Climate change, food security and compliance with export regulations are key themes that continue to dominate the food production agenda across Latin America.
With approximately a fifth of global agricultural exports originating from South America, global food security is dependent on the continent’s agricultural industry, which is responding to these pressures by continuing to pioneer and invest in sustainable practices for the long term.1
New export regulations imposed by the EUDR (European Union Deforestation Regulation) require that any commodity imported into the EU market must show proof that it does not come from deforested land, adding logistical and financial hurdles for growers.2
In a region that sees a high adoption rate of agtech innovations among farmers, multiple growing seasons and a springboard for new businesses to establish their operations, South America proves to be an exciting case study for the global agriculture industry to learn from.3,4,5,6,7
Endorsed by Embrapa and designed to encourage cross-country collaborations and partnerships, the annual World Agri-Tech South America Summit on June 18-19 in São Paulo’s Hotel Unique gathers over 700 agri-food businesses, cooperatives, governments and investors to explore the sustainable strategies that will enhance the resilience of one the world’s most critical food production hubs.
From biological inputs and soil health, geospatial traceability, automation and robotics, to carbon markets and agri-fintech, the program showcases the vast potential of the South American region to drive the global transition to sustainable and climate-smart farming practices.
Over 70 global and regional senior leaders, including Adecoagro, Bayer, Citrosuco, Unilever, FMC, Solinftec, Bunge, AGCO, IDB Labs, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are already confirmed to speak and will share their priorities and roadmaps to achieve sustainable agri-food resilience at scale.
All of this will take place across two days of business-focused panels and case studies, deep-dive breakouts, small group roundtables and start-up showcases, spotlighting cutting-edge innovation across the continent. Distinguished thought leaders in the industry confirmed to attend include:
Main stage highlights
The program will provide agri-food tech professionals who want to expand their knowledge from farm to fork with plenty of strategic insights to help them deliver on climate commitments, and establish the connections needed to facilitate funding and commercialization objectives.
Highlights from the summit’s hard-hitting agenda include the opening panel exploring South America’s role in global sustainability, food security and climate smart agriculture. Leaders, such as Renata Miranda of MAPA, Murilo Parada of Louis Dreyfus Company, Edison Ticle of Minerva Foods and Marico Santos of Bayer will discuss the fine balance between economic growth and environmental stewardship, policy supporting sustainable agriculture, climate-related challenges faced by farmers, and adoption of agricultural technology.
The panel on harnessing nature to create more resilient and profitable biological products is another critical topic for any professional looking to the LATAM market. With government incentives supporting the adoption of sustainable inputs, the LATAM biologicals industry is experiencing one of the fastest growth rates globally.8 Leading biological producers and retailers such as Sebastian Popik of Aqua Capital, Ronaldo Pereira of FMC, Ashish Batra of Corteva Agriscience, and Avram Micheal Slovic of Invaio will discuss key areas for advancement to improve the effectiveness, sustainability and affordability of biologicals, and the strategies to enhance market acceptance.
Other hot-button highlights include a panel on crop traceability and deforestation-free crop sourcing in the Amazon. Speakers Mauricio Voivodic of WWF Brazil, Marcelo Pimenta of Serasa Experian, Suelma Rosa dos Santos of Unilever and Marcos Botta of Ucrop.it will discuss the importance and effectiveness of certification schemes, the challenges they create to adhere to regulations, and pinpoint new technologies that facilitate compliance.
Sessions at the summit will take place in English, Portuguese and Spanish, with a real-time translation tool available for all participants.
Further session highlights include:
- A Farmer Spotlight Session On each day Hosted in Portuguese with Vale Agrícola, Fundação MT, Coopercitrus, Sociedade Rural Brasileira, and in Spanish with The Context Network, RIA, and Grupo Alimenta
- Charting Sustainable Growth: Exploring Emerging Markets and Aligning Strategies for Environmental Responsibility Featuring Embrapa, IDB Labs, JBS
- Agri-Fintech: Mitigating Financial Risks for Farmers and the Value Chain Through Digital Platforms Featuring Traive, E-Agro
Networking opportunities
Beyond the main stage, interactive breakout sessions and themed roundtables create valuable networking and opportunities for face-to-face time. Delegates will discover important new technologies and solutions being showcased by industry pioneers in the summit’s busy exhibition, with a dedicated space for start-ups featuring international companies looking for partnership and investment opportunities.
Decision-makers from across the innovation ecosystem joining the summit this June 18-19 include:
Delegates can expect plenty of powerful networking opportunities with breakfasts, lunches and evening drinks receptions. Complementing the summit experience, the summit platform is available on desktop and mobile app two weeks before the summit begins, for early networking and to book 1-1 meetings at designated tables in the meeting hub.
The World Agri-Tech South America Summit is the premier location to secure quality time with the industry’s most influential stakeholders, future-focused farmers, potential technology partners and investors to conduct business in Latin America, all under one roof.
Find out full details of the program, start-ups, speaking faculty and delegate registration here.
When June 18-19, 2024
Where Hotel Unique, São Paulo
Visit here for venue information, nearby hotels and travel tips for Brazil.
Download the summit brochure here.
References
1. World Trade Organization. Charts - World trade in agricultural products.
2. European Commission. Regulation on Deforestation-free products.
3. Research Gate. Adoption of digital agriculture technology DA for Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
4. Foreign Agricultural Service. Crop Calendars for Northern South America.
5. Foreign Agricultural Service. Crop Calendars for Brazil.
6. Foreign Agricultural Service. Crop Calendars for Southern South America.
7. Bnamericas. Latin American agtechs raised over US$600mn in 2022-23.
8. AgNews. FMC Reveals Insights on Biologicals Market Growth in Latin America.