Yesterday, the 'Maizar 4.0 Congress: Are we ready?', which will be held on June 30, for the first time virtually, was presented. The conference included as a preview two revealing panels, one that presented state-of-the-art technology ventures linked to agriculture, and another where with a detail of the current state of Good Agricultural Practices in the main producing provinces of Argentina.

"From the beginning we were convinced to make this year a different meeting, a new experience to recreate the entire face-to-face congress with the new virtual tools," said Agustín Tejeda, president of the Maizar 4.0 Congress. We work on two axes: a program with the best national and international speakers, and a platform built especially for this congress, which will allow everyone to interact, generating the networking that is the heart of historic congresses. "

Ricardo Bindi, one of the founders of Maizar, recalled that this association was created thanks to the push of several specialists at a time when cultivation was complicated, and in 2004 it had its first congress. "Now the challenge is to do it 4.0," he said. He also recalled the importance of this value chain, which in the last four campaigns increased its area by 60%, and that in the last, for the first time, this crop surpassed soybeans: it produced 50 million tons, of which 37, 2 million were exported and left the country $ 6.6 billion.

The current campaign is complex, with a very important uncertainty scenario. "It is crucial to think about how to continue and enhance the contribution of this chain," said Tejeda. "We are facing very important challenges of the situation, with a pandemic that has generated a global crisis, and we have to think about the role of corn to contribute to the way out of the crisis, but also to the development of the country in the medium and long term term ”, he pointed out. And this, within the framework of the structural challenges of the new demands for environmental, social and economic sustainability that are presented to the sector. Hence the chosen motto: Are we ready? Without wishing to spoil, we can say that the corn chain is at a great starting point, "he said.

Among the more than 70 speakers, there will be the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Luis Basterra; the chief economist of the FAO, Máximo Torero; the Development Manager of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, Claudio Zuchovicky; the main promoter of biofuels in Brazil, Plinio Nastari; INTA President Susana Mirassou and NASA Harvest Program Director Inbal Becker-Reshef.

As for the theme, the 2020 Congress was organized on three axes. One of the most important is the Economy and agri-food markets, in which the pandemic and its effects will have a central role: how Argentina faces this new scenario and what are the new patterns of production and consumption that emerge.

Another axis is the one that links biomass production, innovation, sustainability and knowledge with new technologies, to enhance food security, production and exports. "We are going to see the innovation agenda for a biobased world, the new technologies, the AgTech and the new data that can come with new solutions for the different links," Tejeda explained. Finally, the topic of new demands, public perception and how science can contribute will be addressed.

Finally, the third block will be linked to the new uses of corn and sorghum. "Corn, the 'magic grain', produces linkages and possibilities for new biobased products and services that can generate a development strategy. We are going to be focusing on biofuels, but also on other bioproducts and new techniques ”, anticipated Tejeda. "The corn chain has innovated, is at the forefront, and we try to offer this technology to meet the challenges."

The Maizar 4.0 Congress will be on June 30 at 9:00 (hour from Argentina). Access is free and free, but requires prior registration.