COMPANY FOCUS
AECI is shaping
a better world for food security AECI is shaping a better world of food security through a bold, new purpose-led strategy and vision. Here are the ways AECI is shaping a better world for food security.
A
ligned with the United Nations’
the essence of our commitment to a better
objective is to expand the offering to 7 000
Sustainable Development Goals 2,
world of food security.
hectares by 2025. are exploring how water treatment
partnerships for the goals, three AECI
IMPROVING YIELD BY WORKING WITH NATURE FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
strategic pillars are actively engaged in
AECI Plant Health’s holistic NuWay
without compromising yields, while
delivering better farming, nutrition and
methodology uses precision analysis,
AECI Food & Beverage is targeting
productivity as well as water systems for
remote sensing and tailored chemistry
water conservation opportunities in
communities, farms and industry. Together,
to address long-term soil health. This
the dairy industry.
AECI Food & Beverage, AECI Plant Health
enhances agricultural output and delivers
and AECI Water touch nearly every piece of
healthier crops. The company’s Biocult
the value chain – from farm to fork!
uses mycorrhizae to improve plant nutrition
MAKING FARMING MORE INCLUSIVE
as well as soil biology and chemistry.
AECI Plant Health supports emerging-
8, 12 and 17, namely zero hunger,
decent work and economic growth, responsible consumption, production and
According to the United Nations, one in nine people do not have enough to eat
AECI Plant Health and AECI Water
Through research and development,
technologies can reduce the volume of water needed for irrigation purposes
and smallholder farmers. In Malawi, they
and 1/3 of all food produced goes to waste.
AECI is exploring future opportunities
developed Nyonga input packs that include
This is mirrored in Africa where hunger
to improve the quality and quantity of
seeds, fertiliser, crop protection products
and malnutrition as well as diet-related
produce by using specially treated water
and personal protection equipment. These
diseases and food waste are a daily reality,
from boreholes, dams and rivers for
packs are distributed through multinational
exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
irrigation.
companies that contract smallholder
At the same time, precision irrigation
farmers to produce cotton, maize, pigeon pea and tobacco.
also face particular risk as some
REDUCING THE VOLUME OF WATER NEEDED FOR IRRIGATION WITHOUT COMPROMISING YIELDS
European customers are seeking to track
AECI Plant Health has secured SupPlant
commercial activity. There are a wide
“embedded water” used in upstream
technology, whereby precision sensors on
range of plant and soil health products
agricultural production.
individual plants reflect exact moisture
and services available on Khula from AECI.
requirements and feed the data to a
Currently, 4 200 emerging farmers are
through our significant scientific and
control centre for irrigation. There are
registered, and the medium-term goal
technological capability and capacity is
13 installations on 435 hectares and the
is 50 000.
should become the norm in South Africa where irrigation accounts for 70% of total water consumption. Agricultural exports
Helping address these challenges
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September 2021 | FOOD RE VIEW
In South Africa, the Khula App digital trading platform is another offering that facilitates upstream and downstream
