WG 2.0
The WGCIT Agtech Blog

Western Growers Global Harvest Automation Initiative Gaining Traction

Posted on April 01, 2021 10:35 AM by WGCIT

On February 11, Western Growers officially rolled out its Global Harvest Automation Initiative (GHAI) – a series of projects that aim to automate 50 percent of harvest throughout the specialty crop industry within 10 years.

Harvest labor remains one of the biggest challenges facing the world's specialty crop industry. Western Growers created the GHAI to help startups more quickly launch and scale robotic harvesters for fruit and vegetable growers. The GHAI officially launched during a live, socially distanced, event at the Tulare World Ag Summit and was also livestreamed.

During the February 11 event, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia discussed why the GHAI is so important and explained why time is of the essence. Western Growers VP of Innovation Walt Duflock introduced elements of the GHAI, including the Tech Stack, Robotics Roadmap and more. The event also featured an in-depth look at robotics and international agtech solutions, grower panels, and industry partnerships. A highlight of the event was the $200K pledge by the Washington Tree Fruit Research Committee to advance the Global Harvest Initiative.

Below are resources for additional information about the GHAI:

• Livestream Recording: The full recording of the event, segmented by each event, can be found on Western Growers’ YouTube Channel here.
  • Includes analysis and updates on the following topics:
    • State of labor in the specialty crop industry
    • The Global Harvest Automation Initiative
    • In-Depth Panels: Tech and Grower
    • Update/Analysis: Automation, Global Scale, Tech Stack, Software/AI, UK-US Startups, France-US Startups, Robots, Drones, New Zealand Startups
• Tech Foreword: Duflock wrote a piece for the latest edition of WG&S Magazine on what the GHAI means for entrepreneurs and startups. Find the “WG Automation Initiative: What it Means for Entrepreneurs and Startups” story here.
• GHAI Event Wrap-Up: A synopsis of the official GHAI launch event can be found in the latest edition of WG&S Magazine. Read the “WG to Advance Harvest Automation through Global Initiative” story here.
• Event Images: Images from the launch event can be found on the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology’s Facebook page here.

For more information on the GHAI, contact Walt Duflock or Dennis Donohue.