On November 17, Vegetable Garden Palatinate (Gemüsegarten Pfalz) invited Daniela Schmitt, Minister of Economic Affairs of Rhineland-Palatinate, to the Pfalzmarkt in Mutterstadt to present the latest project. By means of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (XR) technology, agriculture, trade and, last but not least, consumers are to be given the opportunity to participate immersively in the production process.
Visitors were able to get a first impression of the VR immersion.
Excellent conditions for growth
Producer initiative Gemüsegarten Pfalz Management Ltd, behind which 125 free and cooperative producer companies stand, managed by Dr. Christian Stoermer, Björn Wojtaszewski, Sebastian Gsuck and Nûjîn Kartal as shareholders, serves as an interest group, contact platform, technology scout, communicator or enabler for better perception as well as the immersion process presented, as Wojtaszewski shared on site.
"We have excellent conditions for growth here: healthy nutrition is a social megatrend, and the Palatinate is the largest contiguous open-air cultivation area for fresh vegetables. It therefore often referred to as the 'vegetable garden of Germany'. Thanks to the know-how of the producers, Germany can be supplied with vegetables by means of irrigation and the good climatic conditions. Without the Palatinate, things would not look good in terms of freshness and supply," says Wojtaszweski.
(from left to right) Sebastian Gsuck (MediaApes and Gemüsegarten Pfalz Managment Ltd), Dr. Christian Stoermer (Gemüsegarten Pfalz Managment Ltd), Christian Deyerling (Advisory Board Pfalzmarkt), Daniela Schmitt (Minister of Economic Affairs of Rhineland-Palatinate), Hans-Jörg Friedrich (Advisory Board Pfalzmarkt), Dieter Stubenbordt (Advisory Board GGP Management Ltd), Björn Wojtaszweski (Pfalzmarkt eG and GGP Management Ltd), Peter Steegmüller (Advisory Board GGP Management Ltd) as well as Nûjîn Kartal (MediaApes and GGP Management Ltd)
Medium-sized and high-performance producer association
In order to increase both the perception and the appreciation of the Palatinate, and of agriculture in general, the latest technology is to be used. Topics such as robotics, delivery logistics, goods flow analyses are important. For these, corresponding specialists are needed, which in turn should also attract new, young (start-up) companies.
"Our guiding principle is therefore that we want to give fruit and vegetable growing in the Palatinate the voice it deserves. It is a medium-sized, high-performance producer group that should be heard in the future at the state and ideally at the federal level," says Wojtaszewski.
Hans-Jörg Friedrich, Björn Wojtaszweski, Daniela Schmitt, Dr. Christian Stoermer and Christian Deyerling
Emotional consumer dialog
In the Palatinate, there are also several value chains in one place: from producers to retailers and related sectors to service providers and industrial partners such as John Deere or BASF, the farmers' association, etc., form a cluster that is unparalleled anywhere in Germany.
Gsuck and Kartal of MediaApes Ltd are focused on "conducting a consumer dialogue that is as emotional as possible" in terms of immersion. "Many consumers no longer know how vegetables are being grown. Of course, we could also organize on-site tours, but that would be very cost-intensive and would far exceed our budget."
Sebastian Gsuck and Nûjîn Kartal of MediaApes
"But if you do this virtually, and 'take people into the fields', you can show them both the challenges and the beautiful sides of growing. Standing in the field in the morning, explaining what the natural conditions are like on the ground; the best way I can get that across is to make consumers not just spectators, but actors."
Peter Steegmüller and Dieter Stubenbordt
Appreciation in the foreground
The minister thanked all parties for the presentation: "Appreciation is an important topic." She said she is in dialogue with many farmers. "Often, challenging situations are leading to much frustration. Sometimes there is a lack of knowledge about how things are grown, harvested and processed as well. Of course, if the knowledge is missing, one can't generate any appreciation. This is a good way to present traditional vegetable growing in an innovative way. Perhaps it would not be wrong to include education policy in this. With the latest technology, it may also be possible to reach people who would not be reached via brochures and the like. I am proud that we have now reached a level with Precision and Digital Farming in Rhineland-Palatinate, where other states are looking at it with interest, such as the so-called Geo-Box."
For more information:
www.pfalzmarkt.de