degradation are creating an increasingly challenging environment for the UK ’ s agricultural sector , partners are leveraging technology and innovation to improve soil quality , productivity and in turn , sustainability in food production over the long-term .
This collaboration has led Abaco and NIAB to develop the Soil Health Scorecard ( SHSC ), which will now be used by ASDA , Tesco and McCain within their own supply chains .
For the first time in agriculture , the scorecard establishes an open , accessible and datadriven solution that supports data collection and benchmarking for soil health . The application provides a way to measure the success of specific management practices and offers tailored advice to farmers on how to improve soil health .
Antonio Samaritani , CEO of ABACO Group , said : “ ABACO has found ideal partners to foster innovation and sustainability in agriculture and farming . At ABACO , we put Environmental , Social and Governance ( ESG ) concerns at the forefront of everything we do and finding partners who are completely aligned with these objectives has made this a natural fit for us .”
The Scorecard will allow supply chain partners to fast-track the technology transition in agriculture and innovatively address key issues in food production . Through AI analytics , the scorecard is expected to transform the way farmers approach soil health management and the collaboration among different players is a significant step toward sustainable and innovative farming practices .
“ We are thrilled to be part of the launch of this digital soil health scorecard ,” said Chris Brown , Senior Director of Sustainable
Supply Chains at ASDA . “ This platform is the first of its kind and will enable key stakeholders to monitor and improve soil across the UK . We believe it is a step in the right direction towards more sustainable farming practices .”
The digital solution will help farmers improve the targeted and efficient use of nutrients , increase yield resilience , reduce the need for fertilisers and provide better support for biodiversity . It will also provide a cuttingedge enterprise view and benchmarking of soil health within the Agri supply chain .
“ This is the culmination of many years of research ,” said Elizabeth Stockdale , Head of Farming Systems Research for NIAB . “ We cannot overstate the importance of protecting the soil for generations to come and the Soil Health Scorecard will help ensure that we do just that .” p
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