Innovation in the Farm Office for Smart Sustainability Reporting

Abstract

SummaryFarms face an increasing administrative burden due to the push for a more sustainable agri‐food system. Farms are required to demonstrate compliance with various sustainability schemes, and this trend is expected to intensify with a more performance‐based CAP and new directives and regulations. The need for smart data reporting is emphasised, with a focus on minimising the administrative burden, creating useful systems and indicators for farm management, and ensuring auditability.We advocate smart reporting as a solution and innovation in the farm office. The integration of data from Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS) with sustainability indicators is proposed in order to streamline the reporting process. The importance of using technology, such as e‐invoicing and robotic accounting, is highlighted to monitor and report crucial performance data. The integration of FMIS and Farm Financial Accounting (FFA) is proposed as a solution to enhance auditability and reduce manual input. The potential benefits of fully digital invoices and delivery notes to further streamline data exchange are proposed. Additionally, the paper discusses the role of central databases in the dairy sector.Policy implications for governments in promoting data‐intensive relationships with farmers are identified. They build upon previous policy measures that involved accounting within farms and the digital exchange of data.The paper concludes by emphasising the importance of supporting innovation in the farm office to unlock the full potential of technologies like blockchain, big data analysis, artificial intelligence and sustainability management.