LAND SOURCE OF INCOME FOUNDATION – PLOVDIV – WINS THE INNOVATIVE FARMER OF THE YEAR 2017 COMPETITION

Science and Innovation in Support of Agriculture conference was held in Sofia on November 30, 2017. It was organized by Economedia as part of a project promoting EU Common Agricultural Policy. The project is co-funded by the European Commission. Co-organizers of the conference were Capital newspaper and ICT Media.

Vladislav Tzvetanov, State Expert at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, presented the opportunities provided by the Rural Development Program 2014-2020 for partnership in the field of agriculture between the scientific community, businesses, consultants and farmers. According to the analysis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, investment in innovation is very risky for farmers and especially for small farms, yet it is of vital importance, therefore serious support is needed.

The President of the Institute for Agro-Science and Innovation Svetlana Boyanova announced that the institute has filed an application for financing a project for the creation of the first digital innovation hub in Bulgaria in the field of agriculture.

Petya Koumanova from the National Agricultural Advisory Service presented two innovative international projects under the European Horizon 2020 program. The first project – PLAID – is targeted at giving farmers access to innovations and exchange of good practices through demonstrations. The second one – NEFERTITI –also includes exchange of knowledge and good practices through demonstrations and includes 32 participants in an international consortium and will be launched in 2018.

During the conference awards were given to the winners of the contest “Innovative Farmer of the Year”.
Several innovative projects were presented, including the urban aquaponic roof farm of the Thracian University in Stara Zagora, and a project for information technology based biomonitoring of bee families.

The proposals were evaluated by a four-member jury composed of: Lubomir Vassilev, project manager at Economedia, Vladimir Vladkov, publisher at Computerworld Bulgaria, Svetlana Boyanova, chairman of the Institute for Agro-Science and Innovation, and Nikolay Valkanov, manager of InteliAgro Foundation.

Five projects were awarded at the Economedia-organized competition, with the jury nominating two winners in this first edition of the competition.

For its social innovation, the sustainability of the applied model, and its successful roll-out in a number of regions in Bulgaria, the Land – Source of Income foundation won the first prize. Lubomir Vassilev, Project Manager at Economedia handed a symbolic travel bag to the GFIA Europe Global Forum for Innovation in Agriculture in the Netherlands to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation Prof. Ivan Penov.

With an equal score the company Machine Building – DS shared the first place in the competition. The company was founded by the farmer Dimitar Slavov He invented and produced a lavender harvesting machine “LHM-Magdalena”, thus finding a solution to one of the chronic problems of the producers of essential oil crops – the lack of manpower. At present, his company is fully booked with orders for LHM-Magdalena until 2019.

The third place in the innovative competition was shared by three projects:

The representatives of Hrancoop – Sofia, Ralitsa Kasimova and Nikolay Genov were awarded for the sustainable development of the model of the farmers’ markets in Bulgaria, which provide a direct link between small farms and consumers. The award was presented by Mr. Lyubomir Vassilev, project manager at Economedia.

Ognian Chikov, MSc Eng., received an award for his intelligent vertical home farm. The vertical farm, equipped with sensors, indicators and other technologies, ensures the production of vegetables and herbs needed to feed the household. It can be placed in a room at home, on a balcony or other suitable place.

The third awarded innovative project was that of Milen Markov, founder of the Agroregal platform, which provides information to traveling Bulgarians about the closest small farm and their production and goods on stock. During the award ceremony, Markov announced that the platform is already in use in India and South Korea and is also a regional finalist in the European competition for projects based on satellite navigation.

During the conference, all participants shared the understanding of the great role that family farms and small businesses play in economic and social development of the country, and the need to support innovation in smaller farms.

More photos from the event