[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":752},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fTcaCAZI6TgN2dltoKxX4KclQhLASrw-HPMy6o8umx60":3},{"success":4,"update":5,"relatedUpdates":621},true,{"_id":6,"title":7,"slug":8,"excerpt":9,"contentText":10,"richContent":11,"featuredMedia":588,"firstPublishedDate":591,"lastPublishedDate":591,"hashtags":592,"tags":593,"url":614,"language":615,"memberId":616,"pinned":617,"featured":617,"commentingEnabled":4,"translations":618,"categoryIds":619,"relatedPostIds":620},"551c7109-756d-4cec-8fc8-3646c21ca70e","Closing the Digital Gap in Agriculture: An Interview with Mariya Hristova","closing-bulgaria-s-digital-gap-in-agriculture-an-interview-with-mariya-hristova","On July 6, SAFE AGRI brought together farmers, technologists, lawyers and cybersecurity experts in Bulgaria for a day dedicated to security and innovation in digital and hardware agri-food technologies. The event, organized by Agriventures under the REINFORCING project, moved through five parts: an introduction to Agriventures and the SAFE-AGRI initiative, a look at digital technologies and data in agriculture and food, the hidden vulnerabilities of digital agriculture, cybersecurity and the...","On July 6, SAFE AGRI brought together farmers, technologists, lawyers and cybersecurity experts in Bulgaria for a day dedicated to security and innovation in digital and hardware agri-food technologies. The event, organized by Agriventures under the REINFORCING project, moved through five parts: an introduction to Agriventures and the SAFE-AGRI initiative, a look at digital technologies and data in agriculture and food, the hidden vulnerabilities of digital agriculture, cybersecurity and the applicability of the NIS2 directive to the agri-food sector, and an interactive workshop session, closing with networking. Mariya Hristova of Agriventures presented \"Digitalization and AI in Agriculture and Food,\" a data-driven look at where Bulgaria stands and where the EU is heading. We sat down with her to talk about the day, the numbers behind her talk, her colleagues' presentations, and what she's doing next. Q: Let's start with your specialization. How did you end up focused on AI in agriculture? A: Through Agriventures, I work at the intersection of European policy, market data and the actual farmers and food producers trying to make sense of it all. AI in agriculture isn't one story, it's dozens of stories: precision farming, food safety, traceability, robotics, regulation. My job is to pull the real numbers out of EU strategy documents, JRC surveys and market reports, and turn them into something a Bulgarian farmer or food processor can actually use to make a decision. That's also the thinking behind SAFE-AGRI itself, which is building an assessment framework, based on the Open and Responsible Research and Innovation approach, to help evaluate which emerging technologies, data systems or infrastructures in agriculture and food carry security relevance or strategic vulnerabilities. Right now that kind of methodical capacity barely exists, responsibility is scattered across agriculture, digital policy and security, and there's no strong forward-looking, inclusive process for assessing the risk. Q: What did you present at SAFE AGRI? A: I framed it around three questions: where does Bulgaria stand, where does the EU stand, and where is this all going. On the first question, the picture is sobering. Bulgaria is 28th, last in the EU, on the DESI digitalization index. Only 3% of Bulgarian enterprises use AI, compared to 8% across the EU, and just 6% use big data versus 14% EU-wide. In agriculture specifically, only 33,801 of the roughly 69,240 farms in the country had internet access by the end of 2025, and just 3,219 use any electronic system to manage their machinery fleet. We're starting from a low base, and I said that plainly. I also spent time on skills, because digitalization isn't only a technology question. Only 8% of people in Bulgaria have digital skills above the basic level, against 26% on average across the EU. Agriculture accounted for 17% of total employment in Bulgaria in 2020, and CEDEFOP flags it as one of the sectors most exposed to job losses driven by an aging workforce running in parallel with automation. Closing the digital gap in Bulgarian agriculture is as much about training people as it is about installing sensors. Q: And the EU picture? A: More encouraging, but with its own pressures. There are 8.8 million farms across the EU, the average size has grown to 17.8 hectares from 11 hectares in 2005, which tells you this is consolidation, not expansion. 57.6% of EU farm managers were 55 or older in 2020, and only 11.9% were under 40. The farm workforce shrank 18% over the past decade. Automation isn't a nice-to-have there, it's a demographic necessity. The JRC's 2025 survey of 1,444 farms across nine member states found 93% already use at least one digital tool, 79% at least one crop-specific technology and 83% at least one livestock tool. Roughly three-quarters expect real economic, environmental and social benefits from going further. Bulgaria wasn't part of that survey sample, which is itself telling. Q: You also covered AI in food processing specifically. A: Yes, and that's where adoption is moving fastest. 71% of consumer goods executives now use AI, up from 42% just two years ago. But a July 2026 survey of 423 food and beverage professionals by TraceGains found only 41% of companies have a formal AI strategy, even though staff are already using AI tools informally in their day-to-day work, which creates real data security risk. Fewer than 30% of global food producers have fully integrated AI-based traceability systems. The market for AI in food safety and quality control alone is projected to grow from around $2.7 to 3.1 billion today to $13.7 billion by 2030, a compound annual growth rate of roughly 31%. Bulgaria's own national e-platform for food traceability, announced in June 2026, sits squarely in that category and is still being built. Q: Any surprising numbers from the research? A: The OECD-FAO projection stuck with people in the room: 73% of global crop production growth through 2035 will come from yield improvements, not new farmland. The technology to get there already exists, McKinsey's 2024 research found only 27% of European crop farmers use algorithms to monitor harvests and just 49% have precision irrigation controllers, roughly half the adoption rate seen in the US. The real question, especially for Bulgaria, is how fast we close the gap in skills, financing and access for small and mid-sized farms. If the roughly 1.47 billion lev earmarked in investment reaches them, the access gap can genuinely narrow by 2035. If it doesn't, the divide between large and small farms will only widen, and we're already seeing early signs of that in the 2026 data. Q: Tell us about your colleagues' presentations. What did Dilyana cover? A: Dilyana Kutsarova opened the day. She introduced Agriventures itself, our platform for funding opportunities across agri-food technology, carbon