– Agrotech Chile, a guild in formation that brings together the country’s main agtech startups, will be one of the exhibitors at the International Fair of Agribusiness and Technology, CFIAgrotech 2023, where the most innovative developments and solutions for the food production of the future will be presented.
Innovation and technology are increasingly entering the global agri-food industry, thanks to the significant contribution of Agtech startups which, together with boosting the sector, have achieved significant improvements in efficiency, sustainability and quality of food produced worldwide.
These trends, in addition to the challenges facing the food industry, will be part of the topics that will be addressed by the First International Congress and Fair of Innovation and Technologies in Agrifood, CFIAgrotech 2023 (www.cfiagrotech.cl). The meeting, which will take place in Chile between October 24 and 26, will bring together 150 exhibitors in Metropolitan Santiago Agtech of innovation, technologies, inputs and services for agricultural, livestock and food processing industry sustainability, among other actors.
But, What are the Agtech? The term comes from the fusion of the words agriculture and technology (in English) and refers to the sector that uses technologies, such as robots, blockchain, big data, artificial intelligence and biotechnology to analyze data from the field, genetics and climatic phenomena, allowing the agricultural sector to be optimized.
In Chile, the Agtech startups are playing an important role in modernising and optimising the agri-food industry, using innovative technologies to respond to the specific needs facing the sector. For example, considering that water scarcity is a growing problem, one of the areas of work of these companies is the optimisation of water use. To address it, they are developing smart irrigation solutions and monitoring technologies to maximise the efficiency of the resource and minimise its waste. In this way, they help farmers to be more sustainable and to face climate change effectively.
Other ventures Agtech have specialized in precision agriculture technologies, which enable producers to make data-driven decisions to increase production, reduce costs and optimize their processes. These solutions include the use of drones and data analytics to monitor and manage crops more efficiently. Using drones equipped with cameras and sensors, farmers collect detailed information about their crops. They then take precise measures regarding irrigation, fertilization and pest control. This not only reduces costs and waste of resources, but also improves the quality of the food produced.
The development of specialized solutions for specific agri-food sectors is another line of work. This includes the application of technology to improve the quality and production of fruits and vegetables and the implementation of solutions for monitoring and managing vineyards. Added to these is the generation of solutions to mitigate the environmental and social challenges associated with conventional agri-food production, which considers the formulation of alternative foods, such as meat of plant origin or grown in a laboratory, thus reducing the dependence on conventional livestock farming and its impact on the environment.
Furthermore, the implementation of technologies such as vertical farming, which allows food to be grown in small, controlled spaces, or smart greenhouse farming, which optimizes the use of energy and resources, is also contributing to greater sustainability in food production.
Agrotech Chile present at CFIAgrotech 2023
Despite the progress made, there are still countless challenges that Chilean producers must overcome in order to sustainably increase the productivity and profitability of their businesses. In addition to water scarcity, they must deal with environmental regulations, soil degradation, lack of labor and the demanding demands of end consumers, among other barriers.
“Therefore, we need to promote the incorporation of technology in the agri-food industry to do more, but with the same resources”, says Francisco Astaburuaga, CEO of AgroMatch, startup which leads the creation of the Association of Technological Companies in Agriculture.
Using artificial intelligence and IoT (Internet of Things), the company created a platform that securely connects owners of agricultural machinery or service providers with producers in the sector who require this equipment or services. Thus, the owners of the equipment (tractors, misters, guano carts, etc.) can rent it during low-use periods to other farmers in the country, extending its period of occupation.
“Promoting agtech startups is essential,” says Astaburuaga, “but it is equally important to attract young people to the countryside, so it is necessary to make the attractive conditions currently offered by the agri-food sector known to the new generations.” He adds that to ensure the success of agtech startups it is necessary to have the trust of farmers who often do not perceive the real value of incorporating technology in their processes, which makes commercialization difficult. “That is why it is key to establish strategic alliances between agtech startups and thus work collaboratively with clients. That is one of the objectives we propose as a Agrotech Chile (Association of Technology Companies in Agriculture)”, explains.
The association, which is currently consolidating its legal constitution, already brings together more than 30 technological ventures linked to the agricultural industry and recently held the election of its first board of directors where, along with Francisco Astaburuaga himself, Tomás Pérez from Green Atacama and Claudia Barriga from Smartcherry were elected. “We also have another 40 Agtech interested in joining. We are also managing alliances with the National Society of Agriculture, the Institute of Agricultural Research (INIA) and the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA), which will allow us to continue strengthening the lines of work and projects that we have defined for this first stage," explains the executive. But that is not all. The plans of the trade association also include the creation of a collaborative body at an international level. “We want to form a great alliance at the Latin American level,” says the executive. “The Agrotech Latam Association.”
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