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HighQuest Events – Global AgInvesting, WIA Summit, Organic & Non-GMO Forum – Return To In-Person
It’s time to reconnect! Global ag event, consulting and media firm HighQuest Partners has announced that it will return to in-person events in the second half of 2021
BOSTON (May 5, 2021) – It’s time to reconnect! Global ag event, consulting and media firm HighQuest Partners has announced that it will return to in-person events in the second half of 2021.
The company will once again bring together the communities of Global AgInvesting, Women in Agribusiness, and the Organic & Non-GMO Forum for unparalleled onsite networking and engagement at its next events, all while respecting current safety guidelines and instituting unique ways of bridging relationships and partnerships in the agribusiness and investing sectors. Most events also will offer a virtual option for those who are not able to attend the live events.
Global AgInvesting On the Green
Just outside NYC, July 13-15
“Despite an extraordinary year of challenges, the GAI community did not waver in its commitment to agricultural advancements and investments,” said Kate Westfall, chief operating officer for the Ag Investing Division. “We are very excited to bring everyone together again this summer in a safe and unique way, and have had an overwhelming response from attendees eager to join us and reconnect.”
The 13th annual Global AgInvesting conference will be held July 13-15 at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club, just an hour north of NYC. Sessions and networking will take place in a professional, covered outdoor setting overlooking the Hudson River and a top 50 golf course,
with plenty of opportunities for al fresco meetings. Preliminary agenda topics include international deal flow in the ag sector, the growth of carbon sequestration/monetization, regenerative farming, agtech investment and adoption, the role of PE and a broad range of agriculture investment vehicles, and many more current themes in the burgeoning sector. Visit globalaginvesting.com to register or for more details.
Women in Agribusiness Summit
Minneapolis, September 21-23
Women in Agribusiness initiatives have fostered a year-round community of engaged executives, leaders and professional women through its distinctive virtual event offerings, its WIA Meet Ups, and informative webinars. “
Our goal is always to provide as much value to as much of our community as possible, so, for our 10th anniversary Summit, we’ve decided to host it both in-person and virtually to ensure that anyone who wants to attend can,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, chief operating officer for HighQuest’s Agribus
The 10th anniversary Women in Agribusiness Summit, September 21-23, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall. Discussions will ensue on innovations in the sector, the supply chain crisis and sustainability, as well as the annual highlights of the executive profiles panel and industry tour. Register and learn more at womeninag.com.
Organic & Non-GMO Forum
Minneapolis, December 1-2
The Organic & Non-GMO Forum is the event that is the source for conventional food and ag businesses to learn about the opportunities in the organic and non-GMO industries. Now in its seventh year, the event returns to Minneapolis at the Hyatt Regency on December 1-2.
Producers, processors, manufacturers, buyers and more will convene to consider the potential in these growing sectors, where sales of certified organic food products in the U.S. alone more than doubled to $7.6 billion from 2011 to 2016. Likewise, the global non-GMO food market is expected to reach $2.76 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 16.5 percent. A plethora of current topics will be presented and examined by expert industry speakers. Learn more at ongforum.com.
A 10 percent discount on registration is offered to all of these events by using the code: HQ10 at check out.
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Little Leaf Farms Raises $90M to Grow Its Greenhouse Network
Massachusetts-based Little Leaf Farms has raised $90 million in a debt and equity financing round to expand its network of hydroponic greenhouses on the East Coast. The round was led by Equilibrium Capital as well as founding investors Bill Helman and Pilot House Associates. Bank of America also participated.
by Jennifer Marston
Image from: Little Leaf Farms
Massachusetts-based Little Leaf Farms has raised $90 million in a debt and equity financing round to expand its network of hydroponic greenhouses on the East Coast. The round was led by Equilibrium Capital as well as founding investors Bill Helman and Pilot House Associates. Bank of America also participated.
Little Leaf Farms says the capital is “earmarked” to build new greenhouse sites along the East Coast, where its lettuce is currently available in about 2,500 stores.
The company already operates one 10-acre greenhouse in Devins, Massachusetts. Its facility grows leafy greens using hydroponics and a mixture of sunlight supplemented by LED-powered grow lights. Rainwater captured from the facility’s roof provides most of the water used on the farm.
According to a press release, Little Leaf Farms has doubled its retail sales to $38 million since 2019. And last year, the company bought180 acres of land in Pennsylvania on which to build an additional facility. Still another greenhouse, slated for North Carolina, will serve the Southeast region of the U.S.
Little Leaf Farms joins the likes of Revol Greens, Gotham Greens, AppHarvest, and others in bringing local(ish) greens to a greater percentage of the population. These facilities generally pack and ship their greens on the day of or day after harvesting, and only supply retailers within a certain radius. Little Leaf Farms, for example, currently servers only parts of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.
The list of regions the company serves will no doubt lengthen as the company builds up its greenhouse network in the coming months.
Bowery’s Founder, Irving Fain, On The Future of Vertical Farming
At one point in the not-so-distant past, vertical farming’s role in our future agricultural system was far from certain. Growing leafy greens in warehouse-like environments controlled by tech seemed like a compelling business, but one that had yet to prove itself either economically or as an important source of food for a growing world population
Image from: The Spoon
At one point in the not-so-distant past, vertical farming’s role in our future agricultural system was far from certain. Growing leafy greens in warehouse-like environments controlled by tech seemed like a compelling business, but one that had yet to prove itself either economically or as an important source of food for a growing world population.
That, at least, was a common sentiment Irving Fain, CEO and founder of Bowery, met with when he started his vertical farming company five years ago. “There was a bit of skepticism around it,” he told me over a call recently, suggesting that five years ago, there were a lot more “ifs” than “whens” in terms of vertical farming’s future.
Fain, Bowery, and the entire vertical farming industry get a much warmer reception nowadays. Investment dollars are pouring into the space. Around the world, companies, scientists, and food producers are using the method to not just supply upscale grocery stores with greens but experiment with breeds of produce, feed underserved populations, and grow food in non-arable regions. As Fain suggested when we spoke, the last 12 months seem to have turned those “ifs” into definite “whens.”