farming, digital and AI farming, circular economy, sustainability and bioeconomy, novel food and women in agrifood, and walked through what our team actually does: community building, capacity building, testing and screening support, an academy programme, and project support for sustainability assessments. She also introduced SAFE-AGRI in detail, its context, its goals and its three activities, an event on digital and hardware technologies in agriculture and processing, a second event on biotechnology and agricultural resources, and an ORRI-based assessment tool that consolidates the findings from both events around anticipation, inclusion, reflexivity and responsiveness. It set the frame for everything that followed. Dilyana also works with U Grow, and it's been genuinely energizing to develop ideas together with her across both projects. Q: And Pavel's cybersecurity session? A: Pavel Georgiev from Cyber Security Talks Bulgaria gave, honestly, one of the most eye-opening talks of the day. He walked through information security fundamentals, then got specific: hacker motives, denial-of-service attacks, and malware, before turning to real cases. His business email compromise example landed hard with the room, a $20 investment and seven days of work were enough for attackers to walk away with $1.2 million in one documented case. He also showed a deepfake demonstration that made it very clear how close that threat already is to Bulgarian businesses, not a future risk but a current one. Where he was most useful was in the practical advice: checking whether your email and password have already leaked, using a password manager, starting backups today with tools like Duplicati, CobianSoft or UrBackup, and running a free check at e-security.bg\u002Fcybercheck. For an agri-food sector that's only just starting to digitize, hearing that cybersecurity has to be built in from day one, not bolted on later, was an important note to end on. Q: What's next for you? A: I'll be supporting four missions across Europe, drawing on my network and on what we've built at Agriventures.co, to connect farmers and innovators directly with these opportunities. Pre-registration is open now for anyone interested, at projects.agriventures.co\u002Fmissions. 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. By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.",{"nodes":12,"documentStyle":587},[13,21,35,54,59,72,77,90,95,108,113,126,131,144,153,158,171,176,189,194,207,212,225,230,239,252,257,270,275,288,293,306,311,324,329,363,372,377,390,395,446,455,461,467,473,487,499,516,534,539,550,561,567,582],{"type":14,"id":15,"nodes":16,"style":17,"paragraphData":18},"PARAGRAPH","4nsv39260",[],{},{"textStyle":19},{"textAlignment":20},"JUSTIFY",{"type":22,"id":23,"nodes":24,"imageData":25},"IMAGE","xj5jj3180",[],{"containerData":26,"image":30},{"width":27,"alignment":29,"textWrap":4},{"size":28},"CONTENT","CENTER",{"src":31,"width":33,"height":34},{"id":32},"1cd362_e9cbc838aabf4d3ea0a33cc4dfaf36c8~mv2.jpg",1024,683,{"type":14,"id":36,"nodes":37,"style":50,"paragraphData":51},"r40cb2869",[38],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":41,"textData":42},"TEXT","",[],{"text":43,"decorations":44},"On July 6, SAFE AGRI brought together farmers, technologists, lawyers and cybersecurity experts in Bulgaria for a day dedicated to security and innovation in digital and hardware agri-food technologies. The event, organized by Agriventures under the REINFORCING project, moved through five parts: an introduction to Agriventures and the SAFE-AGRI initiative, a look at digital technologies and data in agriculture and food, the hidden vulnerabilities of digital agriculture, cybersecurity and the applicability of the NIS2 directive to the agri-food sector, and an interactive workshop session, closing with networking. Mariya Hristova of Agriventures presented \"Digitalization and AI in Agriculture and Food,\" a data-driven look at where Bulgaria stands and where the EU is heading. We sat down with her to talk about the day, the numbers behind her talk, her colleagues' presentations, and what she's doing next.",[45],{"type":46,"colorData":47},"COLOR",{"background":48,"foreground":49},"transparent","rgb(0, 0, 0)",{},{"textStyle":52},{"textAlignment":53},"AUTO",{"type":14,"id":55,"nodes":56,"paragraphData":57},"61g0c2871",[],{"textStyle":58},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":60,"nodes":61,"style":69,"paragraphData":70},"aqq102872",[62],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":63,"textData":64},[],{"text":65,"decorations":66},"Q: Let's start with your specialization. How did you end up focused on AI in agriculture?",[67],{"type":46,"colorData":68},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":71},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":73,"nodes":74,"paragraphData":75},"qbx1g2874",[],{"textStyle":76},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":78,"nodes":79,"style":87,"paragraphData":88},"s14fr2875",[80],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":81,"textData":82},[],{"text":83,"decorations":84},"A: Through Agriventures, I work at the intersection of European policy, market data and the actual farmers and food producers trying to make sense of it all. AI in agriculture isn't one story, it's dozens of stories: precision farming, food safety, traceability, robotics, regulation. My job is to pull the real numbers out of EU strategy documents, JRC surveys and market reports, and turn them into something a Bulgarian farmer or food processor can actually use to make a decision. That's also the thinking behind SAFE-AGRI itself, which is building an assessment framework, based on the Open and Responsible Research and Innovation approach, to help evaluate which emerging technologies, data systems or infrastructures in agriculture and food carry security relevance or strategic vulnerabilities. Right now that kind of methodical capacity barely exists, responsibility is scattered across agriculture, digital policy and security, and there's no strong forward-looking, inclusive process for assessing the risk.",[85],{"type":46,"colorData":86},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":89},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":91,"nodes":92,"paragraphData":93},"zz10j2877",[],{"textStyle":94},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":96,"nodes":97,"style":105,"paragraphData":106},"jbc9r2878",[98],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":99,"textData":100},[],{"text":101,"decorations":102},"Q: What did you present at SAFE AGRI?",[103],{"type":46,"colorData":104},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":107},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":109,"nodes":110,"paragraphData":111},"dbe3a2880",[],{"textStyle":112},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":114,"nodes":115,"style":123,"paragraphData":124},"2etpb2881",[116],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":117,"textData":118},[],{"text":119,"decorations":120},"A: I framed it around three questions: where