China Area Representative for SPAGRO S.R.L.

From May 25th to 27th, the CIS (2021) China International Special Fertilizer Development Conference was held in Chengdu. At the conference, Luca, the director of SPAGRO S.R.L. China area, gave a distinctive speech on the trends in the application of technology and products in the era of European agriculture 4.0 and on research in soil detection systems.

Why discussing agriculture 4.0 together? Because our world is being changed by it.

At the moment we are all facing the same situations, and we also have the same opportunity to get out of it.Food safety in Italy has always been at the forefront in the world: according to the European Food Safety Administration, chemical residues in Italy are only 0.3%, 5 times lower than the average level of other EU countries and 26 times lower than the average level of other non-EU countries.

What kind of challenges does agriculture face now?

First, Europe’s population is projected to reach 550 million in 2045. Therefore, agriculture must not only achieve high yields, but also meet the growing needs of the human environment for the quality of agricultural products and sustainable agricultural development. Secondly, Europe faces climate change, the greenhouse effect and other behaviors that exceed the natural regulating capacities of the ecosystem. Thirdly, agricultural research and development: the needs of the European market, consumers and the environment are increasingly high. Research and development personnel strengthening the industry can certainly keep pace with the pace of development, but R&D, audit and other systems cannot be delayed. Fourthly, from traditional farm to table, the supply chain must be simplified and optimized to promote economic circulation, reduce waste, improve traceability and sustainability. Finally, for those small farms that have difficulty adapting to Agriculture 4.0, it is necessary to provide support.

To address these challenges, Europe has introduced the EU’s common agricultural policy. The EU’s review of the CAP this year has the following objectives: economic development and market competition must be beneficial; need to increase the added value of the food chain; it must protect the ecological environment and viewpoints; strengthen the interconnection of agricultural areas; ensure food safety and health, etc.

The EU has created an agricultural knowledge information system, AKIS, an online and offline platform covering agriculture and related sectors, involving people from Agrifood at all levels, thus accelerating the development of agriculture.

The ecological environment has been significantly improved and all trends are centered on saving and reducing.

5 main  EU agriculture trends in 2021:

1. Health: consumers pay attention to health and nutrition;

2. Technology offers more convenience and scientific accuracy;

3. Supply of more sustainable proteins, such as laboratory meat, vegetarian meat and crop replacement proteins;

4. Sustainability and waste reduction;

5. Consumers search for new tastes and new experiences

Trends in Italian Agriculture 4.0: green economy.

Italy has always combined characteristic agriculture with environmental protection, it is one of its most valuable business cards, ensuring that natural growth, breeding and cultivation complement each other.

Spagro has always adhered to the company philosophy of “LESS CHEMISTRY, MORE NATURE“, which reflects exactly the above points of view. The situation of Italian agriculture 4.0: 37% digital management, 33% intelligent monitoring tools, 27% intelligent maps on site and irrigation with precise artificial intelligence, 17% crop and soil monitoring, 15% decision support systems with artificial intelligence and remote monitoring systems.

Spagro has a century of rich experience and technology, innovative products; it has developed hundreds of products for specific crops and obtained the unified ISO and CE certifications. Spagro provides the best high-end Italian products and the best solutions, focusing on crop health. It aims to combine healthy precision farming with environmental protection and sustainable development.

To achieve high quality agriculture and sustainable agricultural development, it is also very important to ensure the safety of crops  benefiting from the support of environmental protection and high quality products.

Spagro has been conducting in-depth research and applications of crops, soils and biostimulants since 1986.

We use soil, crops and weather stations to collect and analyze various data capable of reducing pests and waste, thus improving the quality and sustainable development of agricultural products for some time.

Today, Spagro can also mature cloud services, big data, artificial intelligence, and more to process data and provide product development support.

Spagro has developed 5 main types of products: basic nutrition, new anti-stress management, improvement of vegetative functions, nutritional regulation and plant protection.

Among these, the category of functional improvement is the most distinguished and appreciated. Some products have already been introduced in China, others are being imported. We look forward to contribute to China’s quality agriculture and sustainable development.