Speaking of the fourth industrial revolution, it is worth noting the modern solutions applied in production. Scientific and technological progress in the field of robotization, mechanization, automation, energy storage and production, development of artificial intelligence and digital economy are changing the picture of international agri-food processing and agricultural production.

The effect of these changes is the process of transition from the level of traditional agriculture to the level of industrial food production. This is a global phenomenon that is difficult to prevent. Cheap GMO products are displacing organic plants, which are more expensive to grow and more susceptible to pests. Urbanisation and depopulation of the countryside is an additional factor changing the structure of agriculture. According to some, vertical farming may be the future of agriculture. According to a report by Allied Market Research, the vertical agriculture market reached the value of 2.23 billion dollars in 2018, and by 2026 it is estimated that it will grow to 12.77 billion dollars.

The topic of innovation in agriculture will be discussed at the Industrial Forum in Karpacz in a panel discussion: Innovations in the agri-food sector, which will be attended by Attila Hudecz, Founder & CEO of the Hungarian company Growberry, Kostiantyn Tkaczenko, Editor-in-Chief, Latifundist from Ukraine and Mathias Eisert, President of the Management Board of Polish Agro Sp. z o.o.

Do European countries support the innovativeness of the agri-food industry and how do they support it? This question will probably be asked during the discussion in Karpacz. What do the producers themselves think about innovative solutions? One of the participants in the debate – Attila Hudecz – entrepreneur and investor in start-ups – is the founder of one of the companies dealing with vertical cultivation of plants. In Growberry, plants grow without soil, roots have access to fluids containing all the microelements needed for growth. The company prides itself on the fact that such breeding is not only ecological, because there is no need to use chemical plant protection products and minimizes the amount of water used, but also energy efficient. So in a few years’ time will the traditional field be just a tourist attraction?