March/April 2022 - 25

WWW.FRESHPRODUCE.COM INTERNATIONAL FRESH PRODUCE ASSOCIATION
Being the catalyst for fresh innovation
Even before the
Vonnie Estes
Vice President
of Technology,
International Fresh
Produce Association
pandemic, the costs
of chronic diseases
linked to food were
skyrocketing. Obesity
alone costs the U.S.
healthcare system
$147 billion annually,
and conditions like
diabetes costs the
U.S. $327 billion in
medical costs and lost
productivity. This was
before COVID-19 which also showed a
connection between co-morbidities and
significant illness and death.
None of this information is new.
We have long known that public
health is at the core of global
economic outcomes. We also know
that the produce industry, providing
the healthiest products on the planet, is
positioned to help address these issues
and in turn, to grow a healthier world.
This kind of sea change doesn't
happen easily. It requires intentional
investment of time and money, and also
incorporates a level of risk that many
individual companies can't stomach
on their own.
In some cases, this kind of innovation
takes money and we've been happy to
see new sources of non-dilutive funds
becoming available through the U.S.
government in the form of the Small
Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
grants, and the recently announced
Partnerships for Cl imate-Smart
Commodities opportunity promising
$1 billion in funds to farmers, foresters
and more who adopt and pilot innovative
practices resulting in climate-smart
commodities. This kind of full-circle
funding, enabling those developing
innovative tools and incentivizing an
industry in using these solutions is
critical to our industry moving beyond
iterative innovation.
Funding is critical, but in some
cases, it's not the greatest challenge.
There are many solutions, already in
development, that can be applied or
scaled to address challenges in different
markets or industries. Industries that
are either difficult to crack into, or
perhaps, industries that are simply
not on technology companies' radars.
Based on my interactions at nonindustry
events and engagements,
I'd argue that many investors and
innovators are unaware of the kind of
opportunity they have in the produce
industry. The perishability of our
product means that our supply chain,
while complex, is incredibly fast-paced,
providing a phenomenal environment
for testing, iteration and improvements.
Our products are critical and available
in almost every community across
the globe, providing not only a sense
of urgency, but also an enormous
opportunity for scaling and growth.
For many of our challenges, a solution
may already be out there. The question
becomes, how do we build a bridge
from our industry to those types of
companies? For IFPA, we've launched
the https://www.freshproduce.com/
resources/technology/fresh-fieldcatalyst/.
The
Fresh Field Catalyst is an
accelerator, providing a six-month
program for global companies to
bring innovative technical solutions
to the produce and floral industries.
We're recruiting outside of the U.S. and
outside of our industry, to find 10 to
12 startup companies who are in the
critical " scale-up " phase in addition to
larger, more established corporations
who are looking to enter our industry
around the world.
Instead of expect ing organic
connections between our industry and
outside companies, we're building a
highway directly into the industry to
provide a fast track for learning and
adoption. Participants will experience
a master class in our industry, working
one-on-one with industry mentors;
corporate and field visits to understand
the industry needs; they will learn
from our industry's past success and
failures - all in the effort of removing
barriers for meaningful, impactful and
progressive innovation.
We have a top-notch list of industry
experts as mentors to help introduce
and guide participants to the produce
industry. For those companies who are
eligible for SBIR funding, our IFPA
subject matter experts will also offer
guidance on the application process.
Participants will also find it hard-tofind
industry data.
The challenges we all face in today's
global supply chain are vast; in the past,
we've been expected, as an industry,
to create, fund and solve our own
challenges.
That's not the kind of change our
industry needs anymore.
We're hoping that by reaching out
and creating tech streams from other
industries, we can begin to scale our
own ability to solve the problems only
our industry can.
Kalera merging with Agrico Acquisition, moving to NASDAQ
Vertical leafy greens producer Kalera is
merging with Agrico Acquisition Corp. As a
result, Kalera will be publicly listed on the
NASDAQ stock exchange.
The agreement was announced Jan. 31
through a press release. Kalera currently
is listed at Euronext Growth Oslo. It will
transition to the NASDAQ from there.
Kalera's current management team and
Interim CEO Curtis McWilliams will continue
to oversee the business, including the plan
to further expand Kalera's global network of
vertical farms. With four facilities operating
and six more under construction, the
company believes that the team is well on
the path to achieving this vision.
PRODUCE PROCESS ING
25
http://WWW.FRESHPRODUCE.COM https://www.freshproduce.com/
March/April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March/April 2022