Bowery’s last 12 months also illustrate this change. Fain said that Bowery went from under 100 retail locations about a year ago to nearly 700 right now, and will be in more than 1,000 “in the coming months.” Its produce is in a number of food retailers around the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, including Whole Foods Market, Giant Food, Stop & Shop, Walmart, and Weis Markets. And in 2020, the company experienced “more than 4x growth” with e-commerce partners.
While the pandemic is responsible for some of this popularity, Fain insists it is not the only reason for the eventful year. “It’s definitely bigger than the pandemic,” he said. “What you’re seeing is a food system that’s evolving and [people have a desire] to see transparency and traceability in the food system.” These, he says, are issues the traditional food supply chain isn’t really able to address right now, hence the opportunity for companies like Bowery, which effectively cut multiple steps out of the supply chain.
Bowery grows its greens (lettuces, herbs, and some custom blends) inside industrial spaces where crops are stacked vertically in trays and fed nutrients and water via a hydroponic system. Technology controls all elements of the farm, from the temperature inside to how much light each plants get. The company currently operates two farms, one in New Jersey and the other in Maryland. A third is planned for Pennsylvania.
Technology, in particular, is something Bowery has big plans for. On top of a retail expansion, Bowery also added some notable personnel to its staff, including Injong Rhee, formerly the Internet of Things VP at Google as well a chief technologist at Samsung. Having such technology chops onboard will be vital in order for Bowery to realize many of its ambitions around advanced automation, which has the potential to optimize many parts of the seed-to-store process for vertically grown greens.
For example, Bowery’s farms are equipped with sensors and cameras that are constantly collecting data — “billions” of points, according to the company — that can be used to not just observe the current state of plant health but also predict the most optimal growing conditions for each crop. Elements like temperature, humidity levels, nutrient levels, and light intensity can all be adjusted, via the BoweryOS software, to create those optimal conditions. The end result is more consistent crop production, better yields, more flavorful food, and, ideally, a better nutritional profile for the greens compared to what conventional produce offers.
The system can also, through automation and AI, detect problems with plants. In a recent interview with Venture Beat, Bowery Chief Science Officer Henry Sztul used the example of butterhead lettuce yellowing at the edges during growth. Bowery’s system is technologically advanced enough at this point that it is starting to understand the conditions that create those yellowing edges. That foreknowledge, in turn, will allow growers to adjust the crop “recipe” (see above mixture of lights, temperature, etc.) to avoid the problem.
It took Bowery years to get to this point in terms of what its technology is capable of doing. “The system [for] indoor farming that you choose has a direct impact on the crops you’ll be able to grow, on the margins you’ll be able to generate, and on the return profile of the business itself,” said Fain. “And so being incredibly intentional and thoughtful about what technology you use is something we spent a lot of time on because it has an extraordinarily important economic impact.”
On a less technically complex note, controlled ag from Bowery and others also goes some way towards reinventing the supply food chain. Rather than greens being harvested in, say, Mexico and shipped via a complex distribution process all the way to Baltimore, they are packaged up at the farm and distributed to nearby retailers, usually those within a day’s drive “It is much more sustainable. It is much more efficient, and it’s more reliable, and those things have been important to consumers long before COVID,” said Fain.
Bowery will continue to innovate on both the technology and supply side of its business, as well as with the food itself. The company just launched a new specialty product line that will experiment with different flavors of greens and change frequently.
In terms of tech, Bowery’s latest farm, currently being built in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, will incorporate even more automation than the company’s two existing farms. That location is slated to open later in 2021. When it does, Bowery will be capable of serving nearly 50 million people within a 200-mile radius.
The company hopes to expand its geographic reach much wider some day, building farms near most major U.S. cities and beyond. Given the increased confidence in the vertical farming sector as a whole, now looks to be the optimal time to move towards those ambitions.
by Jennifer Marston, The Spoon
Yasai To Establish First Zürich Vertical Farm, Strategic Partnership Announced
iFarm with Yasai AG (Switzerland) and Logiqs B.V. (Netherlands) are proud to announce the beginning of a long-term cooperation. With the launch of the first vertical farm project in Zurich, Yasai AG announced the signing of a strategic agreement with equipment and tech suppliers
Image from: Urban Ag News
iFarm with Yasai AG (Switzerland) and Logiqs B.V. (Netherlands) are proud to announce the beginning of a long-term cooperation.
With the launch of the first vertical farm project in Zurich, Yasai AG announced the signing of a strategic agreement with equipment and tech suppliers. The company involved Logiqs and iFarm as technology partners in the construction of a pilot facility, with 673 sq. m of growing area and with a design capacity of 20 tons of fresh herbs per year.
The Dutch company Logiqs will act as a supplier of automated shelving systems and grow lights. iFarm will supply the nutrient solution management system, climate control equipment, and the Growtune software platform which enables flow chart implementation and control over production conditions and processes. Going forward, the partners plan to scale up the experience of rapidly constructing an automated, compact, high-performance vertical farm, gained in a Swiss project, across the globe.
Image from: Urban Ag News
Mark Essam Zahran (co-founder Yasai):
The project will not just be limited to the testing and fine-tuning of state-of-the-art innovative solutions. We expect to lay the groundwork for large-scale industrial vertical farming in smart cities and showcase the incredible benefits of a circular economy. A plantation in the largest Swiss city, one of the most expensive cities in the world, will help us assess the economic prospects and give other European cities an example of how to produce an abundant yield without harming the planet, plants, and people.
Gert-Jan van Staalduinen (owner Logiqs):
The Swiss project opens up interesting prospects for us. We expect a fruitful collaboration with Yasai experts and a beneficial exchange of best practices with iFarm. With our vast experience in implementing automation and logistics systems on farms, we will be able to build a technologically advanced farm in the very heart of Europe.
Kirill Zelenski (CEO iFarm Europe):
We appreciate how meticulous and scrupulous Yasai is and are impressed by their passion and drive. We are just as inspired by the prospect of working with seasoned professionals from Logiqs. We hope that our software technologies will perfectly complement their hardware and the project as a whole will become a lasting benchmark for the industry and will serve as the beginning of a long-term cooperation.
