The AgriFood Forum 2020 was a real surprise. The two-day forum, which was organized virtually for the first time, attracted more than 1,800 unique viewers, 500 of whom were participants from abroad. What is more, each participant spent an average of more than 4 hours on the forum. The AgriFood Lithuania DIH, the main organizer of the event, has a very clear mission for the AgriFood Forum 2021. According to the hub, it is time to turn ambitions into real actions and commonly agree on the implementation of the sustainable food supply chain. The hybrid AgriFood Forum 2021 will take place on 25th of November.

“The agri-food sector does not have its own separate concept and is therefore often treated as a separate part of Industry 4.0. However, in Lithuania this sector is rapidly transforming and even acquiring the features of Industry 5.0. In this context, the synergy between man and technology, combining the human mind and creativity with the efficiency of technology, becomes paramount. We must unite business and scientific efforts and both create a clear vision and mission of our country’s agri-food sector for the coming decades, and show its importance for Lithuania’s growth. This will not only create a sustainable and healthy environment, but will also attract large investments and encourage young people to take an interest in the field of agri-food and create value for Lithuania in the regions,” said one of the speakers of the AgriFood Forum 2021 Vytautas Magnus University Rector Juozas Augutis.

Two clear directions of the forum can be identified in the concept being developed by the forum organizers. The agrifood sector is often underestimated as an underdeveloped sector where high value-added products are not developed. This is a myth that the organizers will destroy by proving the connection of this sector with IT and the most advanced technological solutions being developed on the market. Secondly, the agrifood sector is particularly cross-sectoral and important for the social development of our society. This will be proved by the smaller forums that will take place on different stages during the forum, covering topics ranging from agriculture to the importance of renewable energy, logistics, investment, education or rural development.

Augustas Alešiūnas, CEO at ART21, emphasized the rapid technological development of the sector and its potential to keep growing. “The agri-food sector is experiencing a peak period worldwide. Europe is focusing on the development of technologies related to 5G, robotics and autonomous technology. The growth trends of the sector are stimulated not only by the direction of the Green Deal initiated by the European Commission, but also by the decisions of private investors to continue investing record amounts into technologies developed for the agri-food sector. They do this because they see the potential in the agri-food sector to develop solutions that will generate huge returns. If we, as a state, do not miss this opportunity, our country’s innovators could create novel solutions and generate great value for the Lithuanian economy,” Augustas Alešiūnas, another speaker of the AgriFood Forum 2021, presented the international context.

This year, the main topic of the AgriFood Forum is the implementation of a sustainable food supply chain by enabling synergies between primary actors – farmers – and other stakeholders such as processors, distributors, consumers and policy makers. The organizers of the forum would like to inform everybody that the event is free of charge and invite everyone to register.