© Facultad de Derecho - Universidad de Buenos AiresV SMART IP CONFERENCE FOR LATIN AMERICA (SIPLA)
Global Nutrition: Towards a smart production system
The Smart IP Initiative for Latin America (SIPLA) 2024 Conference took place in the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, on 24 April 2024, at the Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires, where the SIPLA Observatory of Buenos Aires is based.
The focus was on the incorporation of new technologies in food production and the paradigm shift that this implies. Under the premise: "Towards a smart production system that favours global nutrition", the conference discussed the main technologies that encompass smart agriculture (AgTech) together with its main regulatory challenges.
Synthesis:
Food production practices, in a context of climate change, must adapt to the needs that climate change poses. Many of the challenges facing the world, such as water scarcity, deforestation, land use, among others, directly impact food production.
The growing global demand for food increases the pressure on efficient and sustainable production practices, which comes into tension with the need to secure food for the world's population.
This is why it is necessary to consider both issues simultaneously and treat global nutrition as a critical issue for the prosperity and well-being of humanity. Smarter production" is a must. Without a doubt, Latin American countries are and will continue to be protagonists of the new production paradigm.
Sustainability concerns are becoming more widely known and recognised: consumers are demanding changes, regulators are beginning to shape new requirements and food producers are incorporating new and emerging production technologies that offer alternatives, such as the intelligent use of data to improve production practices, among others.
However, the technological paradigm shift must be accompanied by transparent and efficient regulations that encourage rather than restrict innovation, production and marketing of new sustainable foods.
The opening was given by Prof. Dr. Reto Hilty, Director of the Smart IP Initiative for Latin America and Director Emeritus of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich, who emphasised that the Smart IP for Latin America Initiative acts as an independent think tank, providing a neutral forum for academic and policy dialogue on intellectual property law and competition law in Latin America.
Prof. Hilty said that at this V Conference, and the third after the break forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighted the central role of Latin American countries in solving global challenges. Two of the critical areas mentioned were environmental issues, particularly renewable energy production, and sustainable food for a growing world population. There is no doubt that the pandemic has reminded us of the urgency of these issues, and the previous SIPLA Conferences in Buenos Aires (Conference III) and Sao Paulo (Conference IV) have motivated the launch of specific projects to address them.
The aim of our Initiative is to promote innovation at several levels, starting with agriculture. This includes improving primary production through, among other technologies, genetic technologies and optimising its production through sustainable methods. Innovation is also crucial in the food production value chain, from farm to final distribution. In this context, it is vital to understand the factors that promote or impede innovation, including the role of patent law and the overall regulatory framework. This conference, will focus primarily on data management in smart agriculture, an essential issue for Latin America to play an optimal role in global food production.
The international perspective on global nutrition challenges was provided by Ms. Maya Takagi, Regional Programme Leader for Latin America and the Caribbean and Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), who welcomed the opportunity to speak on nutrition and smart agricultural production, crucial issues for sustainability. He stressed that the Latin American and Caribbean region faces multiple crises, including pandemics, extreme climate variability and conflicts, which have negatively affected food security.
It notes that the trend towards undernourishment has increased since 2014, moving away from the goal of zero hunger by 2030. Food and energy prices remain high due to these factors, impacting the ability to access a healthy diet. Agricultural production, although projected to grow by 12% until 2030, faces challenges due to climate change and unequal distribution of food. In addition, the FAO has highlighted that one third of the land available for agriculture is degraded and the loss of production due to pests exceeds 40% . Also mentioned the lack of a centralised land cadastre in the region, and significant food wastage.
In macroeconomic terms, the region is experiencing low growth and high inequality. Rural poverty and food insecurity are predominant, with notable disparities between rural and urban areas, and between genders. From FAO, he mentioned that a systemic approach to agrifood systems is proposed, promoting cooperation and technological innovation adapted to local realities to improve production, nutrition, environment and life. However, he warned that technology could increase inequality if not properly managed. Finally, he stressed the importance of multilateral mechanisms and regional coalitions to achieve the transformation of food systems, integrating regional and international efforts to achieve food security and sustainable development in the region.
This was followed by a panel of selected start-ups, moderated by Dr. Juan Correa, who illustrated the use of robotics and artificial intelligence for food production.
An expert panel was also held, moderated by Prof. Valentina Delich. The panel addressed the role of intellectual property in receiving investment for the formation or growth of startups with innovative solutions in the smart agriculture sector.
The last panel moderated by Prof. Guillermo Cabanellas, addressed the challenges of having an efficient regulatory framework for the control and use of data: The technical specificities for the control, use and security of data generated from the digital transformation involve complexities that need to be addressed by specialists. The deployment of all local capacities for the development and adoption of 4.0 technologies in agriculture requires a regulatory framework in line with these challenges. In particular in relation to artificial intelligence, data management and competition law.
Moderators Professors Valentina Delich and Guillermo Cabanellas closed the conference by identifying challenges for the region and possible lines of research for the Smart IP Initiative for Latin America (SIPLA).