Ensuring Singapore's Food Security Despite the Odds
As with most issues that impact national security in Singapore, it often seems that the odds are stacked against us. Food security — access to safe and nutritious food — is a challenge on several fronts. Singapore is a small city-state with limited resources, with only 1 per cent of land available for food production, and over 90 per cent of food is imported from an increasingly disrupted world. The Covid-19 pandemic has further amplified the gravity of safeguarding food security
Image from: Reuters
As with most issues that impact national security in Singapore, it often seems that the odds are stacked against us. Food security — access to safe and nutritious food — is a challenge on several fronts.
Singapore is a small city-state with limited resources, with only 1 per cent of land available for food production, and over 90 per cent of food is imported from an increasingly disrupted world. The Covid-19 pandemic has further amplified the gravity of safeguarding food security. The city-state has been proactively planning for long-term food security through the Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) strategy of “three food baskets” — diversifying food sources, growing locally and growing overseas. This approach has served the Republic well in securing a supply of safe food.
DIVERSIFIED SOURCING IS KEY
Singapore’s food importers leverage the nation’s connectivity and the global free trade environment to import from multiple sources in about 170 countries and regions worldwide. Should there be a disruption to any one source, importers are able to tap alternative food sources and ensure supply remains stable. Lockdown measures brought about by Covid-19 underscored Singapore’s vulnerabilities to supply disruptions in food.
It was not by luck that the Republic’s food supply remained stable and market shelves continued to be promptly restocked — it was the result of a deliberate whole-of-government strategy to diversify food sources. To keep the nation’’s diversified food supply lines intact amid the Covid-19 global pandemic, SFA worked closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) to monitor Singapore’s food supply situation. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these economic agencies worked with like-minded countries to maintain open trade links.
LOCAL PRODUCTION AN IMPORTANT BUFFER
SFA drives innovation in local farms with the ambitious goal of producing 30 per cent of Singapore’s nutritional needs by 2030 as part of our “30 by 30” plan. To meet this goal, we need a holistic and long-term approach to space-planning, boosting agri-food technology and developing local agri-specialists. To facilitate and support the establishment of high-technology and productive farms in Singapore, SFA tenders out land based on qualitative criteria such as production capability, production track record, relevant experience and qualifications, innovation and sustainability.
In addition, a masterplan for the greater Lim Chu Kang (LCK) region, spanning about 390ha of land, will be undertaken in consultation with stakeholders over the next two to three years. The redeveloped LCK agri-food cluster will produce more than three times its current food production.
Building on the above efforts to grow Singapore’s high-tech agri-tech sector, SFA will continue to partner with the Economic Development Board and ESG to attract best-in-class global agri-tech companies, as well as to nurture promising homegrown agri-tech companies into local champions and help them to expand overseas.
EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE, UNDERUTILISED SPACES
Urban food solutions are expected to play a key role in global food security. While there are progressive enterprises operating out of farmlands and industrial estates, some agricultural game-changers are also taking root in unconventional areas — indoors, on rooftops and in underutilised spaces.
SFA worked with the Singapore Land Authority to introduce an urban farm at the former Henderson Secondary School site, which was transformed into Singapore’s first integrated space comprising an urban farm, childcare centre and nursing home within a state property. The farm space within the site was awarded in May 2019 to social enterprise City Sprouts, and it has become a vibrant destination for the young and old to learn about urban farming and enjoy a relaxing day out.
Citiponics, the first commercial farm located on a multi-storey car park in a residential neighbourhood, harvested its first yield of vegetables in April 2019. In September 2020, another nine sites atop multi-storey car parks were awarded for urban farming.
The successful bidders included proposals for hydroponic and vertical farming systems with a variety of innovative features, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain technology and automated climate control. These sites have the potential to collectively produce around 1,600 tonnes of vegetables annually.
Image from: Ciitiponics
TAPPING TECH
The Agriculture Productivity Fund (APF) supports local farms in their capability development and drive towards higher productivity. Through APF, SFA co-funds the adoption of farming systems to better control environmental variables, test-bed technologies and boost production capabilities. Between October 2014 and September 2020, a total of almost S$42 million has been committed to 115 farms.
The Covid-19 pandemic presented greater impetus to speed up local food production capacities. In September 2020, SFA awarded S$39.4 million to nine companies under the 30x30 Express Grant to quickly ramp up food-farm outputs over the next six months to two years. With advanced robotic and digital systems increasingly being used in farming, Singapore’s vegetables farmers have also become innovative agri-engineers and specialists in their own right.
With support from the 30x30 Express Grant, urban farming engineering solutions firm Indoor Farm Factory Innovation will set up an indoor vegetable farm with a vertical integration growth system up to 8m in height in a fully controlled and pesticide-free environment. The farm will leverage artificial intelligence farming systems integrated with IoT monitoring, dosing irrigation and an advanced environmental control system to achieve optimum growing conditions all year round.
Seng Choon, a chicken egg farm that has been in business for more than 30 years, has also proved itself a modernist in its operations. The company uses a computer that scans eggs to ascertain if they are clean; while feeding systems, temperature controls and waste cleaning systems have been automated with SFA’s support. Singapore’s efforts at ensuring food security would not be complete without support from consumers. To boost recognition of local produce among consumers, SFA brought the industry and public together to create a new “SG Fresh Produce” logo.
Farmers have been using this emblem on their packaging since August 2020. A website was also launched to provide a trove of information on locally farmed food. While the Covid-19 pandemic has led to import restrictions, it also helped to accelerate support for local produce. With public support for local farmers and other key measures, Singapore can beat the odds in ensuring food security in this ever-evolving, ever-disrupted world.
The Future of the Food Supply Chain Lives on a Rooftop in Montreal
The world’s biggest commercial rooftop greenhouse sits atop a former Sears warehouse in a semi-industrial northwestern quarter of Montreal. Early every morning, staff pick fresh vegetables, then bring them downstairs, where they get packed into heavy-duty plastic totes along with the rest of the day’s grocery orders.
Image from: Lufa Farms
The world’s biggest commercial rooftop greenhouse sits atop a former Sears warehouse in a semi-industrial northwestern quarter of Montreal. Early every morning, staff pick fresh vegetables, then bring them downstairs, where they get packed into heavy-duty plastic totes along with the rest of the day’s grocery orders.
