Recently, BRT Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hynek Roubík and BRT Communications Manager Dr. Stacy Hammond from the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU) traveled to Colombia and Chile as part of the COMUNIDAD project. These visits aimed to strengthen collaboration, exchange knowledge, and support sustainable solutions in agriculture, forestry, and environmental management.
Within the COMUNIDAD project, the CZU team leads Work Packages 5 (WP5) and 6 (WP6). WP5 focuses on the development of the COMUNIDAD platform, ensuring its design aligns with requirements from system architecture research. This includes internal testing, initial release preparation, and refinement based on pilot testing and workshop feedback. WP6 manages dissemination and exploitation, fostering engagement with stakeholders, ensuring interoperability with EU and CELAC initiatives, and coordinating with related projects to enhance project impact.
Colombia: Understanding Coffee Production and Research
First, the COMUNIDAD team visited key locations in Colombia, including Bogotá, Cenicafé, and Manizales, to gain a deeper understanding of the country’s coffee sector and its challenges. The visit began with meetings at the Czech Embassy in Colombia and the National Federation of Coffee Growers (FNC) headquarters to strengthen cooperation between European research institutions and Colombian coffee producers. At Cenicafé, the FNC’s research branch, the team explored current advancements in coffee science and technology.
In Manizales, the delegation engaged with the FNC’s Extension Service and visited the Universidad Autónoma de Manizales, a key COMUNIDAD partner. The agenda included meetings with university leadership, lab visits, and discussions with local authorities. The trip concluded with a visit to coffee farms, where participants met with farmers, observed production methods, and explored the UNESCO-listed coffee-growing landscape.
These engagements provided insights into the challenges of coffee farming in Colombia, informing strategies for developing practical, sustainable solutions within the COMUNIDAD project.
Chile: Implementing Advanced Technologies for Sustainability
After Colombia, the COMUNIDAD team traveled to Chile to advance the integration of COPERNICUS services in agriculture and environmental management. The focus was on leveraging Earth Observation data and decision-making tools to support local communities in Chile’s pilot regions. The visit began in Santiago with meetings involving FIA, the Universidad de Aysén, the Czech Ambassador, and representatives from Chile’s agriculture and technology sectors, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Universidad de Chile’s Center for Mathematical Modeling.
The team then traveled to the Aysén Region in Chilean Patagonia, an ecologically diverse area suited for testing COPERNICUS-based environmental solutions. In Coyhaique, discussions with local authorities, agricultural and forestry stakeholders, and researchers focused on snow cover estimation, native forest restoration, and water resource management.
A field visit to Cerro Castillo and Nirehuao allowed the team to assess real-time agricultural and forestry impacts and identify local challenges. The trip emphasized both technology implementation and long-term partnerships for sustainable, locally driven solutions.
Next Steps
The visits to Colombia and Chile reinforced the importance of collaboration in addressing agricultural and environmental challenges. Direct engagement with stakeholders, researchers, and local communities provided valuable insights that will guide the development of data-driven solutions tailored to regional needs.
Stay tuned for updates on the outcomes of these strategic visits and follow COMUNIDAD on social media for additional insights!
COMUNIDAD website: HERE
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