Author: Vineta Gailite (EMU)
The Estonian/Latvian CODECS Living Lab, “Drone Tech in Grassland Management,” was recently featured at the EU CAP Network’s brokerage event, Partnering for Innovation with Impact in Agriculture and Rural Areas, held on 29–30 April 2025 in Prague, Czech Republic.
Representing the Living Lab were Vineta Gailite, environmental protection researcher at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and a Latvian cattle farmer engaged in the conservation of EU-protected grassland habitats and restoration of heritage landscapes. Their shared work highlights how remote sensing technologies (particularly drone-based monitoring) are being co-designed and applied in regenerative and conservation-focused farming systems.
Bridging Tech and Nature in Grasslands
The CODECS Living Lab focuses on creating and refining drone-based remote sensing methodologies to support biodiversity conservation and land stewardship. This work aligns closely with the goals of the EU Nature Restoration Law and offers practical tools for farmers involved in rewilding and semi-natural grassland management.
Through a poster presentation, they demonstrated how her team assists farmers in using drone flights to collect aerial data, map vegetation, and monitor field conditions. This approach helps livestock farmers (working with cattle, horses, sheep, and other herbivores) optimise land use while saving time and costs. The resulting data also supports peer-to-peer learning, collaborative planning, and the development of digital conservation strategies.
“Our Living Labs farmers see themselves as artists and the landscape as their canvas,” said Vineta Gailite. “We, the remote sensing team, want to keep supporting them in achieving nature restoration goals and improving land management through practical applications of technology.”
Building Cross-Border Partnerships
The brokerage event offered participants dynamic matchmaking sessions and thematic discussions on digital technologies, sustainable livestock, circular water systems, and soil health. It served as a platform for forming new partnerships ahead of the 2025 Horizon funding cycle.
For the CODECS team, the event not only expanded their Baltic professional network, but also opened new doors. One exciting outcome: an invitation to present at the upcoming international scientific conference, Living Labs: Opening Innovation Ecosystems for Co-Creation and Greater Impact, on 27 May 2025 in Kaunas, Lithuania.
Most importantly, the event fostered exchanges with other EU CAP Network participants, helping to lay the groundwork for future consortia and projects that will build on the innovation and collaboration started within the CODECS Living Lab.
Learn more about the Latvian demo farm.