does Bulgaria stand, where does the EU stand, and where is this all going. On the first question, the picture is sobering. Bulgaria is 28th, last in the EU, on the DESI digitalization index. Only 3% of Bulgarian enterprises use AI, compared to 8% across the EU, and just 6% use big data versus 14% EU-wide. In agriculture specifically, only 33,801 of the roughly 69,240 farms in the country had internet access by the end of 2025, and just 3,219 use any electronic system to manage their machinery fleet. We're starting from a low base, and I said that plainly.",[121],{"type":46,"colorData":122},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":125},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":127,"nodes":128,"paragraphData":129},"4sbet2883",[],{"textStyle":130},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":132,"nodes":133,"style":141,"paragraphData":142},"6pykl2884",[134],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":135,"textData":136},[],{"text":137,"decorations":138},"I also spent time on skills, because digitalization isn't only a technology question. Only 8% of people in Bulgaria have digital skills above the basic level, against 26% on average across the EU. Agriculture accounted for 17% of total employment in Bulgaria in 2020, and CEDEFOP flags it as one of the sectors most exposed to job losses driven by an aging workforce running in parallel with automation. Closing the digital gap in Bulgarian agriculture is as much about training people as it is about installing sensors.",[139],{"type":46,"colorData":140},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":143},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":22,"id":145,"nodes":146,"imageData":147},"f5y7t3359",[],{"containerData":148,"image":150},{"width":149,"alignment":29,"textWrap":4},{"size":28},{"src":151,"width":33,"height":34},{"id":152},"1cd362_d95bc25b68084ce7925019093a193ed0~mv2.jpg",{"type":14,"id":154,"nodes":155,"paragraphData":156},"9y9yp2886",[],{"textStyle":157},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":159,"nodes":160,"style":168,"paragraphData":169},"eiwim2887",[161],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":162,"textData":163},[],{"text":164,"decorations":165},"Q: And the EU picture?",[166],{"type":46,"colorData":167},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":170},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":172,"nodes":173,"paragraphData":174},"3upgw2889",[],{"textStyle":175},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":177,"nodes":178,"style":186,"paragraphData":187},"jfh7w2890",[179],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":180,"textData":181},[],{"text":182,"decorations":183},"A: More encouraging, but with its own pressures. There are 8.8 million farms across the EU, the average size has grown to 17.8 hectares from 11 hectares in 2005, which tells you this is consolidation, not expansion. 57.6% of EU farm managers were 55 or older in 2020, and only 11.9% were under 40. The farm workforce shrank 18% over the past decade. Automation isn't a nice-to-have there, it's a demographic necessity. The JRC's 2025 survey of 1,444 farms across nine member states found 93% already use at least one digital tool, 79% at least one crop-specific technology and 83% at least one livestock tool. Roughly three-quarters expect real economic, environmental and social benefits from going further. Bulgaria wasn't part of that survey sample, which is itself telling.",[184],{"type":46,"colorData":185},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":188},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":190,"nodes":191,"paragraphData":192},"h6gcb2892",[],{"textStyle":193},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":195,"nodes":196,"style":204,"paragraphData":205},"i4no42893",[197],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":198,"textData":199},[],{"text":200,"decorations":201},"Q: You also covered AI in food processing specifically.",[202],{"type":46,"colorData":203},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":206},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":208,"nodes":209,"paragraphData":210},"krhbm2895",[],{"textStyle":211},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":213,"nodes":214,"style":222,"paragraphData":223},"emgxb2896",[215],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":216,"textData":217},[],{"text":218,"decorations":219},"A: Yes, and that's where adoption is moving fastest. 71% of consumer goods executives now use AI, up from 42% just two years ago. But a July 2026 survey of 423 food and beverage professionals by TraceGains found only 41% of companies have a formal AI strategy, even though staff are already using AI tools informally in their day-to-day work, which creates real data security risk. Fewer than 30% of global food producers have fully integrated AI-based traceability systems. The market for AI in food safety and quality control alone is projected to grow from around $2.7 to 3.1 billion today to $13.7 billion by 2030, a compound annual growth rate of roughly 31%. Bulgaria's own national e-platform for food traceability, announced in June 2026, sits squarely in that category and is still being built.",[220],{"type":46,"colorData":221},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":224},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":226,"nodes":227,"paragraphData":228},"cywxi2898",[],{"textStyle":229},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":22,"id":231,"nodes":232,"imageData":233},"r34kk3538",[],{"containerData":234,"image":236},{"width":235,"alignment":29,"textWrap":4},{"size":28},{"src":237,"width":33,"height":34},{"id":238},"1cd362_0bd0b5eae42f494f985b298815b23d57~mv2.jpg",{"type":14,"id":240,"nodes":241,"style":249,"paragraphData":250},"ld8112899",[242],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":243,"textData":244},[],{"text":245,"decorations":246},"Q: Any surprising numbers from the research?",[247],{"type":46,"colorData":248},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":251},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":253,"nodes":254,"paragraphData":255},"vyqwl2901",[],{"textStyle":256},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":258,"nodes":259,"style":267,"paragraphData":268},"rijdc2902",[260],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":261,"textData":262},[],{"text":263,"decorations":264},"A: The OECD-FAO projection stuck with people in the room: 73% of global crop production growth through 2035 will come from yield improvements, not new farmland. The technology to get there already exists, McKinsey's 2024 research found only 27% of European crop farmers use algorithms to monitor harvests and just 49% have precision irrigation controllers, roughly half the adoption rate seen in the US. The real question, especially for Bulgaria, is how fast we close the gap in skills, financing and access for small and mid-sized farms. If the roughly 1.47 billion lev earmarked in investment reaches them, the access gap can genuinely narrow by 2035. If it doesn't, the