The world of agriculture today

Agriculture in Wallonia is evolving along the same lines as elsewhere in Europe. Beside production activities, the need to manage rural areas and maintain the quality of the environment is giving rise to a whole string of new activities. At the administrative level, it is the regional authorities that have had full responsibility for these activities since 2002, acting as the interface between the farmers and the constantly updated European directives. This interface role extends beyond the complex organisation required to distribute farming subsidies and includes management of the various agri-environmental interests, such as the preservation of ecosystems, maintenance of landscape diversity, conservation of the local rural heritage and sustainable agriculture.

Geomatics is extremely useful for such large-scale planning. It serves as an aid in developing the tools needed for supervision, monitoring and decision-making. Drawing on the expertise of four research centres, the SAGRIWATEL project integrated remote sensing alongside other information systems with the aim of developing applications of practical use in the fi eld. These applications give access to valuable information on the agri-environmental practices that farmers can adopt, such as the optimal location of fi eld borders, the crop succession and rotation, possible use of vegetation cover in winter, or the correct quantities of nitrogenous fertilizer to be used in maize fi elds. In return, the compilation of these material data can also serve to usefully support the agricultural world in a broader frame.