Tablets loaded with custom pick-and-pack software tell them where to put what: This basket has lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, plus some chicken, eggs, and milk. The next one has eggplant, cashew Parmesan, tomato sauce, fresh pasta, and vegan ground round crumble. Whatever Luca doesn’t grow in its four greenhouses comes from local farms and producers, mostly from within 100 miles.
This is a modern foodie’s dream: a tech-forward online shop full of locally grown, pesticide-free, ethically-sourced products at reasonable price points, delivered once a week to either your doorstep or a local pickup point in your neighborhood.
It’s stunning to think Lufa was founded by two people who’d never even grown a tomato before, let alone sold one. “We said, ‘Instead of learning how the food world works, let’s just come up with what we feel the food world should be,’” says Mohamed Hage, 39, who cofounded Lufa with Lauren Rathmell in 2009.
To them, it looked like this: rooftop greenhouses that bring agriculture into cities. No pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Composting their green waste. Selling direct-to-consumer the same day the food is harvested. Capturing and reusing rainwater. Reusable packaging.
That’s exactly what they now have—and they feed a portion of Montreal, the second-biggest city in Canada, with it.
Image from: Lufa Farms
Back in the warehouse, workers poke at their tablets, checking off items as they’re packed into the boxes.
Customers—Lufavores, as the company calls them—typically place their orders a few days before delivery through the online store, dubbed “the Marketplace,” which Lufa built from scratch in 2012. That’s how Lufa’s suppliers know how much product to provide: They get forecasts first, then final order numbers, through their Lufa software. Some items, like frozen meat, can be delivered to the warehouse once a week. Others, like bread, arrive fresh every day.
Artisanal Montreal bakery la Fabrique Arhoma started supplying Lufa with bread and pastries about six years ago, co-owner Ariane Beaumont tells Fortune. Today, they hand-make 6,000 individual items a day for Lufa. Beaumont said Lufa now accounts for between 30% to 40% of her commercial sales; since pandemic shutdowns, a lot of the product destined for restaurants got redirected to Lufa. “They’re an exceptional company. I don’t know how they do it,” Beaumont says. “And they pay the fastest, too.”
Technology is the underpinning of Lufa’s success, and the owners know it.
“We see ourselves as a technology company, in the sense that we solve with software,” Rathmell, 32, says. They didn’t really have any other choice. To fulfill that dream they had back in 2009—years before COVID-19 forced most grocery stores to enable online shopping—they had to do it themselves.
“Nothing off-the-shelf can be applied to what we do, because it’s so complex,” Rathmell notes. “We harvest food ourselves; we gather from farmers and food makers throughout the province; most of it’s arriving just in time throughout the night to be packed in baskets for that day, and every order is fully unique.”
Lufa now has a team of eight programmers working on software and systems that manage e-commerce, warehouse management, routing, customer relationships, supplier fulfillment, pick-and-pack, vendor payments, delivery ETAs, and more.
Those technologies were tested on that fateful Friday the 13th last March, when Quebec and Canada each announced their first waves of COVID-19 lockdowns. People panicked, rushing to the grocery store to stock up on flour and toilet paper.
Online, new sign-ups for Lufa’s weekly grocery baskets exploded, and existing subscribers began ordering more than they’d ever ordered before—all while Lufa’s pickup points were shutting down. “We essentially doubled overnight,” Rathmell recalls. Lufa was forced beyond its operational capacity, and the cracks started showing in the systems and software that had, until that point, done a fine job getting the company by.
Lufa temporarily closed the website and opened a wait list. The staff analyzed the pandemic’s trajectory and how they had to adapt at each step; reconfigured their warehouse floor to station workers further apart; then relaunched at the capacity they could handle, gradually scaling each week until they hit their usual stride. Today, they’re humming along at 25,000 baskets a week.
Leading with tech helped make them nimble and strategic during those hairy early pandemic days, said Hage and Rathmell. After some recalibrations and new developments, their software and processes can now handle more customers, vendors, and processes—critical elements as the company continues to scale its greenhouse operations. In August of 2020, Lufa opened its fourth greenhouse, doubling its square footage. The four greenhouses combined produce 57,000 pounds of food a week. A fifth is planned for this year.
“Our objective at Lufa is to get to the point where we’re feeding everyone in the city,” Hage says.
And after Montreal? They’re planning on a yet to be determined second site in the northeastern pocket of North America, ideally this year. “Our vision is to grow food closer to where people live, and grow it more sustainably,” Rathmell says.
Image from: Lufa Farms
Bringing high-yield crop production into cities is a smart answer to many modern challenges in environmental and human health.
Mark Lefsrud, an associate professor of agricultural and environmental sciences at McGill University, points out that embracing technologies like LEDs and automation to grow indoors and in urban greenhouses means shorter supply chains, better nutritional integrity, less food waste, and reduced vulnerability to climate swings. In cities fed primarily by low-carbon energy (hydroelectricity in Montreal’s case), indoor growing versus importation becomes even more of a no-brainer.
“I’ve been working in the controlled environment and greenhouse industry for 20-some years, and having a company like Lufa has brought a lot of attention to not just urban agriculture, but also the need for greenhouse production,” Lefsrud says, adding that Lufa’s success has prompted more government investment in the sector overall.
“The Quebec government now takes this as a serious venture system, which then means that the students that I’m training, and research we’re doing here at the university, now have employment and have the possibility of setting up their own system,” says the McGill professor.
That idea, of developing more vertically integrated food systems, is a passion of Hage’s—not only for the idea of cutting out production and transformation middlemen to improve profit margins, but also to improve quality, traceability, and ultimately the ethics of food production.
“You know, every time we talk to someone about it, we feel like it’s the ’80s, and we’re holding a big solar panel trying to convince the room that this is the future,” Hage says.
As the larger agricultural industry catches on to vertical integration, it seems Hage and Rathmell are no longer mad scientists with a crazy dream. Instead, they are the voice of reason—and a new generation of food.
As the larger agricultural industry catches on to vertical integration, it seems Hage and Rathmell are no longer mad scientists with a crazy dream. Instead, they are the voice of reason—and a new generation of food.