divide between large and small farms will only widen, and we're already seeing early signs of that in the 2026 data.",[265],{"type":46,"colorData":266},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":269},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":271,"nodes":272,"paragraphData":273},"g7k2n2904",[],{"textStyle":274},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":276,"nodes":277,"style":285,"paragraphData":286},"2bl912905",[278],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":279,"textData":280},[],{"text":281,"decorations":282},"Q: Tell us about your colleagues' presentations. What did Dilyana cover?",[283],{"type":46,"colorData":284},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":287},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":289,"nodes":290,"paragraphData":291},"lirdj2907",[],{"textStyle":292},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":294,"nodes":295,"style":303,"paragraphData":304},"133xl2908",[296],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":297,"textData":298},[],{"text":299,"decorations":300},"A: Dilyana Kutsarova opened the day. She introduced Agriventures itself, our platform for funding opportunities across agri-food technology, carbon farming, digital and AI farming, circular economy, sustainability and bioeconomy, novel food and women in agrifood, and walked through what our team actually does: community building, capacity building, testing and screening support, an academy programme, and project support for sustainability assessments. She also introduced SAFE-AGRI in detail, its context, its goals and its three activities, an event on digital and hardware technologies in agriculture and processing, a second event on biotechnology and agricultural resources, and an ORRI-based assessment tool that consolidates the findings from both events around anticipation, inclusion, reflexivity and responsiveness. It set the frame for everything that followed. Dilyana also works with U Grow, and it's been genuinely energizing to develop ideas together with her across both projects.",[301],{"type":46,"colorData":302},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":305},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":307,"nodes":308,"paragraphData":309},"8rtc32910",[],{"textStyle":310},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":312,"nodes":313,"style":321,"paragraphData":322},"xtu512911",[314],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":315,"textData":316},[],{"text":317,"decorations":318},"Q: And Pavel's cybersecurity session?",[319],{"type":46,"colorData":320},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":323},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":325,"nodes":326,"paragraphData":327},"orkih2913",[],{"textStyle":328},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":330,"nodes":331,"style":360,"paragraphData":361},"pkauh2914",[332,339,353],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":333,"textData":334},[],{"text":335,"decorations":336},"A: Pavel Georgiev from Cyber Security Talks Bulgaria gave, honestly, one of the most eye-opening talks of the day. He walked through information security fundamentals, then got specific: hacker motives, denial-of-service attacks, and malware, before turning to real cases. His business email compromise example landed hard with the room, a $20 investment and seven days of work were enough for attackers to walk away with $1.2 million in one documented case. He also showed a deepfake demonstration that made it very clear how close that threat already is to Bulgarian businesses, not a future risk but a current one. Where he was most useful was in the practical advice: checking whether your email and password have already leaked, using a password manager, starting backups today with tools like Duplicati, CobianSoft or UrBackup, and running a free check at ",[337],{"type":46,"colorData":338},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":340,"textData":341},[],{"text":342,"decorations":343},"e-security.bg\u002Fcybercheck",[344,346],{"type":46,"colorData":345},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{"type":347,"linkData":348},"LINK",{"link":349},{"url":350,"target":351,"rel":352},"http:\u002F\u002Fe-security.bg\u002Fcybercheck","BLANK",{"noreferrer":4},{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":354,"textData":355},[],{"text":356,"decorations":357},". For an agri-food sector that's only just starting to digitize, hearing that cybersecurity has to be built in from day one, not bolted on later, was an important note to end on.",[358],{"type":46,"colorData":359},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":362},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":22,"id":364,"nodes":365,"imageData":366},"xzntl3717",[],{"containerData":367,"image":369},{"width":368,"alignment":29,"textWrap":4},{"size":28},{"src":370,"width":33,"height":34},{"id":371},"1cd362_47930083b0fe493185f86d398d209107~mv2.jpg",{"type":14,"id":373,"nodes":374,"paragraphData":375},"evk6e2918",[],{"textStyle":376},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":378,"nodes":379,"style":387,"paragraphData":388},"s56jg2919",[380],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":381,"textData":382},[],{"text":383,"decorations":384},"Q: What's next for you?",[385],{"type":46,"colorData":386},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":389},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":391,"nodes":392,"paragraphData":393},"80pcn2921",[],{"textStyle":394},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":14,"id":396,"nodes":397,"style":443,"paragraphData":444},"n3oma2922",[398,405,417,424,436],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":399,"textData":400},[],{"text":401,"decorations":402},"A: I'll be supporting four missions across Europe, drawing on my network and on what we've built at ",[403],{"type":46,"colorData":404},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":406,"textData":407},[],{"text":408,"decorations":409},"Agriventures.co",[410,412],{"type":46,"colorData":411},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{"type":347,"linkData":413},{"link":414},{"url":415,"target":351,"rel":416},"http:\u002F\u002FAgriventures.co",{"noreferrer":4},{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":418,"textData":419},[],{"text":420,"decorations":421},", to connect farmers and innovators directly with these opportunities. Pre-registration is open now for anyone interested, at ",[422],{"type":46,"colorData":423},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":425,"textData":426},[],{"text":427,"decorations":428},"projects.agriventures.co\u002Fmissions",[429,431],{"type":46,"colorData":430},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{"type":347,"linkData":432},{"link":433},{"url":434,"target":351,"rel":435},"http:\u002F\u002Fprojects.agriventures.co\u002Fmissions",{"noreferrer":4},{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":437,"textData":438},[],{"text":439,"decorations":440},".",[441],{"type":46,"colorData":442},{"background":48,"foreground":49},{},{"textStyle":445},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":22,"id":447,"nodes":448,"imageData":449},"r93523922",[],{"containerData":450,"image":452},{"width":451,"alignment":29,"textWrap":4},{"size":28},{"src":453,"width":33,"height":34},{"id":454},"1cd362_7450d3199469424284678e519509a52a~mv2.jpg",{"type":14,"id":456,"nodes":457,"style":458,"paragraphData":459},"n10w228197",[],{},{"textStyle":460},{"textAlignment":20},{"type":14,"id":462,"nodes":463,"style":464,"paragraphData":465},"x9n1a28204",[],{},{"textStyle":466},{"textAlignment":20},{"type":14,"id":468,"nodes":469,"style":470,"paragraphData":471},"kduny28211",[],{},{"textStyle":472},{"textAlignment":20},{"type":474,"id":475,"nodes":476,"style":482,"headingData":483},"HEADING","c9bz29145",[477],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":478,"textData":479},[],{"text":480,"decorations":481},"The role of Agriventures in supporting agrifood innovation",[],{},{"level":484,"textStyle":485},2,{"textAlignment":486},"LEFT",{"type":474,"id":488,"nodes":489,"style":495,"headingData":496},"vsnjm9147",[490],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":491,"textData":492},[],{"text":493,"decorations":494},"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.",[],{},{"level":497,"textStyle":498},6,{"textAlignment":20},{"type":500,"id":501,"nodes":502,"style":514,"blockquoteData":515},"BLOCKQUOTE","yvsa79151",[503],{"type":14,"id":504,"nodes":505,"paragraphData":511},"ltql614399",[506],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":507,"textData":508},[],{"text":509,"decorations":510},"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.",[],{"textStyle":512,"indentation":513},{"textAlignment":53},0,{},{"indentation":513},{"type":517,"id":518,"nodes":519,"buttonData":520},"BUTTON","v8jk817528",[],{"containerData":521,"type":347,"styles":526,"text":530,"link":531},{"width":522,"alignment":29,"spoiler":524,"height":525,"textWrap":4},{"size":523},"ORIGINAL",{},{},{"buttonSize":527,"background":528},"LARGE",{"type":46,"color":529},"#366E85","Find hundreds of opportunities here",{"url":532,"target":351,"rel":533},"https:\u002F\u002Fagriventures.co\u002Fpricings",{"noreferrer":4},{"type":14,"id":535,"nodes":536,"paragraphData":537},"ke05m23499",[],{"textStyle":538},{"textAlignment":53},{"type":474,"id":540,"nodes":541,"style":547,"headingData":548},"s2vt39155",[542],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":543,"textData":544},[],{"text":545,"decorations":546},"By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.",[],{},{"level":497,"textStyle":549},{"textAlignment":20},{"type":474,"id":551,"nodes":552,"style":558,"headingData":559},"m0vme9159",[553],{"type":39,"id":40,"nodes":554,"textData":555},[],{"text":556,"decorations":557},"Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.",[],{},{"level":497,"textStyle":560},{"textAlignment":20},{"type":14,"id":562,"nodes":563,"style":564,"paragraphData":565},"7p0ov14496",[],{},{"textStyle":566},{"textAlignment":20},{"type":517,"id":568,"nodes":569,"buttonData":570},"nx55n14622",[],{"containerData":571,"type":347,"styles":575,"text":578,"link":579},{"width":572,"alignment":29,"spoiler":573,"height":574,"textWrap":4},{"size":523},{},{},{"buttonSize":527,"background":576},{"type":46,"color":577},"#1E4659","Donate for our mission",{"url":580,"target":351,"rel":581},"https:\u002F\u002Fdonate.stripe.com\u002FcNiaEW0rHadWdEa0mS4wM01",{"noreferrer":4},{"type":14,"id":583,"nodes":584,"paragraphData":585},"s51zy14716",[],{"textStyle":586},{"textAlignment":53},{},{"image":589},{"url":590,"altText":7},"wix:image:\u002F\u002Fv1\u002F1cd362_e9cbc838aabf4d3ea0a33cc4dfaf36c8~mv2.jpg\u002FAgriSafe(19of204).jpg#originWidth=1024&originHeight=683","2026-07-19T19:26:00.000Z",[],[594,598,602,606,610],{"_id":595,"label":596,"slug":597},"cbecd352-91ee-4a79-8d7a-4361217b7511","News","news",{"_id":599,"label":600,"slug":601},"c91dd194-3b18-4a7a-90a6-50ead08c2a48","Digital Farming","digital-farming",{"_id":603,"label":604,"slug":605},"4df0061f-1f9e-4f0d-8498-4ac293a4fd16","Events","events",{"_id":607,"label":608,"slug":609},"4e250c66-db11-4e96-ab32-2012cbfcf98b","Carbon farming","carbon-farming",{"_id":611,"label":612,"slug":613},"35d9c4dd-a7c1-46c3-b814-5dfecce7c382","Women in Agrifood","women-in-agrifood","https:\u002F\u002Fxpsc9qx4zmq8jvdz5c8j.agriventures.co\u002Fpost\u002Fclosing-bulgaria-s-digital-gap-in-agriculture-an-interview-with-mariya-hristova","en","1cd362a1-09ac-4de4-951b-bf76d96262ce",false,[],[],[],[622,645,669,689,712,732],{"_id":623,"title":624,"slug":625,"excerpt":626,"contentText":627,"featuredMedia":628,"firstPublishedDate":631,"lastPublishedDate":631,"hashtags":632,"tags":633,"url":640,"language":615,"memberId":641,"pinned":617,"featured":617,"commentingEnabled":4,"translations":642,"categoryIds":643,"relatedPostIds":644},"ab11000e-1455-4ca2-b377-da6951948e35","SAFE-AGRI Workshop Brings Together Stakeholders to Shape Responsible Innovation in the Agri-Food Sector","safe-agri-workshop-brings-together-stakeholders-to-shape-responsible-innovation-in-the-agri-food-sec","Co-creation Workshop: \"Security and Innovation in Agri-Food Technologies: Digitalisation, Automation, Data Management and Security Assessment\" Following the successful launch of the SAFE-AGRI project, Agriventures has taken another important step towards advancing responsible innovation in the agri-food sector by delivering its first stakeholder co-creation workshop on July 6. The event brought together more than 15 participants representing academia, research organisations, technology...","Co-creation Workshop: \"Security and Innovation in Agri-Food Technologies: Digitalisation, Automation, Data Management and Security Assessment\" Following the successful launch of the SAFE-AGRI project, Agriventures has taken another important step towards advancing responsible innovation in the agri-food sector by delivering its first stakeholder co-creation workshop on July 6. The event brought together more than 15 participants representing academia, research organisations, technology providers, agricultural businesses, industry associations, innovation experts and other key stakeholders. The workshop created a collaborative environment for knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary dialogue and forward-looking discussions on the future of digital and hardware technologies in agriculture. The programme combined expert presentations with an interactive foresight and co-creation session designed under the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation (ORRI). Participants explored the opportunities and challenges associated with emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, autonomous agricultural systems, smart sensors, cloud-based infrastructures, data governance, cybersecurity and technologies with dual-use potential. The practical part of the workshop focused on three foresight scenarios, each presenting a plausible challenge for the agri-food sector in the coming decades. Working in multidisciplinary groups, participants analysed potential