Wharf42 signs a major LOI with California-based Western Growers

Yesterday, Wharf42  signed a Letter of Intent with Western Growers to co-host a major ‘Growers Summit’ in Salinas, Northern California at the end of Q2, 2023.

Wharf42 signed its first MOU with the Western Growers Innovation & Technology Center back in 2017. It’s a relationship that goes back a long time. Today, Peter Wren-Hilton sits on the Center’s Global Advisory Board and works closely with the Center’s team to identify international solutions that can help address local grower challenges.

The focus of next year’s Summit is to look at how we can accelerate the use of biologicals (inputs to plants and soil) to support both grower and environmental sustainability. For New Zealand and Australian researchers and companies that work in this space, it represents a major opportunity. Western Growers members account for over 50% of all fresh produce production in North America. It’s a significant market and next year's Summit provides entities in our region with the ability to potentially find major in-market partners.

This opportunity is made more apparent by the attendance of the California Food & Agriculture Secretary, Karen Ross, at the 2035 Oceania Summit in Auckland. Secretary Ross will be accompanied by a delegation of key growers. Their presence at the Summit in October will provide insights to our region’s research and agritech communities about the opportunity to build a long-term relationship with partners on the other side of the Pacific.

Wharf42 is hugely excited about the opportunity that this partnership with Western Growers brings.

If you wish to meet the team from California at the 2035 Oceania Summit in October, please purchase your Summit ticket here.