OPINIO
Trade4go
Jul 10th, 2024
Original content
Host: Bojan Mijatovic-Global Market Analyst - Serbia
Speakers: Mzingaye Ndubiwa-Global Market Analyst - South Africa
Giselle Landaeta - Global Trading Manager (Seafood) - Italy
Oreoluwa Ola, Postdoctoral researcher at the Chair of Governance in International Agribusiness, Technical University of Munich
Sylvester Sadekla - Researcher at the Chair of Governance in International Agribusiness, Technical University of Munich
Agenda:
Tridge's June Webinar, "Innovative Agriculture: Trends, Technology, and Regulatory Shifts," dove into innovation, trends, technology, regulatory changes, and sustainable post-harvest processing technologies for dried food commodities. The webinar tackled the latest trends in agricultural innovations and provided valuable insights into the challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Tridge experts and Technical University Munich scientists shared insights on current technologies and new and improved processing technologies for drying fruits and nuts.
According to global market analyst Mzingaye Ndubiwa, Tridge's involvement in addressing current trends in innovative agriculture is multifaceted, focusing on global food security, sustainability, and improved efficiency and productivity.. Tridge addresses the need for innovations in agricultural technology in response to the rising global population and food demand. It ensures access to nutritious food while championing sustainable practices that minimize carbon footprints and maximize natural resource efficiency. Tridge’s influence on advanced farming techniques, data-driven decision-making, and precision agriculture helps enhance operational efficiency and crop yields, meet food demand, and foster economic growth by creating new business opportunities and jobs. Moreover, Tridge provides market intelligence services, including data collection, weekly updates, and expert insights, to help businesses make informed decisions, identify emerging opportunities, and navigate complex regulatory environments. This comprehensive approach enhances product quality and safety standards while fostering market acceptance of innovative agricultural technologies.
Figure 1: Challenges in Innovative Agriculture
Source: Tridge
The second part of the presentation explained how Tridge informs the audience about regulatory shifts and how it can impact trade. Tridge's Opinions cover the impact of agricultural practices, focusing on changes in farming methods and adopting sustainable practices. They address challenges faced by farmers, including navigating complex regulations, meeting compliance requirements, and adapting to new market conditions. Tridge provides regulatory guidance and support by offering up-to-date information on regulatory changes and expert advice on compliance. Tridge's market intelligence and analyses identify trends related to regulatory shifts and assess their impact on market dynamics.
Figure 2: Tridge’s Insights on the Impact of Regulatory Shifts
Source: Tridge
TUM researcher Sylvester Sadekla continued the presentation, adding insights from the recent project on implementing new post-harvest technologies for fruits and nuts. The TUM presentation focused on sustainable post-harvest processing technologies for dried food commodities and their adoption at the firm level. The Sadekla presentation discussed emerging technologies for postharvest management of dried food, including thermal and nonthermal methods. These technologies contribute to economic, social, and environmental sustainability by saving resources, improving food quality, and managing waste. Adoption depends on factors like technology, infrastructure, investment costs, and information, as well as external factors like government support and regulatory requirements. Adoption is likely when benefits outweigh costs and consumer acceptance.
Both presentations were accompanied by a panel discussion, during which panelists Giselle Landaeta, Oreoluwa Ola, Sylvester Sadekla answered questions from host Bojan Mijatovic. Landaeta discussed the most transformative innovation in agriculture today.
Based on her area of expertise, she pointed out that the seafood sector embraces transformative innovation by integrating advanced technologies like drones, wireless sensors, and offshore facilities. These technologies improve efficiency, reduce feed waste, and mitigate environmental impacts. Sustainable practices, like the Italian model of Polesine, and innovative packaging contribute to ecological sustainability. The economic fund supports these advancements.
Ola and Sadekla shared their point of view on the matter and emphasized the importance of adopting innovations in food processing to address inefficiencies and ensure sustainability at the firm level. They pointed out that traditional methods face challenges, and embracing advanced thermal (microwave, infrared, radio frequency, ohmic heating) and non-thermal (ozonation, ultrasound, pulsed electric field) technologies can improve efficiency and sustainability. The choice of technology should depend on the commodity's characteristics, as thermal techniques are better for pest infestation, while non-thermal methods are more effective for microbial inactivation. Firms need to assess which technologies are compatible with their existing infrastructure to remain sustainable and competitive in the long term.
The second question of the panel discussion reviewed how recent regulatory changes have had the most significant impact on the agricultural sector. Landaeta explained that the seafood sector is undergoing regulatory changes focusing on sustainability, environmental accountability, and traceability. The European Union's (EU) Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive mandates detailed sustainability disclosures, enhancing transparency and requiring companies to set clear ecological targets. Increased scrutiny on supply chain transparency, particularly aquaculture, is affecting the industry. Stricter environmental standards related to fishing practices are also being adopted. Businesses are investing in new technologies for better traceability and sustainability reporting and developing sustainable feed alternatives in aquaculture to reduce environmental impact.
Lastly, all the speakers shared their perspectives on how small and medium-sized farms leverage technological advancements to stay competitive with larger agribusinesses.
In summary, the speakers agreed that at the production level, emerging trends include precision agriculture, the use of drones for monitoring crop health and applying inputs, and machine learning for weather prediction. Also, farm management software and data analytics are crucial for effective data management. SMEs can benefit from digital marketing and financial technology solutions like digital payments. However, challenges include high initial investment costs, the need for technical expertise, and data security concerns. Solutions may involve grants, subsidies, training, education, and adhering to data protection policies like the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Click here to view the webinar recording, or click here to view the slides from Tridge, and here for slides of TUM.
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