This blog post is based on the 14th Practice Abstract from the second batch of Farmtopia Practice Abstracts.
Farmers collect increasing amounts of information about their day-to-day activities, from crop operations and spray events to yields and other performance indicators. But having data available does not automatically make it easy to understand whether a farm is improving or how its performance compares with similar farms.
Benchmarking can help turn farm records into useful comparisons. However, fragmented records, inconsistent data structures and manual spreadsheet-based comparisons can make the process time-consuming and difficult to maintain.
Farmtopia developed a Benchmarking Tool to demonstrate how structured farm data can be transformed into practical insights for farmers, advisors, cooperatives and AgTech providers.
From farm records to comparable insights
The Farmtopia Benchmarking Tool is built on the project’s Digital Fieldbook and Data Exchange modules.
The tool reuses the Fieldbook’s structured data for farm observations and activities, while the Data Exchange module supports interoperable access to comparable datasets. Its implementation is also aligned with Gaiasense FMIS integration, demonstrating how Farmtopia’s core modules can be incorporated into an operational farm management environment.
Instead of manually preparing spreadsheets for every comparison, the tool works with structured farm records and applies consistent definitions to performance indicators.
As new data become available, comparisons can be updated, reducing manual preparation and making it easier to monitor performance over time.
Testing the tool on avocado farms
The Benchmarking Tool was tested using data from two farms participating in Farmtopia’s SIP1, focusing on spray events in avocado production. The approach allowed a farmer, together with an advisor, to compare selected indicators with values from a relevant peer group.
The same indicators could then be monitored during the following production period, helping assess whether performance was improving and identify areas where further action might be needed. This type of comparison can help move farm data from being simply recorded to being actively used as part of decision-making.
Who can benefit from benchmarking?
The tool has potential applications beyond individual farms.
– Farmers can compare selected performance indicators against relevant reference groups and track changes over time.
– Advisors can use aggregated benchmarking results to support group-level advisory services, training and more targeted interventions.
– Cooperatives and producer groups can identify shared constraints across their members and prioritise collective improvements in productivity, sustainability and resource efficiency.
– For AgTech SMEs, the Farmtopia implementation provides a reference for developing benchmarking functions using compatible and structured farm data.
What are the benefits?
The Farmtopia approach offers several practical advantages:
– Performance comparison: Farm records can be transformed into comparable indicators across farms, groups or regions.
– Interoperability: The tool builds on standardised Farmtopia data structures rather than creating a separate benchmarking data model.
– Decision support: Farmers and advisors can identify gaps, trends and opportunities using information already collected during everyday farm operations.
– Reduced implementation effort: Reusing the Digital Fieldbook and Data Exchange functionality can reduce the work required to develop a benchmarking service from scratch.
Looking ahead
The Benchmarking Tool can be further developed by expanding the range of indicators available for comparison and strengthening its visual dashboards. As more structured farm data becomes available, benchmarking services such as this could help farmers and advisors move towards more continuous, evidence-based monitoring of farm performance.
See the Farmtopia Benchmarking Service in action: The Farmtopia Farm Benchmarking Service is available on the Farmtopia YouTube channel for a closer look at how the tool works.
Based on Farmtopia Practice Abstract 14
This blog post was created from Practice Abstract 14: “Farmtopia Benchmarking Tool”, part of the second batch of Farmtopia Practice Abstracts.
Publisher: NEUROPUBLIC
Author: Odysseas Sekkas
Contact: o_sekkas@neuropublic.gr
The Practice Abstract and related Farmtopia resources provide further information about the implementation and use of the benchmarking service.