As the larger agricultural industry catches on to vertical integration, it seems Hage and Rathmell are no longer mad scientists with a crazy dream. Instead, they are the voice of reason—and a new generation of food.
SmartHectar And AgTech Insight Announce Corporate Innovation and Implementation Services With The Launch Of Enable Latin America
SmartHectar and Enpact work with corporates to help identify and prioritize technology needs, bring potential solutions from startups, facilitate “innovation challenge” programs, and refine products
November 5, 2020
SmartHectar And AgTech Insight Announce Corporate Innovation and Implementation Services With The Launch Of Enable Latin America
Driving innovation throughout the Ag and food ecosystems can be a challenge which is why SmartHectar, AgTech Insight, and Enpact are working together to lead Latin American corporates through industry modernization challenges. With the launch of Enable Latin America, AgTech Insight is bringing their innovation implementation services to the table to further the success of these programs and provide corporates with the technical and tactical support required when integrating technology.
SmartHectar and Enpact work with corporates to help identify and prioritize technology needs, bring potential solutions from startups, facilitate “innovation challenge” programs, and refine products. AgTech Insight will further support stakeholders by providing additional services to fully commercialize and integrate the solution. As the corporate innovation program wraps up, AgTech Insight works with the AgriFood organization to understand user needs and company culture to develop and implement an action plan. They can manage field trials, and once proven, provide localization, go to market support, and training to scale those solutions throughout the operations to achieve full impact.
“It is exciting to be collaborating with the incredible work SmartHectar and Enpact do! By offering another level of support to their programs, we are able to complete the idea-to-commercialization loop and help both corporates and innovators see measurable success in their efforts” Says Aaron Magenheim, CEO of AgTech Insight.
As the new project kicked off, Matthias Schmidt, CEO of SmartHectar and Marcelino Turati Gomez talked with Aaron Magenheim, and Gonzalo Perez, MD at Arpegio Ventures to share with us some of their perspectives and insights. Read it here.
SmartHectar and Enpact have been successfully running Enable Southeast Asia and Enable West Africa programs which foster collaboration between corporates and startups in the region to drive innovation in AgriFood and water technology. Agriculture has always been at the core of the Latin American economy and especially in the last few years, we have seen an increase in digital trends and technological innovation taking hold in the sector. The new approach which Enables Latin America brings to the region will speed up adoption and return on investment to corporates, startups, and the ecosystem as a whole.
Contact
AgTech Insight - Aaron Magenheim, CEO
+1-855-410-2030
Matthias Schmidt-Rex (CEO SmartHectar Innovation)
+49 151 42414237
Indoor Agtech Virtual Innovation Summit July 23, 2020
By sharing best practice from around the globe, and facilitating new connections and collaborations, the summit offers an invaluable platform to develop new business and accelerate projects across the Indoor AgTech ecosystem
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Major names join speaker line-up for virtual summit
We are thrilled to announce the first speakers confirmed for the 2020 virtual Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit on July 23.
They'll share critical intelligence on how the indoor farming industry is shaping the agri-food landscape, and redesigning food systems to meet consumer demand for fresh produce.
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Hear from and connect with international thought leaders including:
WHAT ARE OUR EXPERTS SAYING?
"Instead of shutting down, we implemented South Korean-style measures for our warehouse, farm, and office. Then, we launched a new nationally distributed product that allows folks to grow mushrooms at home rather than travel to the grocery store."
Andrew Carter, CEO, SMALLHOLD
"COVID-19 has raised awareness about the prospects for automation such as machines working in packing houses and indoor environments. I think it’s fair to say that humans can be relieved of those tasks."
Elyse Lipman, Director of Strategy, LIPMAN FAMILY FARMS
"Given current pressures on the U.S. food system, one thing is clear: the importance of strengthening our country’s food supply chain through decentralized, regional supply chains."
Viraj Puri, CEO and Co-Founder, GOTHAM GREENS
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US - OHIO: Great Lakes Ag-Tech Summit - September 23, 2019
Join Urban Ag News, Hort Americas and Current, powered by GE, for the inaugural Great Lakes Ag Tech Summit on September 23rd
Don't miss the opportunity to hear from this year keynote speakers, Austin Webb (Robotany) and Chieri Kubota (The Ohio State University.)
Join Urban Ag News, Hort Americas and Current, powered by GE, for the inaugural Great Lakes Ag-Tech Summit on September 23rd. Held at the historic Nela Park campus in Cleveland, the one-day event features keynotes and panel discussions from leading researchers and innovative growers in the Great Lakes region. Connect with growers, scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs as we shape the future of food and move controlled environment agriculture forward.
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We have added a panel to the agenda!
Hear Michel Doss, Paul Brentlinger, Dr. Chieri Kubota, Dr. Ariana Torres, Austin Webb and Chris Higgins at the end of the day as they recap and take your questions!
Location
The Institute at Nela Park
1975 Noble Rd. Cleveland, OH 44112
When
Monday, September 23, 2019
9 am to 4pm
Cost
Early bird ticket cost is $30 if you register before September 16.
Regular admission $50.
Keynotes
Optimizing Plant Production Under a Controlled Environment – Research and Education Programs at the Ohio State University
Dr. Chieri Kubota – Ohio State University
Dr. Kubota’s research mission is to serve in the development of science and technology in the area of controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Her projects are in an interdisciplinary area that encompasses plant physiology and horticultural engineering to enhance understanding and efficiency of CEA plant production systems such as greenhouses, warehouses (vertical farms), and growth chambers.
Are Consumers and Growers Putting Dollars in the Local Food Industry? Insights on Technologies and Preferences
Dr. Ariana Torres – Purdue University
Dr. Torres’ background combines field experience in agriculture with theoretical and applied research on agricultural economics. She has worked on projects looking at the impact of marketing choices on technology adoption for fruit and vegetable growers; the economic implications of social capital on entrepreneurship; and the role of community support on the resilience of small business after disasters.
Dr. Torres uses economic analysis to support the economic viability of the horticulture industry. Her research focuses on the intersection between the horticulture industry and marketing decisions. Her goal is to conduct innovative outreach and applied research in Specialty Crops Marketing, with the end of promoting economic sustainability for horticultural businesses.
