How We Are Building the Future of Agricultural Data
The Common European Agricultural Data Space (CEADS) is a European initiative that enables trusted, interoperable, and sovereign data sharing across the agri‑food sector. CEADS is not a single platform or data marketplace. Instead, it is a federated data ecosystem that connects existing data sharing initiatives, organisations, and services across Europe under shared rules and standards.
CEADS helps farmers, companies, researchers, and public authorities share and reuse data securely and transparently, while keeping control over their data and respecting existing business models, legal obligations, and national contexts.
The CEADS common vision
The CEADS Common Vision describes how Europe can build a federated agricultural data ecosystem. In this vision:
- data remains with the organisations and initiatives that manage it,
- CEADS provides shared rules, governance, and interoperability services,
- interoperability is achieved through common standards and trust mechanisms,
- value is created through applications and use cases developed by participants.
CEADS evolves step by step through practical experience and real needs, rather than through a fixed or centralized blueprint. It is built around three interconnected layers, which work together:
Collaboration framework
governance & rules
The collaboration framework defines how CEADS operates. It sets out:
- who can participate in CEADS,
- the roles and responsibilities of participants,
- governance structures and decision‑making,
- legal, ethical, and behavioural rules for data sharing.
These rules are formalised through the CEADS Rulebook and the Data Space Specific Code of Conduct, ensuring trust, fairness, and compliance across Europe.
CEADS services
interoperability & trust
This layer provides shared services that enable data sharing in practice, such as:
- identity and onboarding,
- participant registries,
- consent and permission handling,
- data catalogues and interoperability services.
Some services are provided centrally to guarantee trust and coherence across Europe, while others can be implemented by participants or third parties, as long as they comply with CEADS requirements. This hybrid approach ensures interoperability without restricting innovation or forcing a single technical solution.
Applications and use cases
value creation
CEADS itself does not build end‑user applications. Instead, applications such as advisory tools, dashboards, farm management systems, or reporting services are developed and operated by CEADS participants. CEADS provides the trusted foundation that allows these applications to scale across borders and sectors.
Real‑world use cases play a central role in shaping CEADS and demonstrating its value in practice.
Our work
Demonstrating
Real-World Value
- Led by: Josephinum Research (Austria)
- Co-led by: Teagasc - Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Ireland)
At the heart of CEADS are eight practical, real-world use cases. We work directly with stakeholders across Europe to deploy applications that solve genuine challenges, from monitoring farm performance to improving supply chain transparency. This hands-on approach proves the value of data sharing and builds solutions that address the actual needs of the agricultural community.
Our focus is on tangible results that farmers, businesses, and researchers can see and benefit from immediately, while building the foundation for even greater innovations ahead.
Creating the
Technical Backbone
- Led by: Fraunhofer Institute (Germany)
- Co-led by: Fondazione Bruno Kessler (Italy)
We’re engineering a secure, reliable, and interoperable technical infrastructure that serves as the digital backbone of CEADS. This allows data to be shared safely and seamlessly across different systems and borders throughout Europe.
Our technical team is building the tools for identity management, data discovery, and compliance monitoring. The goal is simple: make data sharing straightforward and trustworthy for everyone involved, regardless of their technical expertise or organizational size.
Establishing
Trust and Fair Rules
- Led by: Wageningen Research (Netherlands)
- Co-led by: Université Paris Dauphine (France)
Trust is the currency of the data economy. We’re developing clear and fair governance and business models that put data providers in control of their information. Through ethical guidelines, legal frameworks, and sustainable business practices, we’re creating a level playing field where all participants can share and access data with confidence.
These frameworks help everyone, from individual farmers to large agribusiness companies, understand their rights, responsibilities, and the value they receive from participating in CEADS.
Growing the
CEADS Ecosystem
- Led by: Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - EV ILVO (Belgium)
- Co-led by: Natural Resources Institute Finland - LUKE (Finland)
A data space is only as strong as its community. We’re dedicated to building a vibrant, EU-wide ecosystem of farmers, businesses, researchers, and innovators who will shape the future of European agriculture together.
Through targeted outreach, training programs, capacity-building initiatives, and transparent communication, we’re growing the network of stakeholders who will both contribute to and benefit from CEADS for years to come. Every new participant makes the entire ecosystem more valuable for everyone.
Strategic Coordination
for Success
A vision this ambitious requires careful execution. Our strategic coordination pillar provides the oversight needed so all parts of CEADS work together toward our shared goals.
Through planning, quality assurance, risk management, and coordination with other European initiatives, we keep the entire project on track to deliver on its promise to transform Europe’s agri-food sector.
Together, these five pillars create an approach that makes CEADS not just a technical achievement, but a lasting transformation in how Europe’s agricultural community shares knowledge, innovates, and thrives.
Smart
Agriculture
Platforms
CEADS offers a suite of tools and applications to support efficient, sustainable farming:
- Agri-Brain: An XAI-based platform providing real-time monitoring and risk mitigation advice on water use, crop health, and soil conditions.
- Drone-Eye: A visual and hyperspectral data capture system for drones, enabling precise vegetation indices and field mapping to track organic matter and crop health.
- Crop Sense: A handheld application with XAI-based analysis for plant and soil health, enabling users to capture and receive insights on pest presence, plant diseases, and evapotranspiration, complete with actionable recommendations.