– Agrotech Chile, a guild in formation that brings together the main agtech startups in the country, will be one of the exhibitors at the International Agribusiness and Technology Fair, CFIAgrotech 2023, where the most innovative developments and solutions for the food production of the future will be presented. Santiago, August 10, 2023.- Innovation and technology are increasingly entering the global agri-food industry, thanks to the significant contribution of agtech startups that, along with energizing the industry, have achieved significant improvements in efficiency, sustainability and quality of food produced worldwide. These trends, in addition to the challenges faced by the food industry, will be part of the topics to be addressed by the First International Congress and Fair on Innovation and Technologies in Agri-Food, CFIAgrotech 2023 (www.cfiagrotech.cl). The meeting, which will be held in Chile between October 24 and 26, will bring together 150 agtech exhibitors of innovation, technologies, inputs and services for the sustainability of agriculture, livestock and the food processing industry, among other actors, in Metropolitan Santiago. But what is 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 to optimize the agricultural sector. In Chile, agtech startups are playing an important role in the modernization and optimization of the agri-food industry, using innovative technologies to respond to the specific needs faced by the sector. For example, considering that water scarcity is a growing problem, one of the areas of work of these companies is the optimization of water use. To address this, they are developing smart irrigation solutions and monitoring technologies to maximize resource efficiency and minimize waste. In this way, they help farmers become more sustainable and effectively address climate change. Other agtech startups have specialized in precision agriculture technologies, which enable farmers 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. Thus, they take precise measures on 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. In addition, 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 vegetable origin or laboratory-grown meat, thus reducing dependence on conventional livestock and its impact on the environment. In addition, the implementation of technologies such as vertical agriculture, which allows food to be grown in reduced and controlled spaces, or agriculture in smart greenhouses, which optimizes the use of energy and resources, is also contributing to greater sustainability in food production. AGROTECH CHILE WILL BE PRESENT AT CFIAAGROTECH 2023 Despite the progress achieved, there are still countless challenges that Chilean producers must face in order to sustainably increase the productivity and profitability of their businesses. In addition to water scarcity, they must face environmental regulations, soil degradation, lack of labor and the demanding demands of end consumers, among other barriers. “That is why we need to boost the incorporation of technology in the agri-food industry to do more, but with the same resources,” says Francisco Astaburuaga, CEO of AgroMatch, a startup that is leading the creation of the Association of Technology Companies in Agribusiness. 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, foggers, guano wagons, etc.) can lease it in seasons of low use to other farmers in the country, extending their period of occupation. “Promoting agtech startups is fundamental,” says Astaburuaga, “but it is equally important to attract young people to the field, so it is necessary to publicize the attractive conditions currently offered by the agri-food sector 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. “For that reason, it is key to establish strategic alliances between agtech startups and thus work collaboratively with customers. That is one of the objectives that we propose as Agrotech Chile (Association of Technology Companies in Agriculture),” he explains. The guild, which is currently consolidating its legal constitution, already brings together more than 30 technological enterprises linked to the agricultural industry and, recently, held the election of its first board of directors where, together with Francisco Astaburuaga himself, Tomás Pérez of Green Atacama and Claudia Barriga of Smartcherry were elected. “We also have another 40 agtechs interested in joining. We are also negotiating 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. Among the plans of the trade association is also the formation of a collaborative instance at the international level. We want to form a great alliance at the Latin American level,” says the executive. The Agrotech Latam Association”. More information: www.cfiagrotech.cl