Valagro describes agricultural innovations in #FoodPeople

In an itinerary dedicated to major scientific and technological innovations in the food sector, Valagro bears witness to the origin and benefits of bio-stimulants as an effective means for the development of sustainable agriculture

Valagro, industry leader in the production and marketing of biostimulants and specialty nutrients, has actively supported - as the main sponsor - the realisation of #FoodPeople, the exhibition devised by the National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan, open to the public from April 22, 2015 and dedicated to the changes that have marked our eating habits and the future prospects of the food system.
In particular, within the itinerary that illustrates the main scientific and technological innovations in the agri-food sector over the past 150 years with an interactive approach, Valagro bears witness to, on an island dedicated to the subject, the origin and benefits of biostimulants, as an effective means for the development of sustainable agriculture. In the “On the field” area, visitors can take a journey to discover the major variables which affect agricultural production. On the island dedicated to the topic of Plant Nourishment, a young marine biology researcher will be the star of a multimedia video-setup that tells the story of Valagro and will accompany visitors to discover brown algae Ascophyllum nodosum and its extraordinary properties, which are the basis of the effectiveness of biostimulants.
“We have enthusiastically embraced the realisation of this exhibition, because it deals with an extraordinary affinity of issues that we feel strongly about and which animate our activities” - said Giuseppe Natale, CEO of Valagro Group - In fact, Valagro has always engaged in the research and development of innovative and effective solutions for the nutrition and well-being of plants, improving the productivity and sustainability of farming. Biostimulants are an indispensable element because they maximize productivity in agriculture, which is what the world increasingly needs today: environmental sustainability combined with the certainty of harvests. This means using scientific innovation to achieve bigger and better quality harvests, using fewer precious resources, perishables and technical means. Themes that today become more relevant than ever and of great importance for the future of all, because they are closely related to the basic need to feed and nourish the planet, the global challenge that we share with Expo 2015 ".
Biostimulants are increasingly used in worldwide agricultural production and can effectively contribute to overcome the challenge posed by the increasing demand for food by the world's population in continuous growth. These formulations, in fact, contain substances and/or microorganisms that, when applied to plants or soils, are able to regulate and improve the physiological processes of crops, thus rendering them more efficient: bio-stimulants are able to improve the efficiency of the metabolism of plants to determine an increase in harvest and improvement in quality; they may increase the tolerance of plants to abiotic stress and their recovery ability; finally, they are able to facilitate the assimilation, the passage and the use of the nutrients.
At the base of the properties of bio-stimulants is Ascophyllum nodosum, a brown algae unique in the world, which grows in areas adjacent the cold northern seas in Norway, where the ecosystem is still intact and untouched. For over 75 years Algea, the only worldwide manufacturer of ingredients made from marine algae located beyond the Arctic Circle, now part of the Valagro Group, collects and transforms this algae that, as a result of the tidal surge, the prolonged exposure to light or dark and the very cold weather, develops naturally during its growth precious and biologically active components such as: alginates, fucoidans, polyphenols, fluorine tannins, fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
In all of the processing stages, from the collection in the sea until the product is obtained, Algea uses sustainable methods, that help preserve the valuable active components and thus obtain the highest quality products, highly innovative and with high added value, used in agriculture as well as for human nutrition, animal feed and cosmetics.