Expo AgriTech, the largest agricultural technology fair, brought together 412 experts in Malaga to share the main drivers, opportunities and challenges defining the industry over the next twelve months.
Regulatory pressure, the materialization of carbon credits, the need to attract talent, the value of soil health, data spaces and cybersecurity will determine the agri-food agenda.
Madrid, January 29, 2026. – The second edition of Expo AgriTech, the largest technology fair for the agricultural sector, has consolidated itself as the epicenter of agricultural innovation in Europe, bringing together 8,149 professionals and 412 international speakers in Malaga, Spain. Based on the analysis of trends and the market carried out at the event, which is supported by the Regional Government of Andalusia, which carries out these activities thanks to co-financing from the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the ten strategic pillars that will define the industry in 2026 have been set.
- Carbon credits move from theory to market: €40 - €90
Agricultural professionals who apply regenerative agriculture are already beginning to receive financial compensation based on the amount of CO2 retained. As explained at Expo AgriTech, between €40 and €90 per hectare is currently being paid, boosting farmers' profits. The current challenge is how farms can measure carbon absorption to benefit from credits. Similarly, thanks to this practice, large food companies are offering attractive remuneration for the purchase of raw materials if it can be demonstrated that carbon in the farm's soil has increased.
- Why will there be fewer farmers?
The lack of generational renewal will remain one of the biggest challenges in 2026. The average age of farmers in EU is 57, and young people find it difficult to start up due to barriers to investment, access to land and means of production. To encourage new professionals to enter the sector, communities are developing different plans. Several cases can be seen in Spain, like in Murcia, which has launched a land bank to make land more available to new farmers; or the Community of Madrid, which is proposing public tenders for the exploitation of public land. In terms of promoting talent, the work of agroinfluencers, who raise the profile of entrepreneurs in the countryside, is also noteworthy.
- Regulatory pressure, foreign sales and competition
The macroeconomic and geopolitical context will continue to determine the agricultural agenda in 2026. Three factors will continue to impact farmers' daily lives: European regulatory pressure, external market conditions and the emergence of new countries with more competitive production prices. In this context, the agricultural world also expects changes in the coming months with the new CAP, which plans to allocate less budget for direct aid to farmers. At the same time, the EU-Mercosur agreement is getting closer to approval, which will bring important changes.
- Data spaces and the technology revolution
Data spaces will become a key technology for the industry. This innovation consists of digital environments in which information relevant to the sector is collected, stored, managed and shared. The challenge today lies in getting farmers to share data and perceive this ecosystem as an opportunity of high strategic and economic value. At Expo AgriTech, plans were presented for the Agri-Food Data Space Demonstration Center in Andalusia (Spain), which promotes the development of these infrastructures in the region.
- Cybersecurity, automation and robotics: boosting farm competitiveness
Exponential technologies such as blockchain, virtual reality and AI, which are already transforming the agri-food sector, are being joined by cyber protection strategies. At the fair, experts insisted on the need to raise awareness among farmers about the use of tools to protect themselves against the increase in cyber-attacks. Other aspects that will continue to promote competitiveness in the countryside are automation and robotization. According to the IFR, agriculture is in the top 5 applications for robots at a professional level, with sales of 19,500 units expected in 2024. Specialists have also called for the relaxation of European regulations on the use of autonomous machinery to make it easier to integrate.
- Soil health in focus
Aware that regenerative agriculture involves investment and financial risks, experts agree that soil health, crop quality and decarbonization will remain fundamental to the future of agriculture. Proposals such as nanotechnologies, nanobubbles or microbiology will help reduce farmers' dependence on phytochemicals. Other approaches such as pyrolysis—a process that breaks down organic matter using heat without oxygen to obtain gas, oil, and biochar—are being explored for improving drought-affected soils, as biochar can help increase water retention and provide stable carbon to the soil.
- In search of solutions for water challenges
Water management will continue to be a priority for agriculture over the next twelve months. With the aim of increasing efficiency and ensuring supply, initiatives such as hydroinfiltration have been presented by the Hidrolivar Operational Group in Spain, a new system that allows rainwater to reach the roots directly, preventing it from accumulating only on the surface. Similarly, virtual weather stations and smart management tools have been proposed as levers for optimizing water resources, as they enable more accurate decision-making.
- New business models
Farmers are moving towards models without intermediaries, prioritizing direct contact with consumers. As a result, online sales platforms are booming, guaranteeing fair prices for products and promoting greater profitability. Beyond this option, there are pioneering payment schemes for farmers in the retail sector based on agreements between retailers, professionals, banks and financial institutions. These models can help to implement certifications that recognize efforts to improve impact.
- Towards zero waste
The agricultural sector is also turning to digital tools to promote the circular economy and reduce waste. One example is Biosasun, a company which uses biotechnology to transform olive grove by-products into raw materials that are used in other sectors such as cosmetics, probiotics, and prebiotics.
- Cooperatives play a crucial role
With the help of technology centers, cooperatives are taking a step forward to strengthen their competitiveness, profitability and sustainability by embracing innovation. At Expo AgriTech, projects such as the use of monitoring sensors in crops and crop prediction using drones were examined, although there were calls for greater public-private collaboration and training opportunities to overcome the cultural barrier to digital adoption in these societies.
