SEVEN startups specialising in agricultural innovation from Argentina, two from Brazil and Chile and four more from Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru were chosen to participate in Digital Agriculture Week. The event was organised by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Bayer, Microsoft and the World Bank to exchange and promote ideas and thereby accelerate the digital transformation of agriculture in the Americas.

These 15 Agtechs (technology-based enterprises with a focus on the agricultural sector) were selected from 80 companies that applied, after a call was issued by IICA for the event that will be held in person in Costa Rica from May 16 to 19 at the institute’s headquarters.

From Argentina, the chosen companies are Agroconsultas, Ecodrip, Milar, Origino, Wiagro, Appi.ar by Beemore and Gbot Solutions.

The startups SIMA and Tarvos from Brazil were also selected, together with Neltume Agro and Frescapesca.com from Chile. BloomsPal Network from Colombia, AgtechApps from Guatemala, The Farmerbox from Mexico and AGROS from Peru complete the group of winning projects.

The 15 startups were chosen by a special jury made up of important representatives of public and private organisations linked to Agtech issues, including Laurens Klerkx, professor of the Knowledge, Technology and Innovation group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands; Jorge León, Microsoft Cloud Strategy Leader; Ana Paulina Posso, Bayer Food Value Chain Manager; and Mariana Vasconcelos, CEO and co-founder of Agrosmart.

Also participating in the panel were Wálter Baethgen, Director of the Regional and Sectoral Research Programme at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society and Vice-President of the Board of Directors of INIA Uruguay; Rafael López, Director of the Office of Geographic Information, Strategy and Risk Management of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Guatemala; Ana Caldas, specialist from Azure, data and artificial intelligence; and Federico Villarreal, Director of Technical Cooperation of IICA.

Assessment criteria will include the potential of digital solutions to improve production, sustainability and inclusion of agrifood systems, and the feasibility of implementing pilots that can use the solution in different countries in the region.

The 15 winning startups will participate in person at the Digital Agriculture Week with all expenses paid, and they will be able to present their technological innovations, access high-level lectures and exchange ideas with international organisations for digital transformation.

They will also develop pilot projects with IICA and use their solutions in the member states of this hemispheric organization, specialising in agriculture and rurality.

An event organised by IICA with the co-sponsorship of Bayer, Microsoft and the World Bank, in which startups and other actors from the technological and agricultural sectors will present, propose and coordinate ideas for the digital transformation of agrifood systems. The meeting also seeks to disseminate technology solutions and promote their use in agriculture.

The meeting will take place in a hybrid format: in person at IICA Headquarters in San José, Costa Rica, and virtually. Representatives of organisations that work directly with this type of company, as well as public and private organisations interested in the digitalization of agriculture, will participate.

Some of the themes to be covered are: Digital Transformation—opportunities and challenges in a new era; Digitalisation of Agriculture—barriers, impacts and perspectives; Lessons learned from a real experience of agricultural digitalisation; and Roles and synergies of public and private stakeholders in the digital era.

Presentations from startups will be featured on digital solutions to increase production and efficiency, minimize the environmental footprint and tackle climate change, boost trade, value chains and the cooperation of stakeholders; and supporting farmers’ decisions and management at productive, economic and financial levels. (IICA)