In how many countries is AgroFresh present and how many employees does it have?
AgroFresh is probably the largest player in the post-harvest industry. We operate in 60 countries and have over 700 employees. We are present in North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa, and growing regions in Asia such as China, Japan, and South Korea. We are also active in Australia and New Zealand.
What kind of activities does the company carry out?
AgroFresh is primarily a post-harvest company. Although we do have some pre-harvest products, the majority of our business is focused on preventing food loss and waste in the post-harvest stage. We offer solutions at the warehouse, packing house, and logistics chain levels. The goal is to preserve freshness and protect against fungal decay and pathogens.
The company started more than 40 years ago with a key product
Yes, with SmartFresh™, a 1-MCP molecule that allows apples to be stored fresh for up to 12 months. It slows down ripening and is now also used on pears, stone fruit, and other new applications.
What came next?
We expanded into coatings, antimicrobials, and antifungals. Today we offer complete solutions: 1-MCP for pre- and post-harvest, fungicides, coatings, disinfectants, and cleaning agents. We also provide application equipment and the FreshCloud™ platform, which monitors quality.
Can you tell me about recent acquisitions?
Our first acquisition was Tecnidex in 2017. Then came Tessara, Pace International, and a partnership with Biotalys. This has allowed us to expand our solutions and strengthen our presence across regions and crops.
How is sustainability implemented?
Our main goal is to reduce food loss. We optimize processes: in Chile, for instance, we reduced water use in packing by 70–80%. With 1-MCP, we lower energy consumption. We aim to replace chemicals with biological solutions.
There is strong regulatory pressure in Europe, but not so much in the U.S. Is that your perception?
Yes, in Europe there’s been a significant reduction in approved active substances.
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The future is uncertain, and we’re working to find natural alternatives. In the U.S., the pace is slower, but Canada and some Latin American countries follow European regulations. Our vision is to plan 5 to 10 years ahead.
How can a key factor like profitability be improved?
In pre-harvest, products like Harvista™ improve yield and help schedule harvesting. In post-harvest, we reduce losses and cut water and energy use.
Can you tell me about the Strella tool?
Yes, it’s used to monitor storage chambers in real time, especially for apples. Strella allows planning for opening and marketing. This information is integrated into FreshCloud™.
What will be the next innovation?
We aim to develop biological fungicides, new ingredients for coatings, more sensors for FreshCloud™, and to expand product use to new crops: tropicals, berries, melon, mango, papaya, tomato, mushrooms, broccoli.
