by Peter Wren-Hilton | Jun 6, 2024 | Platform10
I was delighted to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research last week. Below is a copy of the Media Release that was published to support the signing.
Plant & Food Research has joined a global initiative looking at finding new ways to control plant pests and diseases.
The Platform10 initiative is an international collaboration that aims to speed up the development of new biological control products for protecting crops against pests and diseases. Plant & Food Research has joined the collaboration, which aims to conduct trials in New Zealand and Australia.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Plant & Food Research CEO Mark Piper and Peter Wren-Hilton of Wharf42 on behalf of Platform 10.
“Platform 10 was formed to help give growers confidence in adopting new biological alternatives to pest and disease control as global regulations around pesticide use tighten,” says Peter Wren-Hilton. “By providing a mechanism for growers to engage at the research phase, through field trials, we hope to increase understanding and uptake of these new biological products. Plant & Food Research has a strong track record in developing biocontrols and taking them through to the commercialisation phase, so were the ideal partner for us in New Zealand, working in the counter season to our trials in the USA.”
“Growers and marketers are increasingly looking for new ways to manage insect pests and diseases on their land that are more environmentally sustainable,” says Miriam Hall from Plant & Food Research. “We’re excited to be working with Platform10 to support validation of new products at the research stage and help growers understand how they can transition to new management protocols that incorporate biological controls into their crop management.”
Platform10 emerged from the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit where it became apparent that a global framework to accelerate promising biopesticide companies, rigorously assess products, enhance grower confidence, and facilitate market development and adoption was required. Launched in California in November 2023, Platform10 was established to bring growers to the centre of the innovation ecosystem. Platform10 will provide other key stakeholder groups within the specialty crop sector with the opportunity of learning about these problems and challenges at first hand.
by Peter Wren-Hilton | May 22, 2024 | 2024 Salinas Biological Summit
Over the past 10 years, I’ve attended numerous AgriFoodTech conferences where the one key stakeholder group missing has been the most important: The Producers. The Farmers. The Growers.
At next month’s
2024 Salinas Biological Summit, that’s all changed. Growers are at the centre of the conversation which will be reflected by the large number in the room. The Summit will provide delegates with an opportunity to engage with some of the most innovative production players in the world. Nowhere will this be more apparent than during the major Grower Panel session on
Day 1.
The Grower Panel Discussion
- Joe Pezzini
Senior Director of Ag Operations, Taylor Farms
- Michael Seagraves
Director, Global Plant Health, Driscolls
- Kevin Andrew
Senior Vice President Operations, Illume
- Dr. Hillary Thomas
Research & Technical Director, Naturipe Berry Growers
- Don Cameron
Vice President and General Manager, Terranova Ranch
Moderated by Dennis Donohue
Director, Western Growers Innovation & Technology Center
This experienced line-up of key players will discuss some of the most significant challenges and emerging solutions facing growers today. For agtech companies, researchers and investors looking to meet and listen to the real challenges facing those ‘in the field’, next month’s Summit provides a unique platform to engage and learn.
We hope you can join them. Learn more at www.salinas-summit.com
by Peter Wren-Hilton | May 15, 2024 | 2024 Salinas Biological Summit
With just 6 weeks to go, I’m delighted to share details of the 2024 Salinas Biological Summit Program.
On 25-26 June, we have 42 confirmed speakers & international experts who will be sharing their insights into the opportunities and challenges facing growers in the ag input space. As regulators and consumers around the world are saying ‘less chemicals, more biologicals’, next month’s Summit Program has been designed to give stakeholders a real understanding of the current biologicals landscape. Including what works and what doesn’t.
The Summit will look at what’s happened since last year’s event and what to expect in the next 12 months. For Agtech companies, researchers, investors and policy-makers engaged in agricultural inputs, there will be no better opportunity to meet and engage with those growers working on the front line.
You can view the Program at Program | Wharf42 Limited (salinas-summit.com)
by Peter Wren-Hilton | May 3, 2024 | 2024 Salinas Biological Summit
Where has the year gone? Dennis from Western Growers and Jacqui & I are now saying quietly to ourselves: ‘The 2024 Salinas Biological Summit takes place next month’. Gulp! We are, in short, at the business end of the organisation and planning for this year’s event.
Over the past few weeks, we have locked in more epic speakers and secured the support of a number of awesome new Summit Sponsors and Exhibitors. We are indebted to everyone who is supporting and promoting this year’s event.
Following 2023’s inaugural sold-out Summit, I can also confirm that ticket sales are well ahead of last year. It’s a reflection I hope on the quality of the Program we are developing as well as the increasing significance that ag biologicals are playing in the global ag input, regulatory and consumer space.
To secure your Summit ticket today and get to meet and engage with the wide range of stakeholders attending next month’s event, please click 2024 Salinas Biological Summit | Humanitix
by Peter Wren-Hilton | Apr 26, 2024 | 2024 Salinas Biological Summit
Accelerating innovation into the agriculture sector is crucial if farmers and growers are to continue to provide nutritious, affordable food for an ever-increasing global population. Leveraging new technologies, thinking outside the box and applying them to on-farm production and supply chain systems is the critical factor at play.
It’s against this background that the Summit organizers are delighted that Guy Kawasaki, tech titan, former Chief Evangelist at Apple, venture capitalist and best-selling author will be a keynote speaker at the 2024 Salinas Biological Summit.
In his most recent book, Think Remarkable, Guy teamed up with Madisun Nuismer, producer of the Remarkable People podcast, to share invaluable knowledge from more than 40 years of working with game-changing organizations such as Apple, Canva, Google, Mercedes Benz, and Wikipedia.
Guy knows all about addressing the big issues. In the world of specialty crops, there are few bigger than the global call from regulators and consumers for ‘less chemistry, more biology’.
Are growers ready for the significant transition required to meet these calls? It will require developing strategies that enable you to transform your plans to prepare for the major changes ahead. That will require growers to adopt a growth mindset, develop grit and build resilience. These are some of the key themes in Guy’s Think Remarkable.
At June’s Summit, Guy will close out the Day 1 session. He joins an amazing set of speakers and domain specialists who will be sharing their insights and expertise. You can view their profiles on the Summit Speaker page.
I am stoked that Guy will be joining us in June. The reason is personal.
Apple Computers is where I started my ‘tech’ career. 35 years ago. That’s of course all we did. Think Mac Plus, LC, CI, FX. Plus the odd laser printer. Since then, the company name changed and Apple has gone on to create whole new industries through its technology stack.
There are strong lessons to be learnt. With Platform10, Western Growers and Wharf42 are seeking to enhance grower confidence and facilitate market development and adoption of new biopesticide products. This will require a whole new generation of smart agritech devices and software that will spray, monitor and manage the application of these new biological solutions. June’s Summit program has been designed to provide stakeholders from the wider ag sector with both inspiring content and the opportunity to meet and engage to discuss this opportunity.
To quote Steve Jobs;
‘The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
