Agriventures Joins SYSARM: Helping Europe’s Farmers

Every farmer already knows how to manage risk day to day — weather, prices, supply chains, you name it. What most don’t have is a way to see how all of those risks connect, and how a decision made today can come back to bite (or help) them two seasons from now. That’s the gap SYSARM is here to close, and Agriventures has just signed on as a core partner to help make it happen.

On 27–28 May, our team — represented by Ivaylo Yankov — joined partners from Italy, Romania, Bulgaria and Poland in Naples for the official launch of SYSARM, a new EU-funded project (Erasmus+ Forward-Looking, 30 months) aimed squarely at one big problem: most of Europe’s farmers have never had access to structured training in how to manage risk as a system, not just a series of one-off problems.

Why this matters

The numbers behind this project are honestly a bit startling. Across the EU, 72% of farm managers have no formal agricultural education at all — and in some countries that figure climbs above 94%. At the same time, the sector is ageing fast: more than half of farm managers in some countries are over 55, while fewer than 1 in 8 are under 40 across the EU. Put plainly, an entire generation is running increasingly complex farms on instinct and inherited know-how, with very few structured tools to fall back on when things go sideways.

SYSARM’s response is refreshingly practical: build the tools that don’t exist yet, and make sure they actually reach the people who need them.

What’s being built

Over the next two and a half years, the consortium will roll out a free online course, an interactive farm simulator, and a set of bite-sized “micro-credentials” — short, recognised certifications that farmers and advisors can stack up without committing to a full degree. Think less “go back to university” and more “learn the thing you actually need, on your phone, in the time you have.”

There’s also a serious-games element in the mix, developed with specialists from the Centre for Systems Solutions, designed to make tricky systems-thinking concepts feel more like a strategy game than a lecture — because let’s be honest, that’s how most people actually learn best.

The project starts from a position of strength: it scored 88/100 in the European Commission’s evaluation, with reviewers specifically praising the consortium’s mix of expertise and its alignment with the EU’s Green Deal and digital skills agenda.

Where Agriventures comes in

Agriventures isn’t just along for the ride — we’re co-leading the part of the project that turns good training into lasting impact. Drawing on our experience in agricultural law, finance, ESG and regenerative farming, our role is twofold:

First, we’re building out Regional Learning Alliances — practical networks of training providers, farmer cooperatives and local authorities who will road-test everything SYSARM produces and make sure it actually fits real farms, not just theory. Second, we’re helping the consortium turn this momentum into at least eight new funding proposals (Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, Interreg), so the impact doesn’t stop when this project ends — it becomes the seed for the next wave of opportunities.

During the kick-off, Ivaylo also pushed the group on a question we think is critical: who exactly are we building this for? “Agri-food” covers everything from grain farms to dairies to fertiliser producers, and they don’t face the same risks. The consortium agreed — no more one-size-fits-all. The next phase of the project will sharpen exactly who SYSARM serves, country by country and sector by sector, before any tools get built.

What’s next

The team is now moving from planning into action: mapping regional skill gaps, defining target groups, and starting to shape the curriculum and digital tools. We’ll be sharing updates as the project progresses — including how local farmers, cooperatives and advisors can get involved early.

If you’re part of an agricultural cooperative, training organisation or regional network and want to be part of this from the ground up, get in touch with the Agriventures team. This is exactly the kind of project that works best when it’s shaped by the people who’ll actually use it.

The role of Agriventures in supporting agrifood innovation

As the agritech startup ecosystem grows across Europe, initiatives such as Agriventures are helping connect entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and policymakers working in agriculture and food innovation.

Agriventures focuses on supporting agrifood startups, biotechnology innovation, and access to European funding for agriculture, while also helping entrepreneurs navigate the complex landscape of startup financing, venture capital, and research commercialization.

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Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.