Towards 360 degree sustainability

On 22 June, the Polytechnic City of Innovation in Valencia hosted the "III Conference on technology at the service of the agri-food sector", in a mixed edition; on-site, following the Covid prevention protocols, and also online, broadcast by streaming. An event for the professional public promoted by the Higher Technical School of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, with the collaboration of numerous companies and institutions. Three major chapters in this conference - production, commercialisation and distribution - will be used to take a snapshot of the current situation of the agri-food sector and to open up perspectives on the near future, both from the point of view of challenges and opportunities. "A very interesting brainstorming session", commented Benito Orihuel, Postharvest Advisor at CITROSOL, present at the first of the round tables, together with Javier Usó (Frutinter), Vicente Juan Giner (Vicente Giner) and Juan Cardona (Kiwa), in which the sector was addressed from the point of view of production. Sustainability, digitalisation and the implementation of new technologies were the focus of much of the debate at this round table. "At Citrosol we have been working for more than 50 years to provide the sector with tools to reduce food losses", said Benito Orihuel, "as a result of our research we have had products on the market for years to reduce the carbon footprint and water footprint, as well as implementing the Circular Economy with Zero Landfill. And a few years ago we coined the term 'precision postharvest'. Food losses in postharvest are around 10-15%. Orihuel gave the example of plant coatings (Plantseal® and Plantseal® shine-free), which are able to reduce weight losses by up to 50%, thus substantially reducing postharvest fruit losses. Citrosol also manages to reduce the water footprint with other developments, such as the hygienic washing of fruit and vegetables with the Citrocide® Systems, with water savings of around 70-80%. FutureThe different speakers agreed on the future need for the sector to reduce its impact on water, soil, energy and treatments, among other parameters. A path, according to the testimonies, that passes through automation, digitalisation to obtain data with which to make decisions and execute more sustainable processes. "With our Citrocide® Systems with a sensor, we measure product concentrations in real time, adjusting them and keeping them within very narrow margins", commented Benito Orihuel, "but we are not stopping there and we are already developing future multisensory systems to control postharvest treatments". A 'precision postharvest' in which data is very important, but it is even more important to be able to use it instantly to be able to anticipate and correct processes immediately, thus reducing fruit losses and losses (wastage). Can we feed ourselves in a more sustainable way? This was the final question posed by the moderator of this round table on agricultural production. A 360-degree sustainability that goes from production through to marketing and distribution and in turn 360 degrees in the different links of each of these three pillars. "Sustainability is the way forward and this will always come from the hand of science and technology", concluded Benito Orihuel.