Valagro Global Conference 2015: innovation, technology and sustainability at the heart of the debate on the future of agriculture and the role of Valagro

Customers from around the world will be the focus of the event "Meet the Global Challenge" to illustrate their needs and share their experiences in an evolving world scenario

“Meet the Global Challenge" is the theme chosen this year by Valagro for the Global Conference of the Group, to be held 11 to 13 May between Stresa and Milan, fully aligned  with EXPO 2015 - "Feeding the planet, energy for life". It is a critical time for a dialogue with our customers  globally: an opportunity to review  the  macro-trends of global agriculture and the  themes of innovation, scientific research and sustainability, and to listen to their voices, their experiences and understand their real needs - in line with our philosophy of putting the customer in the center and listening to them.

"The Global Conference is a key event for strengthening the Group's commitment to give maximum substance to the notion of customer focus, which is one of the values ​​that animate our mission and one of the pillars on which we build our future - declared Giuseppe Natale, CEO of Valagro Group. - We believe that to be successful it is crucial to fulfil the expectations of the market in an always more punctual manner and offer concrete and more personalized solutions, that meet the real needs of our customers".

The choice of Milan as the venue of the event has a strong symbolic value: it underlines the consistency and similarity of vision and long-term goals with Expo2015. Coincidentally, the key topics discussed are aligned with the Universal Exhibition: agriculture and sustainability, science and technology applied to the great challenge of providing sufficient food for the world population continues to grow in the future and preserve the delicate balance between man and earth-water-air. Valagro remains committed to research and development of innovative and effective solutions for the nutrition and health of plants, improving productivity and the sustainability of crops. The Group will continue to contribute to the global challenge that lies ahead and shares with Expo 2015: produce more with less, to ensure more and better quality food for all, and even more so for future generations.

The key note presentations of experts and opinion leaders internationally renowned on global issues and macro-industry trends will be the centre of debate in the plenary sessions: Dr. Riccardo Valentini, member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Prof. Pierdomenico Perata, Rector of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna of Pisa, Dr. Segenet Kelemu, General Director of the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, Kenya, will bring their contribution to the debate on science, technology and sustainability as key-drivers of the future of the agricultural system.

Dr. Carlos Nobre, internationally renowned climatologist, member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the UN and Dr. Teodoro Miano, professor of agricultural chemistry and director of the Department of Soil, Plant and Food, University of Bari, will focus instead on the impact of climate change in the global scenario of agriculture.

The three-days of Valagro meetings also provides a training day through workshops  organized around the logic of clusters consistent with the EXPO , specifically tropical crops, vegetables, fruit and industrial crops. Within these thematic areas, customers will give voice to their needs and illustrate some of the key issues relating to the crops covered by the workshops to which Valagro has been able to  - and will continue to - provide effective and innovative solutions. 

Valagro invests every year more than 4 % of its turnover in scientific research for the development of innovative and effective solutions that meet the needs of its customers to obtain greater and better quality yields, increasing efficiency and reducing environmental impact. One of the key drivers of Valagro innovation is the collaboration with a wide international network of research institutions and universities, which allows the Group to take advantage of know-how and vanguard knowledge in the fields of its interest, ranging from genomics to microbiology, from nutraceuticals to plant physiology.