Marco Piemonte - Greenden
INTERVIEW WITH Marco Piemonte
(Greenden - CEO)
“GREENDEN: A TECH-PLATFORM FOR FARMERS AND A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEM”
Premise
Efficiency, soil-fertility, rediscovery of local cultures and small businesses, high-quality food and fair distribution of it. Are these the features of a sustainable agro-food system? Yes… and all this is now possible! Thanks to the technological advancement in the collection, analysis and use of data. It is now something real thanks to the Italian start-up Greenden and its tech-platform (an app for any smartphone) which brings together all the operators of the food supply chain, from the farmer to the consumer. ‘Greenden’ is a guaranty for high-quality and local food. Marco Piemonte, CEO of Greenden told us more about this project.
http://www.greenden.it/
This interview was made and published in May 2018 on www.lteconomy.org
Subject: Technology and Systainable Agriculture
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Highlights
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1. Question: Hi Marco, thank you very much for being with us. Please tell us about your Greenden.
My best thanks go to you dear Dario and to the Long Term Economy Association for giving voice to Greenden in your wonderful platform. So… How did all happen? Well, let’s face it! The decreasing quality of life (which is to affect our children and future generations wellness) is an urgent issue to be addressed. We need a new agro-economic model based on culture, transparency, health, ethics and accountability and this is Grrenden mission. Stefano Lombardi is the person with whom I started a dream…the dream of making such an economic model a reality. We are implementing a high-tech digital platform for the whole supply chain to resolve all the major inefficiencies in the agricultural sector. We have a wonderful staff, made up of high-qualified people.
Fron production to consumption every aspect of the agricultural sector will be improved: environment, health, economy, culture, network. Italy has great culture and history and the European Union funds offer a great opportunity to promote, in different ways and in different languages, all our wealth and ability.
"The new era of digital transformation will help small farms and young people rediscover Earth. Dignity, sensitivity, economy and abandoned territories will be recovered.”
2. Question: What strikes me most about your start-up is "your circular (integrated) vision:" agriculture is not just food, it’s much more. What are the various aspects and operators involved in your initiative?
The first "garrison" in the agricultural system is the farmer: he is the one! The one in close contact with the land! He is the holder of love, the holder of values and ancient knowledge. Today farmers need know-how, new technologies and training in the management of their activities and of the market. I'm talking about precision agriculture! About IoT (Internet of Things), an extraordinary technology which brings together the territory, citizens, tourism and services in a marketing operation without precedent.
Greenden values? Essence, Responsibility, Sustainability and Depth. Our core business? A digital platform, which shares know-how and data for farming communities, so as to create what we call the new Conscientious Economy. The new era of digital transformation will help small farms and young people rediscover Earth. Dignity, sensitivity, economy and abandoned territories will be recovered. A useful data: the food market in Friuli Venezia Giulia imports two thirds of products damaging heavily the local economy.
3. Question: Tell us more about the tech-platform: the blockchain. How does it work and what are its benefits?
The digital platform offers users (from the farmer to the shop and to the consumer) a reliable, multichannel and virtual market, a wide stage of supply and demand, with opportunities to be used quickly and comfortably. But it’s not just benefiting the single one…We are doing more…We are addressing the critical topic of "food safety": healthy food, accessible (in terms of price) to every local community. Are we doing all alone? No! we are partnering with IoTracx, an Indian company, with which we created Agroblock, the blockchain holding a database to track key parameters. Thanks to it we analyses the agricultural supply chain in terms of geology, soil quality, yield potential and market values.
"It is estimated that with only 200,000 registrations in Friuli Venezia Giulia we can achieve a commercial value of 65,000,000 euros."
4. Question: In addition to farmers and retailers, who else can benefit from the Greenden platform? How one can subscribe to it?
It’s very easy and quick. You can download your “Greenden Shop app” on your smartphone IOS, Android and Windows Phone is downloadable from our web-site). Every Italian farmer, retailer or consumer can have access to the services. In Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italian region), we have recently launched "Greenden-Welfare," a project of networking finalised at improving the quality of life in the whole community. We are proceeding towards local environmental sustainability thanks to what we call "Kind Revolution", a scalable project of open-innovation. It has been estimated that with only 200,000 users in Friuli Venezia Giulia we can make a commercial value of 65 million euros.
Some words on the trouble of waste: Greenden's affiliates (companies, co-operatives and people) are to be much more inclined towards recycling, thanks to the birth of a new culture.
5. Question: Besides the "circular vision," your platform seems to be a big assist to the “Circular Economy.” Can you tell us in which way can Greenden support such a model?
Circular Economy is a huge progress: "cells" connect, talk, help and evolve. Genetic engineering, nano-technologies, artificial intelligence are tools which influence each other. Greenden is an excellence-concept for Economics 0.0 (see the thought of Oscar de Montigny that we share) that includes: Evolution - Engagement - Education - Health - Transparency.
"The pace of change has undergone a strong acceleration and science and technology follow a non-linear but exponential growth process. It’s so fast that it sooner or later will cause a qualitative leap ... (quote R. Kurzweil)"
6. Question: Let’s consider three problems of the current agro-food system: 1) a growing global population; 2) soil degradation; 3) economic difficulty of farmers. How can Greenden help solve these problems?
Economic growth and rising incomes have defeated hunger in Europe and Central Asia but ... making money, making business, making numbers are distortions of the system. The evolution of non-deontological models of economic consumption gives rise to other threats, and more specifically, what we call «transition of food insecurity». In an economy without ethical governance, greater wealth corresponds to a global degradation. Greenden increases knowledge and skills in a lifelong learning process through concrete actions towards ethical management.
"The pace of change has undergone a strong acceleration and science and technology follow a non-linear but exponential growth process. It’s so fast that it sooner or later will cause a qualitative leap ... (quote R. Kurzweil)"
7. Question: Is your platform for people located everywhere?
I love Schopenhauer's quote: “Everyone takes the limits of his own vision for the limits of the world.” Our ambition? Help local and global economy… support farmers wherever they are and reduce the carbon footprint by reducing Food-miles. Our food-guide gives indications on seasonality of products thanks the use of Artificial Intelligence. Italy is globally recognized for its agro-food specialties. Through the affiliation to Greenden your purchases will give you information on the origin of the products.
8. Question: Yours is a start-up and you have a partnership with an Indian company. Why have you chosen India?
A little smile is spreading from my face... Once we understood we were such an original-concept, we felt the need to proceed with concreteness. What we did then? We first searched help from local companies…. Then we looked at India. It has a very high reputation for technology and innovation end its development potential is immense. Indian sales in e-commerce will increase from $10bn today to $47bn in 2020.... India combines a strong manufacturing tradition with modern technologies, thanks to the 500 thousand engineers who come from universities every year.
"Contributing for a better planet makes me feel less alone, sane but with the sufficient insanity for the venture."
9. Question: Recently, you have been given the title of Global Goodwill Ambassador, an international network of people based on Linkedin united by the common will of improving the world. In which way has this title affected you?
I am honoured by this important recognition. It validates my professional and personal commitment…It strengthen my beliefs; it strengthens the world of those who really change the world (quote). Being part of a network makes me feel less alone, sane, but with the sufficient insanity for the venture. I personally owe a debt of gratitude to all those who, over these three long years, have believed, participated in and supported this revolutionary business model.
Greenden: value for life!
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