risks, identified vulnerabilities, reflected on ethical and societal implications, and proposed practical mitigation measures. The discussions addressed key topics such as operational resilience, food security, cybersecurity, critical digital infrastructures, data sovereignty, technological dependencies and the responsible governance of innovative technologies. The scenario-based methodology encouraged participants to examine complex issues from multiple perspectives while applying the ORRI framework of anticipation, inclusion, reflexivity and responsiveness. Through collaborative analysis and prioritisation of proposed measures, the workshop generated valuable insights that will directly contribute the project's forthcoming activities. Beyond the technical discussions, the workshop also provided an excellent opportunity for participants from different sectors to establish new connections, exchange experiences and strengthen collaboration across the innovation ecosystem. The networking session highlighted the importance of cross-sector dialogue in addressing emerging technological and societal challenges affecting the future of agriculture. The outcomes of the workshop reaffirm the value of participatory approaches in shaping resilient, secure and responsible innovation. By actively engaging diverse stakeholder communities, SAFE-AGRI continues to build a strong foundation for developing practical guidance that supports the safe adoption of advanced digital and hardware technologies across the European agri-food sector. As the project progresses, the knowledge and recommendations generated during this workshop will inform the next stages of the SAFE-AGRI initiative, contributing to evidence-based policy recommendations, practical tools and collaborative solutions that promote trustworthy, sustainable and secure technological innovation in agriculture. Want to learn more about the SAFE-AGRI initiative? Read our previous article about the project's official launch here: https:\u002F\u002Fagriventures.co\u002Fupdates\u002Fsafe-agri-initiative-officially-kicks-off Explore funding opportunities matched to your innovation, or get in touch with our team to discuss how AgriVentures can support your next step. 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. By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets. Safe-Agri is funded within the framework of the REINFORCING project. REINFORCING has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101094687. The project is supported by the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the REA, or the REINFORCING consortium. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.",{"image":629},{"url":630,"altText":624},"wix:image:\u002F\u002Fv1\u002Fe54875_882b6fd55c1b4941a99b407d23e88f8a~mv2.png\u002FIMG_7795.HEIC#originWidth=4032&originHeight=3024","2026-07-09T07:58:44.787Z",[],[634,635,639],{"_id":595,"label":596,"slug":597},{"_id":636,"label":637,"slug":638},"b759c01d-1f8c-4d93-993b-c82e8285d11d","Agriventures updates","agriventures-updates",{"_id":599,"label":600,"slug":601},"https:\u002F\u002Fxpsc9qx4zmq8jvdz5c8j.agriventures.co\u002Fpost\u002Fsafe-agri-workshop-brings-together-stakeholders-to-shape-responsible-innovation-in-the-agri-food-sec","af8843a1-fdf7-4a06-91ed-f5fad4c86c5c",[],[],[],{"_id":646,"title":647,"slug":648,"excerpt":649,"contentText":650,"featuredMedia":651,"firstPublishedDate":654,"lastPublishedDate":654,"hashtags":655,"tags":656,"url":664,"language":615,"memberId":665,"pinned":617,"featured":617,"commentingEnabled":4,"translations":666,"categoryIds":667,"relatedPostIds":668},"915db5f4-aea2-4304-8e7c-27e8167061c0","Agriventures member spotlight: The Good Club achieves a major milestone with its ESG impact reporting methodology ","agriventures-member-spotlight-the-good-club-achieves-a-major-milestone-with-its-esg-impact-reportin","We are proud to celebrate an important achievement by our member The Good Club, which has successfully validated the methodology behind its ESG Impact Reporting through an independent assessment by Bureau Veritas. This milestone marks an important step in transforming an innovative concept into a trusted solution that businesses can confidently adopt. From Innovation to Market-Ready Solution Building a new product requires more than a great idea. It takes continuous testing, validation,...","We are proud to celebrate an important achievement by our member The Good Club, which has successfully validated the methodology behind its ESG Impact Reporting through an independent assessment by Bureau Veritas. This milestone marks an important step in transforming an innovative concept into a trusted solution that businesses can confidently adopt. From Innovation to Market-Ready Solution Building a new product requires more than a great idea. It takes continuous testing, validation, collaboration with early adopters to create a solution that delivers real value. Following the successful validation of its methodology, The Good Club has now completed its first ESG Impact Report for a pilot company - demonstrating how employee benefit programmes can generate measurable environmental and social impact while supporting more sustainable purchasing decisions. Supporting local producers through better employee benefits The Good Club is rethinking employee benefits by connecting companies with carefully assessed local farmers and food producers. Through its platform, employees gain access to high-quality, locally produced food, while businesses strengthen their sustainability performance and contribute to shorter, more resilient food supply chains. By supporting responsible producers and encouraging local purchasing, the platform helps generate positive impacts for businesses, consumers, and the agri-food ecosystem alike. At Agriventures, our mission is to help startups and innovative companies transform promising ideas into market-ready solutions that generate real impact across the agri-food sector. We are proud to have supported The Good Club in reaching this important milestone and look forward to seeing its platform continue connecting businesses with local producers, strengthening short food supply chains, and making healthy, sustainably produced food more accessible. Congratulations to the entire The Good Club team on this achievement—we wish you continued success as you scale your impact. \n 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. By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.",{"image":652},{"url":653,"altText":647},"wix:image:\u002F\u002Fv1\u002F1cd362_5299ef621cfb4179b8fd889f4a95dce8~mv2.png\u002Fimage.png#originWidth=1280&originHeight=720","2026-06-26T09:33:52.982Z",[],[657,658,659,663],{"_id":595,"label":596,"slug":597},{"_id":636,"label":637,"slug":638},{"_id":660,"label":661,"slug":662},"f9f2e1a0-44fd-4c5b-a217-b40339fe390e","Our