On 24th November 2022, FTS was invited to attend and help organise content for the Agrifood Innovation Event, which this year co-located streams on Vertical Farming & the Protein Transition.
The morning session was moderated by our very own communications manager Mark Horler.
Theo Tekstra of Fluence got us started with an overview of the economics of innovation. He was followed by Martin Tietema of GrowFoam, talking about sustainable substrates. Next up was PhD student Kristina Ljumovic, talking about her work with ONO exponential Farming. And to round out the session, we learned about fruit production in vertical farming from Stefan Van De Voort of Signify.
It was unquestionably a strong opening session, with many questions coming from the audience, and a good deal of discussion amongst the speakers too!
After a coffee break and some speedy networking, it was time to get back in there for session two.
In a session moderated by event organiser and main man Pieter Hermans, we heard three speakers all from Wageningen.
Opening was Gemma Tacken, Senior Market Researcher, Wageningen Economic Research, on consumer perception of vertical farming.
She was followed by Isabella Righini, Researcher, Wageningen University & Research, businessunit Greenhouse Horticulture, on producing and steering soybean protein content in indoor farming.
Then Caterina Carpineti, Researcher Vertical Farming and advanced cultivation systems, Wageningen University & Research, businessunit Greenhouse Horticulture, talking about innovation and demonstration for a competitive Dutch Vertical Farming sector, took us to the lunch break.
After the lunch break, it was time for FTS to really pull out the stops! Whilst we were all talking vertical farming in the morning, the protein transition stream had also being going ahead.
In the special FarmTech Society afternoon session, these two were brought together under one banner in a combined session.
Moderated by our Secretary General Tom Zoellner, our first speaker was Mark Horler (yes the same one from the morning!), but this time wearing his Soya Project hat, and setting out the big picture of how CEA might help to address the protein transition imperative.
Next up was Lilly Manzoni of LettUs Grow explaining their aeroponics systems and the importance of the right kinds of technologies for the right applications, including the protein transition among much else.
Hadrien Velge of ECLO then presented on the topic of food from waste – specifically exotic mushrooms and the substrates in which they grow.
And last but by no means least, Victor Poncelet of WasTech talked to us about insect growing, but more than that, about circular economies and systemic resilience, setting out why the system as it is now has to change.
… and then before we knew it the day was done, and it was time to celebrate and network together with drinks and delicious nibbles!
All in all, a fascinating event, and one we’re already looking forward to being part of in 2023!
