CODECS project has released a new policy brief, Policy Tools for Agricultural Digitalisation, authored by European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL) colleagues Serafin Pazos-Vidal, Gianluca Asaro, Blanca Casares, Raquel Pastor Carretero and Janne Sinerma.
The policy brief presents:
- From Evidence to Decisions: A Practical Guide to Agricultural Digitalisation, helping policymakers use evidence, indicators and stakeholder knowledge to support decision-making;
- Guidelines for Local Digitalisation Strategies in Agriculture and Rural Areas, supporting the development of place-based digitalisation strategies tailored to local needs and conditions;
- Checklist for Public Investment in the Digitalisation of Agriculture and Rural Areas, helping public authorities design, assess, prioritise and monitor digitalisation investments.
Together, the three tools support the full policy cycle, from understanding digitalisation trends and local realities, to developing strategies and assessing investment priorities.
The brief highlights a central finding of the CODECS project: successful digitalisation is not simply a question of technology adoption. Its impacts depend on a wider ecosystem that includes infrastructure, skills, advisory services, governance arrangements, investment capacity and local socio-economic conditions. As a result, policies and investments that work in one territory may not automatically succeed in another.
To address this challenge, the tools translate the evidence and lessons generated through CODECS into practical instruments that support more informed, transparent and effective decision-making. They help public authorities assess digitalisation needs and opportunities, develop place-based responses and ensure that public investment contributes to long-term economic, environmental and social objectives.
Building on findings from across the project, the brief calls for stronger evidence-based policymaking, place-sensitive digitalisation strategies and investments that address enabling conditions such as connectivity, interoperability, digital skills and advisory support alongside technology deployment. It also emphasises the importance of strong Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) and closer collaboration between farmers, advisors, researchers, cooperatives, educational institutions and technology providers.
The brief further argues, in line with the CODECS Policy Recommendations and the results of the CODECS Final Conference that digitalisation should contribute to broader goals including competitiveness, sustainability, resilience, food security and territorial cohesion. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring that small and medium-sized farms, remote rural areas and other groups facing barriers to adoption are not left behind.
As the European Union and Member States prepare the next generation of agricultural, rural and regional policies, including the National and Regional Partnership Plans for 2028-2034, the CODECS tools provide practical support for turning digitalisation ambitions into evidence-based actions that deliver tangible benefits for farmers, rural communities and society as a whole.
