INNOVATION ACCELERATING THE ADVANCEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY FOR THE FRESH PRODUCE INDUSTRY.
GLOBAL HARVEST AUTOMATION INITIATIVE With an audacious goal of automating 50 percent of the harvest within 10 years, the Global Harvest Automation Initiative (GHAI) was launched in February 2021. This global initiative is comprised of several key projects designed to help harvest automation start-ups commercialize and scale at a more rapid pace, including the development of a technology stack – a documented set of technical interfaces that will help start-ups leverage industry-standard components to get their robots into the field faster. As part of the GHAI, Western Growers will produce an annual harvest automation impact report ; facilitate more effective grower conversations to help start-ups better understand the economics growers need to invest in automation; and work with both federal and state governments to help secure R&D and commercialization funding .
The fresh produce industry is being asked to feed a growing population with fewer resources. Increasingly, growers are turning to technology to address unprecedented environmental pressures, regulatory restrictions and marketplace demands. To help meet this need, Western Growers has emerged as a catalyst for innovation in the fresh produce industry.
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