Last month, our AgriThority experts attended the World AgriTech Innovation Summit in São Paulo. The conference brought together more than 400 senior leaders from across the agri-food sector and focused on scaling technology, capital, and policy across Latin America’s agricultural value chain. Throughout the conference, seven key trends emerged.
1. Biologicals dominate investment and R&D focus.
Across nearly every meeting, the throughline was biological inputs: biostimulants, biofungicides, biocontrol, and microbial products. The sessions reinforced that biologicals have a key role in sustainability and urged the industry to seek a financial solution, not just the chemical solution.
2. Go-to-market execution is the biggest bottleneck.
Several founders named commercialization as harder than the development of the technology itself. The most difficult part and the biggest gap is going to market and many innovators are seeking support with a roadmap to the market.
3. Brazil anchors regional strategy.
Brazil was often defined as the first or primary expansion target for innovators. Filings, retailer networks, product development, and revenue all pointed to Brazil. One speaker framed the region’s importance around “Research, Resilience, and Resources (3 R’s),” noting that a national research institution was key to that change in unlocking productivity on tropical land.
4. Regulatory complexity is a persistent, unresolved gap.
Companies working across Brazil and Paraguay flagged many gaps in regulatory and field development as a recurring obstacle. Innovators believe the challenge is straightforward, and the challenge and gap is regulatory. They need help understanding questions like “what do you need to know to import into Brazil” and asked for assistance with risk analysis.
5. Novel modes of action are expanding beyond traditional chemistry.
Peptide platforms, phage-based products, and genetically modified insect control reflect a shift toward biotech tools for fungal, bacterial, and pest pressures. One company described bringing a pharma-grade approach to agriculture by engineering organisms to produce antifungal peptides for real field conditions at farmer-accessible cost.
6. Early-stage capital constraints are shaping how companies seek partners.
Multiple companies are pre-revenue or fundraising and are seeking partnership in lieu of paid work. Companies are concerned that funds could be an issue in working with outside partners, noting that budget is often a constraint, particularly when looking for strategic partners for larger scaling.
7. Financial resilience and soil health are reframing the input value proposition.
The sessions set this tone early, noting that soil is the least explored in the industry, like ocean exploration, and that soil testing is probably the highest ROI for farmers. One speaker also emphasized that the farmer is also an investor, aiming to increase production at a lower cost, tying input decisions directly to financial sustainability rather than efficacy alone.
When your new agricultural innovation is ready for development, turn to AgriThority® for strategic and scientific expertise. Our global footprint is combined with our deep understanding of agricultural business, regulatory demands, market channels and producer dynamics. We help move your innovation from concept to commercial adoption. Contact the team today.
