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AgroFresh Strengthens Its Position in Produce Quality with New Partnerships

AgroFresh Solutions, Inc., recognized as a leading player in post-harvest freshness, has recently made moves to further enhance its digital capabilities in produce quality management. The company announced two significant partnerships with Aerobotics, known for its advanced orchard analytics, and Neolithics, a pioneer in AI-powered quality inspection technologies. This initiative is set to solidify AgroFresh’s FreshCloud™ as the most extensive digital ecosystem in the fresh produce sector.

The Vision Behind FreshCloud™

AgroFresh aims to create a seamlessly integrated digital platform that can offer extensive quality measurements across the fresh produce supply chain. By utilizing real-time data aggregation from their partners, the FreshCloud™ system provides growers, packers, and retailers with the tools needed to make informed decisions, thereby reducing waste and enhancing the quality of produce.

Bradford Warner, AgroFresh’s Head of Digital Solutions, highlighted the importance of these partnerships, stating, "Our goal is to create the most holistic digital platform in fresh produce by leveraging advanced analytics and technology. The integration of partners like Aerobotics and Neolithics is a crucial step towards connecting orchard data to packing house operations like never before."

Collaboration with Aerobotics

AgroFresh has integrated its FreshCloud™ platform with several modules from Aerobotics’ TrueFruit® suite. This partnership leverages AI technology to help growers achieve:

• - Accurate Measurements: Growers can now objectively measure factors such as fruit size, color, and overall quality.
• - Enhanced Harvest Planning: The technology assists in forecasting sizes, detecting blemishes, and grading colors, ensuring better planning for upcoming harvests.
• - Real-Time Quality Monitoring: TrueFruit® allows for standardized metrics to be applied consistently from the orchard to the packing house.
• - Informed Decision Making: With yield data centralized, growers can expect a boost in packouts averaging between 1-5%, offering a return on investment significantly greater than 10 times for commercial clients.

James Paterson, CEO of Aerobotics, expressed excitement about the collaboration, emphasizing their shared commitment to providing accurate yield information that empowers growers.

Innovations from Neolithics

The second key partnership is with Neolithics, which specializes in advanced imaging technologies for agriculture. By integrating their capabilities into the FreshCloud™ platform, AgroFresh can offer packers high-throughput inspection systems capable of:

• - Non-Destructive Quality Checks: Neolithics’ imaging processes ensure that each piece of fruit is scanned without any damage, maintaining over 90% accuracy.
• - Comprehensive Quality Assessments: Parameters such as brix, acidity, and dry matter can be measured, allowing for the detection of defects both internal and external.
• - Increased Efficiency: The technology allows for inspection rates from a kilogram per minute for berries to over six tons per hour for avocados, modernizing the speed and scale at which fresh produce can be inspected.

Kate Murray, CEO of Neolithics, articulated the desire to create greater transparency within the food supply chain, commenting on how their partnership with AgroFresh aligns with this vision.

A Look Towards the Future

These collaborations mark a pivotal moment for AgroFresh as it strives to revolutionize how the fresh produce industry approaches quality and supply chain management. By aligning with leaders in technology and analytics, AgroFresh is set to make significant strides in reducing food waste, ensuring food safety, and improving overall efficiency within the industry.

For more details on AgroFresh and its ongoing initiatives, you can visit their official website at www.agrofresh.com or explore the offerings from their partners, Aerobotics and Neolithics. Together, these companies are committed to reshaping the landscape of fresh produce quality control and supply chain management.