On Tuesday, March 11, SVP of Innovation Walt Duflock joined a panel of five industry experts at the World Agri-Tech Summit in San Francisco to discuss “Farm Automation: Addressing Labor Challenges Through Robotics.”

Chaired by Vonnie Estes, VP of Innovation at IFPA, the panel featured Pål Johan From, Founder and CEO of Saga Robotics // Thorvald; Scott Komar, SVP of Global R&D at Driscoll’s; and Kristen Smith Eshaya, President of JV Smith Companies and a member of the Western Growers Board.

Eshaya has been at the forefront of farm robotics innovation and was featured in Western Grower & Shipper magazine for integrating laser weeding technology at JV Smith Companies, enhancing efficiency while reducing the need for pre-plant herbicides. You can read more about her efforts here.

Komar is also recognized as an innovator in the fresh produce industry. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Global R&D at Driscoll’s in 2017 and is currently responsible for all elements of R&D across North and South America, EMEA, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Some of the concerns they addressed at the summit included:

• What robotic innovations are available for various aspects of the growing process, and how are they alleviating workforce pressures?
• Can these solutions be effectively implemented on farms as proposed? Do they require further engineering, and must the cultivation environment be adapted for full automation?
• How scalable are these solutions, and where do they stand on their path to commercialization? Can we accelerate the process, and what are realistic timelines?
• In a competitive innovation landscape, how can early- and growth-stage companies incorporate farmer insights into their R&D to better address growers’ needs and build confidence in the sector?

For more information on the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, including future events, click here.