Dr. Torres is currently working on a project evaluating the market, economics, and potential barriers to produce export-quality dried apricots from smallholders of southern Tajikistan. She is also working on evaluating the adoption of solar dehydrator for selected dried specialty crops in Indiana and Georgia. Lastly, she is collecting foundational data and establishing long-term pricing reports for Indiana farmers’ markets.
Agenda
Start: 9 am 09/23/19
9-9:30 am Introduction from Current
Brief history of Nela Park and Thomas Edison’s Institute
9:30-10 am Introduction from Hort Americas/Current
Chris Higgins, Owner of Urban Ag News and President of Hort Americas, LLC
Michel Doss, General Manager of Specialty at Current, powered by GE
10-10:45 am Keynote: Hear from a New Vertical Farming Company
10:45-11 am Break
11-11:45 am Panel discussion
Participants and topic TBD
11:45-1pm Lunch
1-1:45 pm Keynote: Ohio State University
Dr. Chieri Kubota
Dr. Kubota’s research mission is to serve in the development of science and technology in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Her projects are in an interdisciplinary area that encompasses plant physiology and horticultural engineering to enhance understanding and efficiency of CEA plant production systems such as greenhouses, warehouses (vertical farms), and growth chambers.
1:45-2:30 pm Keynote: Purdue University
Dr. Ariana Torres
Ag economist focused on the marketing and economics of specialty crops, especially those grown in controlled environments. Courses instructed center on entrepreneurship, marketing and the economics of specialty crop production. Researches technology adoption for specialty crop operations, and how consumers perceive grower technologies.
2:30-2:45 pm Break
2:45-3:30 pm Panel discussion
Participants and topic TBD
3:30-3:45 pm Closing remarks
Hort Americas and Current, powered by GE
Meet the Disruptors at the Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit in New York
Seven dynamic international agtech start-ups will be taking the spotlight at the Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit in New York, (June 19-20), seeking investment opportunities and corporate connections to scale up innovative solutions including machine learning algorithms, A.I., hydroponics technology and indoor farming production.
The summit’s Technology Showcase session will feature a selection of exciting entrepreneurs as they pitch to an audience of 300 indoor operators, food producers, technology developers, investors and retailers from around the world. The TechHub is a dedicated space for start-ups to showcase their breakthrough solutions up close within the exhibition and networking area.
Featured start-ups include:
La Grangette (France): produces fresh, organic and locally grown food that is better for consumers and the environment. With La Grangette the consumer can grow their own vegetables easily at home throughout the year with its autonomous kitchen garden.
Computomics (Germany): unlocks the diversity of biological life to enable data-driven decisions and accelerate sustainable agricultural development using multi-omics datasets. Computomics helps agricultural biotech, breeding and indoor farming companies to unlock genotype-phenotype relationships.
Root AI (USA): is on a mission to create intelligent robots that help growers build the farms of the future. The start-up has introduced its first agricultural robot, dubbed the Virgo 1, which can pick tomatoes without bruising them and detect ripeness better than humans.
Lettuce Lads (Canada): is increasing access to locally grown, quality food through innovation within hydroponics technology. Lettuce Lads will empower farmers to grow more with less, providing year-round access to local food for everyone. The company will build an operational prototype of their design in the Bow Valley this summer.
Grow Computer (USA): is the first of its kind operating system for any indoor agriculture farm or grow. Through its smart, IoT platform ‘GrowOS’ it gives indoor and hydroponic growers advanced monitoring, controls, data tracking and sharing right from a computer or smartphone.
Babylon (USA): has created automated, scalable hydroponic systems that make it simple and cost-effective to grow premium quality ingredients onsite and on demand.
Sustainable Indoor Growing System - SIGS (USA): is designed to produce large numbers of affordable, higher quality grafted vegetable transplants, with fewer resources such as water, fertilizer and pesticides.
The summit will welcome international indoor farm operators, their supply chain and retail/food service clients from across the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Asia including 80 Acres Farms, Autogrow, AeroFarms, BrightFarms, Bowery Farming, Driscoll’s, Gotham Greens, Fluence by Osram, Ikea, InFarm, International Space Station National Laboratory, MIT Media Lab, Samsung Electronics LED Business, Shenandoah Growers, S2G Ventures, Smallhold, Temple Court, Wells Fargo, Wendy’s, Whole Foods Market, USDA and US Foods.
Co-located with the Future Food-Tech Summit (June 18-19), the Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit is part of the Rethink Agri-Food Innovation Series hosted by Rethink Events, focused on international networking and deal-making for food and agribusinesses, solution providers, entrepreneurs and investors.
For more information about the event program, speakers and delegate
registration, visit www.indooragtechnyc.com
Eight Agri-Food Tech Entrepreneurs From Around The World to Compete Tor $250k in Funding From Radicle Growth At World Agri-Tech Pitch Day 2019
The World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit partnered with acceleration fund Radicle Growth on the second annual Radicle Challenge taking place at the upcoming World Agri-Tech Pitch Day on March 18 in San Francisco. Today, eight startups from around the world have been announced as the finalists to compete in the Pitch Day competition: US-based Agrospheres, Aromyx, Napigen, Traive, Brazil-based AgTrace, Australia-based EscaVox, Turkey-based Tarfin and Kenya-based Tulaa. All eight finalists will benefit from pre-pitch coaching ahead of the summit from Radicle Growth, who will invest $250k in the Pitch Day winner.
Hundreds of seed-stage startups representing diverse technology offerings for the agtech and foodtech sectors applied to participate in the Pitch Day. A panel of judges, including Radicle’s Kirk Haney, Arama Kukutai (Finistere Ventures), Geoff Kneen (Bayer, Crop Science), Mai Komatsu (Corteva AgriScience) and Adrian Percy (Independent Advisor), evaluated the submissions and selected the finalists. The Pitch Day winner will be announced on the first day of the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit (March 19) and will present within the start-up Technology Showcase on March 20 to over 1,200 global agribusinesses and investors, unlocking powerful opportunities for growth.
