FRUIT LOGISTICA’s fresh produce experts offer natural intelligence

FRUIT LOGISTICA retains its position as the epicentre of intelligent thinking on the future of the global fresh produce business. In Berlin from 7 to 9 February 2024, the world’s leading fruit and vegetable trade show presents a unique event programme of talks and discussions.

Across six stages, expert speakers will share valuable perspectives on a range of essential topics, and offer intelligent, actionable insights.

The Fresh Produce Forum will focus on digitalization, AI and sustainability, and consider the potential for profitable new developments in areas like digital marketing. Paulina Drott of GS1, for example, will consider how fruit and veg traders can interact within an immersive, virtual space known as the metaverse.

On the Future Lab stage, practical solutions abound. Daniel Schubert from the German Aerospace Center reports on advanced greenhouse systems that can operate in Antarctica’s harsh climate; Vinay Kumar from VTT Technical Research Center talks about transparent packaging materials made from dissolved cellulose; and Plant & Food Research’s new CEO Mark Piper looks at digital simulators that allow researchers to test crops before they even grow them.

For companies that want to improve their supply chains, the Logistics Hub is the perfect place to learn more. This time, the stage features a wealth of innovations: from new port security systems, advanced ripening centres, and efforts to make airflown produce greener, to new infrastructural developments in the Middle East, and expert advice on cargo claims. Plus Philip Gray of Drewry and independent consultant Thomas Eskesen provide fresh global perspectives on the international reefer shipping market.

Elsewhere, the Tech Stage in Hall 5.1 highlights a vast array of advanced technologies: Ryan Rink from Apeel Sciences introduces RipeTrack, a measurement tool to determine maturity and quality quickly; Roland Wirth of Frigotec assesses new developments in cooling, storage and ripening.

On Friday, the Tech Stage becomes the Startup Stage and draws together some of the industry’s most exciting advances. These include: an AI-driven platform that monitors supply and demand to identify market opportunities; a pollination and yield forecasting system based on AI technology and drones; IoT-based technology to detect, control and manage pests in real time; photovoltaic greenhouse panels specifically designed to generate power but also filter light; and sustainable coatings for glass to improve lighting efficiency in greenhouses.

This year, Farming Forward will be a brand new format in the FRUIT LOGISTICA event programme. The Farming Forward Stage will be located in Hall 3.1 and exhibitors from the Smart Agri Area will present their insights and highlights under the title “The digital revolution in farming” on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Trade visitors can learn more about digital technologies for agriculture such as non-destructive fruit testing with spectral photography, AI technology for estimating fruit yields, digital insect monitoring and forecasting, a wireless platform for automating irrigation, post-harvest quality control with AI, drones that are revolutionizing agriculture, AI & digitalization within the fresh produce supply chain and much more.

Workshops organized by the CEA Alliance will be offered on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons about controlled environment agriculture. “The CEA Alliance workshops on the Farming Forward Stage will offer insights into this rapidly growing sector of the fresh produce industry, from emerging technologies to strategies for profitability, to retail perspectives,” says Tom Stenzel, the group’s executive director.