AGRITECHNICA ASIA & HORTI ASIA Regional Summit: Smart production for sustainable food systems

The AGRITECHNICA ASIA and HORTI ASIA Regional Summit, to be held as a hybrid online and in-person event on 16 and 17 November, offers farmers and farming specialists from Thailand and South East Asia not only innovative farming systems and a wide range of solutions for improving crop production but also access to a worldwide network of international companies and experts.

Under the guiding theme “Smart production for sustainable food systems”, the Regional Summit addresses the challenges of sustainable food production facing farmers from Southeast Asia.

The AGRITECHNICA ASIA and HORTI ASIA Regional Summit event, which is organized by DLG (German Agricultural Society) and VNU Asia Pacific, takes place at the Imperial Hotel and Convention Centre Korat in Nakhon Ratchasima, at the very heart of rice, cassava and sugarcane production in Thailand.

Complementing the in-person event held in Thailand, DLG’s online platform will additionally connect onsite and online international providers, experts and attendees. The summit is officially co-hosted by the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

Plant production is a vital part of many sustainable food systems. At the same time, such food systems have to protect natural resources and also contribute to both improving the livelihood of stakeholders and strengthening communities at all levels.

In order to cover these challenges simultaneously while ensuring sustainable food production by Southeast Asian farmers especially, more innovative methods and smart solutions are required.

Project Manager, Ms. Kamolchanok Nantaburom, summarizes what participants can expect: “The AGRITECHNICA ASIA & HORTI ASIA Regional Summit offers the opportunity to both gain insights of upcoming international trends in food production and improve local production systems that consider the needs of farmers and markets. We are very happy to present such an international event at the heart of a key production area and are overwhelmed by the local support”.

There will be a conference with the program focuses on local production systems. The conference with over 50 speakers from Thailand and worldwide will focus on topics such as efficient and sustainable sugarcane, cassava, rice and maize production as well as precision and smart farming, plant protection, water management and cluster farming as well as new markets such as vertical farming and bioeconomy.

“We are collaborating with quality conference partners, who are leading specialist organizations like the International Rice Research Institute and the Thai Society of Sugarcane Technologists. The combination of experts from the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the private sector sharing the latest innovations as well as practicioners demonstrating best practices live from the field will create a unique place for knowledge exchange and networking,” explains Project Manager Katharina Staske.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work and our expectations of the future. The UN Food System Summit 2021 as part of the “Decade of Actions” is awakening the world to the fact that we must work together to create the future of food and agricultural systems to achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Governments alone cannot deliver the goals for our Roadmap for more sustainable, inclusive and resilient systems for food and agriculture. We need the collaboration and partnerships of all stakeholders.

In this context, the AGRITECHNICA ASIA & HORTI ASIA Regional Summit is a place where international knowledge and innovations can offer technical solutions to the local farmers and businesses. Through the ongoing exchanges between the Ministries of Agriculture of Thailand and Germany, we’re looking forward to more collaboration at all levels, Government-to-Government, Business-to-business and most importantly, our farmers-to-farmers,” said Dr. Vanida Khumnirdpetch, Director of the Bureau of Foreign Agriculture Affairs of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, emphasizing the importance of the event in November.