Commenting on the entries, Kirk Haney, Managing Partner of Radicle Growth, said: “Once again, we saw a fantastic response for participation in the Pitch Day competition, with hundreds of entries from innovators around the world. Now is an exciting time for agtech innovators and investors, and we’re delighted to support their route to market with this platform to showcase their solutions and to benefit from our $250k investment and mentoring. We look forward to the presentations and to working with the selected winner.”
The eight finalists:
Agrospheres (US) has developed a platform technology for encapsulation of biomolecules and synthetic chemicals. It is developing biological-based crop protection products for the control of thrips and fungi, also working with partners to improve the delivery and efficacy of pesticides and the delivery of double-stranded RNA.
AgTrace (Brazil) is a traceability solution that ensures transparency and information reliability, reducing response time to issues within the food value chain. Based on deep knowledge of farming processes and advanced IoT and blockchain technologies, AgTrace guarantees information security about agriculture processes, using sensors and equipment to register information from inside and outside the farm.
Aromyx (US) enables the creation of quantitative digital representations of taste and smell, by isolating natural human olfactory receptors and converting them to a standardized diagnostic format. Its olfactory database provides a basis for machine learning to analyze flavors and fragrances, offering revolutionary precise quality control diagnostics to compare crops from different locations or production times, and to resolve issues of off-flavors or contaminant.
EscaVox (Australia) has the ambition to help transform the food supply chains to allow better decisions to be made, allowing waste to be reduced and food safety increased. It uses cleverly designed software to import and connect various data sets, then analyses and identifies problem areas. It combines this with tracking data to give the full end to end impact on the product – the ‘voice’ of the product.
Napigen (US) offers mitochondrial CRISPR genome editing, with the goal to create a new platform for hybrid wheat seed production by providing elite male sterile and restoration lines that are uniquely produced by our genome editing tools, introducing robust, non-GMO, male sterile and restoration lines. The hybrid wheat platform will stack valuable traits such as herbicide tolerance and biotic/abiotic stress tolerance without losing their value by undesirable self-propagation.
Tarfin (Turkey) provides farmers with instant, competitive point-of-sale credit terms for their farm inputs purchases. Using proprietary algorithms and an expansive retail network, Tarfin’s machine-learning-based credit algorithms instantly assess a farmer’s likelihood of repayment. Transactional as well as farm level data are taken into account, helping the company convert more leads into sales.
Traive (US) is an ag-fintech solution that unlocks credit to farmers by connecting them to lenders and providing ML-based credit risk assessment and monitoring. Traive brings farmers state-of-the-art technology to offer a novel and fair credit risk assessment, opening the door for affordable funding for their businesses. For lenders, Traive provides a differentiated analysis applied over alternative farming and individual data, while allowing access to a much larger and diversified portfolio of borrowers.
Tulaa (Kenya) is a marketplace for smallholder farmers in Africa to access inputs, credit, training and buyers. Using mobile technology and artificial intelligence, Tulaa enables farmers to buy inputs like fertilizer on credit, receive training on good agricultural practices, and to find buyers at harvest time.
For more information on the challenge, finalists and the summit,
Please visit: https://worldagritechusa.com/radicle-challenge/
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit:
The World Agri-Tech Innovation Series gathers the industry twice a year in London and San Francisco. Taking place March 19-20, 2019 at the Hilton Union Square in the heart of San Francisco’s business district, the 5th US edition of the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit welcomes 1200+ agribusinesses, entrepreneurs and investors to a two-day conference, networking events, workshops, tours and cocktail receptions. The event is complemented by the Animal AgTech Innovation Summit (March 18) and Future Food-Tech Summit (March 21-22) at the same venue, together making Rethink Agri-Food Innovation Week (RAFI Week).
Radicle Growth:
The Radicle Growth acceleration fund focuses on the areas of Digital Agriculture, Biologicals, New Farm Systems and Seed Technology. Its goal is to transform the speed of innovation in agriculture by ensuring seed stage companies have the right amount of capital and resources, supporting their growth through expert advisory services and introductions to partners, VCs and investors.
Rethink Events
UK-based Rethink Events organizes international, world-renowned business summits for entrepreneurs, businesses and global investors in sustainable food, agriculture, energy and water.
Further contact:
Tate Slyfield, Marketing & PR Executive, Rethink Events tate.slyfield@rethinkevents.com
Rebecca Lincoln, Business Analyst, Radicle Growth rlincoln@radicle.vc
iGrow News Is Proud To Be A Media Partner For World Agri-Tech
Use Our Discount Code
IG400 To Save $400 On A Delegate Pass
Meet The Global Agtech Community At World Agri-Tech
Where else will you have the chance to share ideas and network with the most senior audience of agribusiness leaders, technology innovators and investors, gathered under one roof? They're primed to discuss agtech breakthroughs and opportunities for partnership and collaboration, from genomics to soil health, precision ag to AI.
The event will sell out, as it did last year. So secure your place now for World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco on March 19-20 and take advantage of our discount code IG400 to save $400 on a delegate pass.
Senior leaders from all these companies are confirmed already:
Taking place the day before World Agri-Tech on March 18, the Animal AgTech Innovation Summit explores emerging opportunities in precision nutrition, smart livestock farming, gene editing and disease-prevention, bringing together industry leaders, innovators and investors from around the world.
Find out more >>
Future Food-Tech (March 21-22) connects food brands and their supply chain, entrepreneurs and investors, uncovering topics from personalized nutrition, alternative distribution channels and AI, to plant-based proteins and the role of food in health. They will define the most effective routes to market and the collaborative partnerships needed to scale innovation and deliver the next generation of nutritious, affordable foods to all.
Find out more >>
We look forward to seeing you in San Francisco.
Stephan Groves
Director - Rethink Events
stephan.groves@rethinkevents.com
T: +44 (0)1273 789 989
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Forbes' At The 2018 AgTech Indiana Summit
Forbes' Maggie McGrath moderates a discussion between Robert Colangelo of Green Sense Farms, Sam Schatz of AeroFarms, Chaz Shelton of Merchant’s Garden ArgoTech, and Mark White of Prairie at the 2018 AgTech Indiana Summit.
