Last week, Wharf42 was delighted to be able to share the news that the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Karen Ross, will be a keynote speaker at the 2035 Oceania Summit.
The Secretary’s visit supports a key purpose of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and California Governor Gavin Newsom in San Francisco. As the Summit seeks to identify the tools and technology necessary to assist farmers and growers everywhere to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, securing increased trans-Pacific collaboration with California is a significant opportunity for the Oceania region’s agrifood technology sector.
The Secretary will be accompanied by Dennis Donohue, Director of the Western Growers Innovation & Technology Center (WGITC). The Center is based in Salinas in Northern California and has been visited several times by both New Zealand and Australian agritech delegations. For some context, Western Growers members account for over 50% of all fresh produce production in North America. (Personal Disclosure: I sit on the WGITC Global Advisory Board and have learnt at first hand many of the challenges that face these members).
They are not unique to California. Labor (lack of and cost of), a persistent multi-year drought and a drive to increase the use of biologicals are all key areas that growers across much of the US West coast are addressing. One of the main purposes of the Global Advisory Board is to identify offshore research and product that can help meet these challenges. October’s 2035 0ceania Summit provides a platform for New Zealand and Australian research entities and agritech businesses to share their stories with the in-bound delegation.
As indicated above, securing increased trans-Pacific collaboration with California is a significant opportunity for the Oceania region’s agrifood technology sector. If you are looking to enter the US market, October’s Summit will be a great introduction to some of the major opportunities that exist.
In order to register to attend the Summit, early bird ticket pricing closes on 15 August. You can purchase your ticket today at Registrations | Oceania Agritech (2035.ag)