Focus","our-focus",{"_id":611,"label":612,"slug":613},"https:\u002F\u002Fxpsc9qx4zmq8jvdz5c8j.agriventures.co\u002Fpost\u002Fagriventures-member-spotlight-the-good-club-achieves-a-major-milestone-with-its-esg-impact-reportin","ac0c59a4-e1e1-4399-9f88-500dac6c8de7",[],[],[],{"_id":670,"title":671,"slug":672,"excerpt":673,"contentText":674,"featuredMedia":675,"firstPublishedDate":678,"lastPublishedDate":678,"hashtags":679,"tags":680,"url":685,"language":615,"memberId":665,"pinned":617,"featured":617,"commentingEnabled":4,"translations":686,"categoryIds":687,"relatedPostIds":688},"d393b4f8-459b-4247-be62-9f132b1dd845","Agriventures member spotlight: Smart Farm Robotix and the vision for the future of autonomous farming","agriventures-member-spotlight-smart-farm-robotix-and-the-vision-for-the-future-of-autonomous-farmin","How can artificial intelligence and robotics help farmers overcome one of agriculture’s most persistent challenges? In a recent interview with the Center for Data Innovation, Rossen Kolev discussed how Bulgarian agri-tech startup Smart Farm Robotix is developing autonomous robotic solutions designed to transform weed management for small and medium-sized farms. Tackling a major challenge in Agriculture Weed control remains one of the most labour-intensive and costly activities in agriculture,...","How can artificial intelligence and robotics help farmers overcome one of agriculture’s most persistent challenges? In a recent interview with the Center for Data Innovation, Rossen Kolev discussed how Bulgarian agri-tech startup Smart Farm Robotix is developing autonomous robotic solutions designed to transform weed management for small and medium-sized farms. Tackling a major challenge in Agriculture Weed control remains one of the most labour-intensive and costly activities in agriculture, particularly for organic producers who cannot rely on conventional herbicides. According to Kolev, many existing robotic solutions are either too expensive or designed for the large, flat fields common in Northern Europe, making them less suitable for the diverse terrain found across Southern and Eastern Europe. To address this gap, Smart Farm Robotix has developed an autonomous field robot that combines computer vision, artificial intelligence, and robotics to identify and remove weeds with high precision while operating in real farming conditions. AI and Robotics supporting sustainable farming The company’s approach focuses on reducing manual labour requirements while supporting more sustainable agricultural practices. By using AI-powered identification systems and autonomous navigation, the robot can distinguish weeds from crops and perform targeted interventions without relying on chemical herbicides. This technology has particular relevance for organic farming, aromatic and medicinal crops, and other production systems where weed management remains a significant operational challenge. A Growing Bulgarian Innovation Success Story Founded in Bulgaria, Smart Farm Robotix has become one of the region’s most promising agri-tech ventures, demonstrating how advanced technologies developed in Central and Eastern Europe can address global agricultural challenges. The company is focused on creating accessible and scalable robotic solutions that can support farmers facing labour shortages, rising costs, and increasing sustainability requirements. The interview highlights a broader trend across agriculture: the convergence of artificial intelligence, automation, and precision farming technologies that are helping producers improve efficiency while reducing environmental impact. Read the full Interview The complete interview with Rossen Kolev is available through the Center for Data Innovation. 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. By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.",{"image":676},{"url":677,"altText":671},"wix:image:\u002F\u002Fv1\u002Fnsplsh_574437426f7150726a5945~mv2.jpg\u002FMale%20mechanical%20engineer%20with%20sustainable%20agricultural%20robot%20in%20field.jpg#originWidth=5472&originHeight=3648","2026-06-26T09:32:59.850Z",[],[681,682,683,684],{"_id":595,"label":596,"slug":597},{"_id":636,"label":637,"slug":638},{"_id":599,"label":600,"slug":601},{"_id":660,"label":661,"slug":662},"https:\u002F\u002Fxpsc9qx4zmq8jvdz5c8j.agriventures.co\u002Fpost\u002Fagriventures-member-spotlight-smart-farm-robotix-and-the-vision-for-the-future-of-autonomous-farmin",[],[],[],{"_id":690,"title":691,"slug":692,"excerpt":693,"contentText":694,"featuredMedia":695,"firstPublishedDate":698,"lastPublishedDate":698,"hashtags":699,"tags":700,"url":708,"language":615,"memberId":665,"pinned":617,"featured":617,"commentingEnabled":4,"translations":709,"categoryIds":710,"relatedPostIds":711},"4041f0e2-4b25-43a7-9f81-4d2c38ea7a2d","Circular voices wraps up: Explore the farmer's stories on circularity, Toolkits and inspiration that continue beyond the project ","circular-voices-wraps-up-explore-the-farmer-s-stories-on-circularity-toolkits-and-inspiration-that","As June marks the official conclusion of the Circular Voices initiative, we would like to thank everyone who contributed to making this journey possible—from farmers and entrepreneurs to researchers, facilitators, and ecosystem partners across Bulgaria and Spain. While the project has reached its final chapter, its results are only beginning to create lasting impact. Capturing the voices behind circular agriculture Circular Voices was created to uncover, document, and amplify inspiring...","As June marks the official conclusion of the Circular Voices initiative, we would like to thank everyone who contributed to making this journey possible—from farmers and entrepreneurs to researchers, facilitators, and ecosystem partners across Bulgaria and Spain. While the project has reached its final chapter, its results are only beginning to create lasting impact. Capturing the voices behind circular agriculture Circular Voices was created to uncover, document, and amplify inspiring examples of circular agriculture and innovation. Rather than focusing solely on technologies, the project placed farmers and practitioners at the centre, showcasing the people, ideas, and practical solutions driving the transition towards more resilient food systems. Throughout the project, we explored real examples of circular practices, highlighted local innovations, and facilitated knowledge exchange between stakeholders working towards a more sustainable future for agriculture. Practical Resources Available for Everyone One of the project's key ambitions was to ensure that its knowledge remains openly accessible beyond its lifetime. Visitors to the Circular Voices website can now explore a growing collection of resources, including: Practical  Toolkit; Inspiring Farmer Stories from Bulgaria and Spain; Best practice examples and innovation case studies; Communication materials and project publications; Whether you are looking for practical inspiration, examples of circular business models, or tools to assess sustainable farming, these resources are freely available to anyone. Continuing the Conversation Circular Voices has shown that some of the most powerful innovations begin with collaboration, dialogue, and the willingness to share experiences. We hope the stories collected throughout the project will continue