The Honorable Stephen Censky Joins Speaker Lineup For Fourth-Annual Forbes AgTech Summit June 26-28, 2018, Salinas Valley
JUN 12, 2018
The Honorable Stephen Censky Joins Speaker Lineup For Fourth-Annual Forbes AgTech Summit June 26-28, 2018, Salinas Valley
Forbes Corporate Communications, FORBES STAFF
Speakers include The Honorable Stephen Censky, United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture; Steve Forbes, Chairman & Editor-In-Chief of Forbes Media; Bruce Taylor, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Taylor Farms; Dr. John P. Purcell, Global Vegetables R&D Lead, Monsanto; Neal Gutterson, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Corteva Agriscience; Dan Harburg, Venture Associate, Anterra Capital; Katie Forrest, Co-Founder, Epic Provisions; Mark Young, Chief Technology Officer, The Climate Corporation, among many others
SALINAS, CA (June 12, 2018) – Forbes today announced the speaker lineup for the 2018 Forbes AgTech Summit. The Summit has grown into the premier industry gathering focused on AgTech innovation and will again bring together over 600 global agriculture leaders and entrepreneurs to tackle some of the world’s most critical challenges by focusing on solutions that growers and processors can put to work in their fields and plants.
Held once again under the big tents on historic Main Street Salinas — where the Silicon and Salinas Valleys meet — the Summit will foster lively debate and generate rich networking opportunities while challenging minds to think bigger and bolder. This event will thoroughly explore the most important issues in AgTech including AI, big data, blockchain, crop protection, labor, microbiome, robotics, sustainability, vertical farming, water and a host of other topics. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to visit fields and processing plants where they’ll experience first-hand the technology innovations that are revolutionizing the global agricultural ecosystem.
The Forbes AgTech Summit will kick off the evening of June 26 with the invitation-only Western Growers Innovation Showcase Opening Dinner. The next morning, Wed. June 27, Summit participants who have pre-registered can enjoy exclusive tours of Taylor Farms, Monterey Materials Reclamation Facility, Mantis Ag Technology, Scheid Vineyards or Driscoll’s. The tours will conclude with an afternoon of field demos at Hartnell College’s Alisal Campus. The Innovation Showcase and the Plenary Sessions will follow under the summit’s signature white tents on Main Street Salinas, where The Honorable Stephen Censky, United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, will participate in the opening conversation with Steve Forbes.
The Innovation Showcase continues to expand and will feature 75 of the most exciting agtech startups offering a wide variety of solutions to the challenges of achieving higher crop yields and less food waste. Showcase presenters include AGERPoint, Crop X, Farmers Business Network, moAsis, Produce Pay, Sample6, SWIIM, and Trace Genomics.
Speakers include:
- Charlie Andersen, CEO, Augean Robotics
- Matt Barnard, Co-Founder & CEO, Plenty
- Todd Berg, Director, Product Management & Customer Success, HarvestMark Division of Trimble
- Sarah Bloch, Senior Scientist, Pivot Bio
- Kyle Bridgeforth, Fifth Generation Farmer
- Anna Caballero, Assembly Representative, State of California
- The Honorable Stephen Censky, United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
- Irving Fain, Co-Founder & CEO, Bowery Farming
- Steve Forbes, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, Forbes Media
- Katie Forrest, Co-Founder, Epic Provisions
- Pål Johan From, Head, Robotics & Control Group, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
- Curtis Garner, Senior Farm Analyst, Bowles Farming Company
- Hank Giclas, SVP, Western Growers
- The Honorable Joe Gunter, Mayor, City of Salinas
- Neal Gutterson, Ph.D., Chief Technology Officer, Corteva Agriscience
- Dan Harburg, Venture Associate, Anterra Capital
- John Hartnett, Founder & CEO, SVG Partners
- Wayne Honeycutt, Ph.D., President & CEO, Soil Health Institute
- Scott Komar, SVP, Research & Development, Driscoll’s
- Willard Lewallen, Ph.D., Superintendent & President, Hartnell Community College District
- Paul Lightfoot, CEO, BrightFarms
- Suzanne Livingston, Food TrustTM Offering Director, IBM
- Vivek Nayak, Co-Founder, TerraClear
- Paul Noglows, Creator and Executive Producer, Forbes AgTech Summit
- Megan Nunes, Founder & CEO, Vinsight
- Mark Oshima, Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, AeroFarms
- Poornima Parameswaran, Co-Founder & President, Trace Genomics
- Shami Patel, CEO, LumiGro
- John Purcell, Global Vegetables R&D Lead, Hawaii Business Lead, VP and Distinguished Science Fellow, Monsanto Company
- Josh Ruiz, VP of Ag Operations, Church Brothers
- Daniella Dimitrova Russo, Founder & CEO, Think Beyond Plastic
- Leo Sanchez, CEO, Lazy Millennial Farms
- Steve Saunders, Founder, Owner & Managing Director, Plus Group
- Tyler Scheid, Project Manager, Scheid Vineyards
- Bruce Taylor, Founder & CEO, Taylor Farms
- Kip Tom, CEO, Tom Farms
- Rob Trice, Founder, The Mixing Bowl
- Carl Vause, CEO, Soft Robotics
- Matt Watson, Director of Technical Development, Mantis Ag Technology
- Mark Young, Chief Technology Officer, The Climate Corporation
The City of Salinas is the Host Partner. Western Growers is the Innovation Showcase Sponsor. Monsanto is the Presenting Sponsor. Corteva Agriscience, and Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) are Partner Sponsors. Salinas Business Leaders include Driscoll’s, Hartnell College, HarvestMark – Trimble, Intel Corporation, Mantis Ag Technology, Motivo, Rabobank, N.A, Taylor Farms, Wells Fargo and Yamaha Motor Ventures. Scheid Family Wines is the Official Wine Partner. Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau is the Official Travel Partner. Better Food Ventures and The Mixing Bowl are Program Partners. The Founding Partner of the Forbes AgTech Summit is SVG Partners and its Thrive Accelerator.
The Forbes AgTech franchise continues to grow and will be bringing the Forbes AgTech Summit to Indianapolis September 26 and 27, 2018. Indiana Economic Development Corporation and AgriNovus Indiana will be Host Partners for the event.
For more information, please visit https://www.forbes.com/forbes-live/event/agtech-summit-2018/