Members of the Farm Business Survey (FBS) team recently attended the PACIOLI 30 conference in Schladming, Austria, joining researchers, policymakers and data collection organisations from across Europe to discuss the future of farm-level data collection and the development of Farm Sustainability Data Networks (FSDN).
The conference provided an opportunity to share experiences, learn from international colleagues and explore how farm business and sustainability data can be collected more efficiently while continuing to deliver value for farmers and policymakers.
Sharing Lessons from England
As part of the conference programme, Sally Pocock and Michelle Ewens presented how the FBS has modernised its recruitment approach through:
- Digital marketing campaigns
- Improved farmer registration processes
- Influencer partnerships and targeted sector engagement
- Centralised lead management and onboarding
- Enhanced visibility of recruitment performance and outcomes
The session generated considerable interest from delegates facing similar recruitment challenges in their own countries.
Learning from International Best Practice
A key theme throughout the conference was how countries are adapting their data collection systems to meet the expanding requirements of the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN).
Delegates shared examples of how they are:
- Integrating data from existing sources to reduce the burden on farmers
- Using automation and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency
- Developing modern digital platforms for data collection and reporting
- Improving benchmarking and visualisation tools
- Exploring new ways to collect sustainability information alongside financial data
Farm Visits and Knowledge Exchange
Alongside the conference sessions, delegates visited local farming businesses in the Schladming region to learn more about agricultural production, diversification and agritourism in Austria.
These visits provided valuable opportunities to discuss how farm-level data can support business decision-making, sustainability reporting and evidence-based agricultural policy.
Looking Ahead
The conference reinforced the importance of keeping data collection systems as simple as possible for participating farmers while making greater use of technology, existing data sources and automation.
The FBS team returned with a number of ideas to explore further, including opportunities to reduce data collection burden, improve reporting and benchmarking, and better utilise the valuable information already collected through the survey.
We would like to thank the PACIOLI organisers and fellow delegates for an informative and engaging event.
Explore European FSDN Data
To learn more about how farm business and sustainability data is used across Europe, visit the European Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) database:
https://agridata.ec.europa.eu/extensions/FarmEconomyFocus/FSDNDatabase.html
