"In line with our CSR policy, this partnership represents another concrete step towards the agriculture of tomorrow."
At a time when the agricultural world is facing multiple challenges, Bordeaux Sciences Agro school (BSA), MAS Seeds and Maïsadour signed a strategic partnership on 10 May 2023.
Projects will be deployed around three axes: agro-ecology, digital for agriculture and human resources. They will focus on the Group’s various crop productions: grain maize, waxy/waxy pro, sweet maize, sunflower, soya and vegetables.
Digital technology, a major lever for the agro-ecological transition
MAS Seeds and Maïsadour are already investing in Research & Development and deploying numerous digital solutions (weather stations, geolocation, etc.) for their members and customers. We now need to define a new roadmap using the many advantages of digital technology, based on the use of data and artificial intelligence.
A collaboration has been established with the Digital Department of BSA, composed of 5 teacher-researchers and 5 agricultural engineers who are experts in digital technologies. The school is developing training courses for professionals in data sciences, information systems and connected agriculture. It has also created the AgroTIC Chair with the Institut Agro Montpellier, a chair that federates 28 companies around actions (seminars, studies, monitoring, working groups, etc.) for the development and sharing of knowledge around digital agriculture.
RAISE AWARENESS AMONG EMPLOYEES TO PROVIDE BETTER SUPPORT TO FARMER MEMBERS
"We need to transform our agricultural model from the inside. This partnership must allow us to find personalities and expertise who will reflect on this change and accompany it with their own vision and knowledge."
The success of the agricultural transition will only be possible thanks to women and men who are aware of the new challenges and trained in the solutions of tomorrow.
4 major actions planned:
– Setting up training courses for Maïsadour employees and farm managers.
– Recruitment of students from Bordeaux Sciences Agro for internships or work experience
– Involvement of Maïsadour in student training to enrich their curriculum with the real-life case of an agricultural cooperative.
– Participation of MAS Seeds and Maïsadour in collaborative projects to share knowledge and co-construct solutions.
Committing to the sustainability of tomorrow's farms
“Ensuring the sustainability of our sectors and the economic continuity of our territory is our primary mission as an agricultural cooperative. Our commitment is ongoing, and our mobilisation must serve the transformation of our production models to contribute on our own scale to food sovereignty” explained Christophe Bonno.
Jean-Pierre Raynaud, Vice-President of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region in charge of Agriculture and Agroecological Transition, was present at the signing and congratulated all the teams from Bordeaux Sciences Agro, MAS Seeds and Maïsadour for this partnership, which “links up with the strategic orientations of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region to respond to the challenges of climate change“.
"We are convinced that this collaboration will be beneficial at all levels, both for our students and researchers and for the MAS Seeds and Maïsadour members and employees involved in these projects."
