Sonoco's New Partnership to Revolutionize Food Packaging Solutions
Recently, Sonoco had partnered with Clemson University on developing new packaging technologies to extend the shelf life of fresh foods, for which it has pledged investment of $1.725 million over a period of five years.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Hartsville-headquartered global packaging firm Sonoco has announced strategic partnership with leading agricultural robotics firm based in Plant City, Florida. The company will serve as a joint development partner and investor in Harvest CROO Robotics- a company established in 2013 as a technology company focused on revolutionizing the agriculture industry with automation.
Rob Tiede, CEO, Sonoco stated that the new partnership completely aligns with the company’s plans to improve the supply chain for fresh produce by connecting harvesting technology with new packaging technology. The company targets to expand into fresh food packaging by focusing on efforts to improve harvesting efficiency, decrease food waste and extend freshness life. Gary Wishnatzki, co-founder of Harvest CROO Robotics noted that revolution in robotics could effectively address projected labor-related issues.
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The agriculture industry projects acute labor shortage in the forthcoming years. The use of robotic harvesting technology coupled with the right packaging solutions will help to deal with labor shortages. In addition, it will also result in more cost-effective in-field harvesting. The joint venture will develop a packaging solution that will support fully automatic harvester that can process produce at acres of cultivation on a single day. The produce picked by robotic heads is immediately transferred to a packing region, where they are inspected and packed. The unique harvesting solution will deliver consistent quality of produce and also result in extended shelf life.
Recently, Sonoco had partnered with Clemson University, South Carolina on developing new packaging technologies to extend the shelf life of fresh foods, for which it has pledged investment of $1.725 million over a period of five years.