AIBA CONECTA presents candidates for the open innovation for sustainability program in Western Bahia

Result of a partnership between Senai Cimatec and AIBA, with support from the Land Innovation Fund, AIBA LAB's closing event will bring together startups with technological solutions designed to address needs and challenges of the region's farmers.

The AIBA CONECTA Forum will take place on December 9, at 10am, to conclude the third and final cycle of the AIBA LAB open innovation program, designed to identify and implement technological solutions for a sustainable soy supply chain in one of Brazil's most productive agricultural regions, Western Bahia. At the meeting, 15 startups will present proposals combining innovation with sustainability, applicable to the needs of agribusiness in the region, ranging from pest and disease control solutions (Agrientech, NCB Sistemas Embarcados, Predativa, Prediza, Revella and Usina Biológica) to education (Já Entendi), engagement in sustainable practices (Farm Brasil; Gávea; MayEasyFarm), seed planting (Grandel), soil management and fertility (Solusolo), and efficient water use (Icrop, Irricontrol, Zeus Agritech).

Result of a partnership between Senai Cimatec, the Association of Farmers and Irrigators of Bahia (AIBA) and the Land Innovation Fund, AIBA LAB was set up to help lay an innovation pathway to sustainability with the collaborative participation of farmers, students, researchers, the local community and partner institutions. Organized in three cycles - HACKATHON, NEXT GENERATION and AIBA CONECTA – carried out during the second semester of 2021, AIBA LAB attracted more than 80 participants, with 110 hours of business mentoring and 14 online meetings with experts and participants to chart and comprehend the demands, challenges and opportunities of sustainable agricultural development in Western Bahia.

In the HACKATHON, participants divided into 19 multidisciplinary teams to come up with technological solutions to problems presented by representatives of the local agribusiness ecosystem. Of the five finalists, Senai Cimatec gave accelerators to the three winners: Sir's automation solution for irrigation; Foxy's fintech for small farmers; and Farm Brazil's solution to integrate technologies farmwide, with a focus on management and decision making. "We recognize the importance of western Bahia for agribusiness, and the efforts of local producers to align the production of some of Brazil's main commodities with international demands for the preservation and restoration of this biome. To that end, we have joined forces with multiple players and investments in an innovative project offering positive impacts on the region's soy production chain," says the director of the Land Innovation Fund, Carlos E. Quintela.

During the NEXT GENERATION, farmers and professionals from the innovation ecosystem had a chance to share ideas and learn about some technological solutions being developed by startups. The cycle's objective was to promote dialogue among the sectors and prepare representatives of the soy supply chain to become entrepreneurial innovators, led by AIBA's members and experts. "In recent decades, farmers in Western Bahia have been seeking to increase yields, with environmental and social sustainability, through technological innovation and the application of what they have learned from their own experience in the field," according to Moisés Schmidt, a farmer and AIBA's vice-president.

AIBA CONECTA was organized for the winning startups and teams from the previous cycles interested in teaming up to produce technological solutions for the needs of the local agribusiness ecosystem. Read more about the outcome of these exchanges among agricultural and technological professionals, researchers and students, the local community and partner institutions at the AIBA CONECTA Forum. Subscritptions here. "The three cycles were conceived as a whole, to ensure sustainable solutions that contribute to the region's social and economic development," explains Flávio Marinho, Executive Manager of Technology and Innovation at Senai Cimatec.

The AIBA LAB is one of several investments made by the Land Innovation Fund to promote sustainable farming practices in Western Bahia. Coordinated by a variety of partners, these complementary initiatives will foster innovative solutions for a sustainable soy supply chain, focusing on farmers, with positive economic and socio-environmental impacts in the region.

Find more information about AIBA LAB on its website.

 

WHO ARE THE STARTUPS?

AGRIENTECH: an intelligent technology solution able to identify pests and plant diseases in soy fields with timely, accurate and geolocated information, reducing pesticide consumption and greenhouse gas impacts, while ensuring environmental sustainability.

FARM BRASIL: an integrated technology solution for the various areas of a farm, with a focus on decision making, productivity gains, operational cost reduction and environmental impact, contributing to a more sustainable production chain.

GAVEA: Brazil's first digital commodities exchange, uses blockchain technology and socio-environmental checks to ensure that no traded product comes from deforested areas or was produced in illegal working conditions.

GRANDEL: portable artificial intelligence solutions for 30-second analyses of soil, leaves, and grains, focused on increasing the sustainability of soy, maize, and cotton.

ICROP: water resources management solution that helps reduce water use by up to 20% and energy use by 20 to 30%.

IRRICONTROL: solution for automating the irrigation process in remote areas lacking communication infrastructure, to reduce water waste and promote sustainability in the field.

JÁ ENTENDI: education application with video classes on digital agriculture for operators.

MY EASY FARM: solution that combines planning and operations information for more efficient and sustainable agricultural management.

NCB SISTEMAS EMBARCADOS: a biohub for precise, traceable releases of biological agents with drones, avoiding waste and ensuring transparent operations.

 PREDATIVA: compact, easy-to-handle equipment to produce and apply macrobiological controls via drones, to reduce costs, environmental impacts, and risks to farmers.

PREDIZA: artificial intelligence solution to forecast disease, which works together with a field notebook to make management and irrigation recommendations for each farm's microclimate.

REVELLA: provides solutions for more efficient use of fertilizers and pesticides, with higher yields and profits for farmers.

SOLUSOLO: soil management and fertility system developed with an organic product, bioactivated and produced with Japanese technology to recover soils degraded by intensive cropping and agrochemicals.

USINA BIOLÓGICA: solution for pest and disease control with macrobiological biopesticides (insect parasitoids and predators).

ZEUS AGROTECH: rain gauge solution to gather helpful data for efficient and sustainable farm management.

 

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