inspiring farmers, startups, researchers, and organisations to explore circular approaches that strengthen both agricultural resilience and rural communities. Explore the Project Results All project resources are available free of charge at: 👉 https:\u002F\u002Fcircular.agriventures.co\u002F 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. By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.",{"image":696},{"url":697,"altText":691},"wix:image:\u002F\u002Fv1\u002F1cd362_14a058db7b034747b67aca19dba58833~mv2.jpg\u002F%D0%BA%D1%80%D1%8A%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B8(42of216).jpg#originWidth=4500&originHeight=3000","2026-06-26T09:29:24.401Z",[],[701,702,706,707],{"_id":595,"label":596,"slug":597},{"_id":703,"label":704,"slug":705},"7a0b69d8-2238-4b96-b124-894fb4fa6a61","Sustainable & Circular Agrifood","sustainable-circular-agrifood",{"_id":636,"label":637,"slug":638},{"_id":660,"label":661,"slug":662},"https:\u002F\u002Fxpsc9qx4zmq8jvdz5c8j.agriventures.co\u002Fpost\u002Fcircular-voices-wraps-up-explore-the-farmer-s-stories-on-circularity-toolkits-and-inspiration-that",[],[],[],{"_id":713,"title":714,"slug":715,"excerpt":716,"contentText":717,"featuredMedia":718,"firstPublishedDate":721,"lastPublishedDate":721,"hashtags":722,"tags":723,"url":728,"language":615,"memberId":665,"pinned":617,"featured":617,"commentingEnabled":4,"translations":729,"categoryIds":730,"relatedPostIds":731},"8e2f7f20-07d9-432b-bb9c-93a9e6f373c0","Agriventures wins Gold at the Facilitation Impact Awards 2026 ","agriventures-wins-gold-at-the-facilitation-impact-awards-2026","We are delighted to announce that Agriventures has been awarded the Gold Award at the Facilitation Impact Awards (FIA) 2026 for its Circular Voices initiative—an international recognition presented by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) to projects that achieve exceptional impact through facilitative methodologies. This milestone is particularly significant as Circular Voices is the first Bulgarian initiative to receive this prestigious international recognition, selected...","We are delighted to announce that Agriventures has been awarded the Gold Award at the Facilitation Impact Awards (FIA) 2026 for its Circular Voices initiative—an international recognition presented by the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) to projects that achieve exceptional impact through facilitative methodologies. This milestone is particularly significant as Circular Voices is the first Bulgarian initiative to receive this prestigious international recognition, selected among thousands of submissions from around the world. Recognising the Power of Collaboration Developed by Agriventures in partnership with U Grow Academy and supported by the Circular Food Systems Network, Circular Voices set out to discover, document, and amplify inspiring examples of circular agriculture and innovation across Bulgaria and Spain. Together with our Spanish partner ALBERIZAS CEUTA SL, led by Sonsoles Jiménez, we worked alongside farmers, entrepreneurs, and innovators to capture practical stories demonstrating how circular approaches can strengthen resilience, create new business opportunities, and inspire change across the agri-food sector. More Than a Project - A Process that creates impact The Facilitation Impact Awards recognise initiatives where facilitation becomes a driver of meaningful change. Throughout Circular Voices, we created spaces where farmers, researchers, businesses, and innovation actors could exchange experiences, learn from one another, and co-create knowledge. The resulting farmer stories, practical toolkits, and communication resources continue to inspire organisations well beyond the project's duration. This award recognises not only the project's results, but also the collaborative process that made those results possible. A Shared achievement This recognition belongs to everyone who contributed to the journey. We sincerely thank our partners at U Grow Academy, especially Dilyana Dragomirova for her trust and partnership, and Ralitsa Lyubenova for designing and facilitating an outstanding collaborative process. We are equally grateful to the Circular Food Systems Network for recognising and supporting the initiative, to our partners at ALBERIZAS CEUTA SL, and to every farmer and innovator who generously shared their experiences. Finally, we thank the Agriventures team—Dilyana Kutsarova, Mariya Hristova, Ivaylo Yankov, and Roza Mitova—whose dedication made this achievement possible. Looking Ahead Winning the Gold Facilitation Impact Award reinforces Agriventures' mission to create meaningful impact through innovation, collaboration, and community building. As Circular Voices officially concludes, its legacy continues through the freely available farmer stories, practical toolkits, and knowledge resources available on the project website, inspiring the next generation of circular agriculture initiatives across Europe. This recognition motivates us to continue developing projects that bring people together, transform knowledge into action, and accelerate sustainable innovation throughout the agri-food sector. Explore the project results All project resources are available free of charge at: 👉 https:\u002F\u002Fcircular.agriventures.co\u002F 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. By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.",{"image":719},{"url":720,"altText":714},"wix:image:\u002F\u002Fv1\u002F5fcabf_635a77336acc404da14d394a9124cc74~mv2.png\u002Fimage.png#originWidth=1276&originHeight=718","2026-06-26T09:28:18.953Z",[],[724,725,726,727],{"_id":595,"label":596,"slug":597},{"_id":703,"label":704,"slug":705},{"_id":636,"label":637,"slug":638},{"_id":660,"label":661,"slug":662},"https:\u002F\u002Fxpsc9qx4zmq8jvdz5c8j.agriventures.co\u002Fpost\u002Fagriventures-wins-gold-at-the-facilitation-impact-awards-2026",[],[],[],{"_id":733,"title":734,"slug":735,"excerpt":736,"contentText":737,"featuredMedia":738,"firstPublishedDate":741,"lastPublishedDate":741,"hashtags":742,"tags":743,"url":748,"language":615,"memberId":616,"pinned":617,"featured":617,"commentingEnabled":4,"translations":749,"categoryIds":750,"relatedPostIds":751},"6b54eabf-7dfe-4071-835a-a35cd28eaa9f","Agriventures Joins SYSARM: Helping Europe’s Farmers ","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...","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\u002F100 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. By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems. Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.",{"image":739},{"url":740,"altText":734},"wix:image:\u002F\u002Fv1\u002F1cd362_a523bce74be54d1994777fb86657f261~mv2.jpeg#originWidth=1200&originHeight=1600","2026-06-14T21:08:54.023Z",[],[744,745,746,747],{"_id":636,"label":637,"slug":638},{"_id":595,"label":596,"slug":597},{"_id":603,"label":604,"slug":605},{"_id":703,"label":704,"slug":705},"https:\u002F\u002Fxpsc9qx4zmq8jvdz5c8j.agriventures.co\u002Fpost\u002Fagriventures-joins-sysarm-helping-europe-s-farmers",[],[],[],1784489277187]