GAIA
Sector: Almond farming
Countries Involved: Spain, Salamanca region
Partners involved:
● Xilbi Sistemas de Informacion SL: ADS provider
● Gregorio García Sánchez: Almond producers, pilot farm
Challenges in Sustainable Almond Farming
Almond farming faces growing water scarcity, high input costs and stringent sustainability requirements. Specifically in Salamanca, irrigation is the largest controllable cost and a growing risk due to variable water availability and heat events. Traditional practices offer limited precision, leaving farmers vulnerable to inefficiencies in irrigation, fertiliser use and pest management. At the same time, small and medium-sized growers often lack access to advanced digital tools capable of providing real-time insights and adaptive, data-driven decisions support.
How Will GAIA Address the Challenge?
GAIA introduces an ADS that integrates IoT sensors, AI-driven analytics, cognitive cloud computing, Copernicus satellite data, and 3D digital twin (Cesium). The SIP combines Farmtopia’s reusable components: Digital Field Book, Data Exchange Module, and Data Integration Module, with TensorFlow-powered AI to analyze environmental and sensor data, delivering actionable insights for farmers. A conversational AI assistant, based on large language models, provides user-friendly, natural-language access to recommendations for farmers.
The GAIA business model approach is designed to be scalable and interoperable, enabling future expansion to other crops and regions. Its cognitive cloud infrastructure and reusable components reduce deployment costs and support long-term sustainability and market uptake. Key benefits: 20% reduction in water consumption; 30% reduction in fertilizer runoff; 15% reduction in operational costs.