About the program:

About the program:

Join us at VICTAM International for the official Awards Ceremony, where innovation and excellence in the feed and grain processing industry are recognised.

Discover the latest breakthroughs as the most outstanding projects compete for the Grapas and AFTAN Awards. From cutting-edge technologies to forward-thinking solutions, this is your chance to see what is shaping the future of the industry.

Be there to celebrate the winners, gain inspiration, and connect with industry leaders at one of the key moments of the event.

About the program:

About the program:

About the program:

About the program:

During VICTAM International 2026, the Victam Foundation will highlight groundbreaking projects that are shaping the future of the feed and grain processing industry. Discover which innovative initiatives have been selected for funding and how they contribute to advancements in technology, sustainability, and knowledge development.

During this special session, selected projects will be presented and official cheques will be awarded to the winners. A unique moment where vision, collaboration, and impact come together.

Be inspired by the latest developments and meet the people behind the projects that will make a difference in our industry.

Don’t miss this session and experience the future of the industry today.

About the program:

About the program:

The autonomous feed mill is not a destination we chase because it sounds modern. It is a sequence of engineering decisions we make because each one has a clear return and a defensible business case. That is the core of this session. The storyline follows a plant’s progression from today’s control reality to self-optimizing operation, showing why every step pays for itself before we move to the next.
We begin with the uncomfortable truth most teams discover when they try to “get autonomous” overnight: the process is not yet predictable enough. Sensors are inconsistent (or nonexistent), data pipelines are noisy, and alarms do not reflect the equipment's actual state. The first act explains how we stabilize the process so the numbers we see are the numbers we can act on. I will walk through specific improvements that raise data quality and monitoring reliability, because without disciplined instrumentation and verified signals, there is no credible autonomy or ROI to discuss. The value case here is simple: better observability prevents downtime and rework, reduces manual inspection load, and creates the trustworthy baseline on which later savings compound.
With that foundation in place, the narrative shifts to variability reduction. This is the moment when autonomy stops being abstract and starts moving line items on a P&L. I focus on moisture control because it is a KPI where variance translates directly into wasted energy, grade losses, and throughput penalties. You will see a live demonstration of control logic handling a disturbance, re-centering the process, and keeping it within a stable operating window without manual intervention. We connect that behavior to a business case that shows how tighter moisture bands lift output quality and accelerate payback. The talk does not reveal the full control scheme (which is unique to each plant); it reveals the cause-and-effect path from reduced spread to measurable savings.
The following question is always about scale. Can the same journey work across different sites, equipment generations, and species portfolios? The storyline draws on examples from plants that started from different baselines and progressed through the same sequence: ensure robustness, measure what matters, reduce variability, and optimize. Forget the names – remember the pattern!
By the end of the session, you will know what to expect from each step of the autonomous journey. You will see why autonomy is not a leap but a ladder, how each rung has a payback you can defend, and why teams that start with disciplined stabilization reach better outcomes faster than teams that start with slogans. The emphasis is deliberate: we are driving autonomous feed because every increment on this path improves economics, reduces exposure, and strengthens operational resilience.

About the program:

How to Accelerate Food and Financial System Transitions?

Slowing down to accelerate may sound counterintuitive in today’s fast-paced world—but for author Corné de Louw, it’s the foundation of real, lasting change.

In his compelling book Slowing Down to Accelerate, de Louw draws from fourteen years of hands-on experience working in countries across different continents—from Chile to Mongolia and from Vietnam to Zimbabwe. As a banker deeply engaged in sustainable development in emerging economies, he outlines seven powerful insights to transform both the food system and financial inclusion efforts.

Central to his message is the duality between connection and separation—forces that shape inequality and imbalance in both visible and invisible ways. One of the book’s most striking ideas is the importance of seeing what is not seen—the overlooked people, unspoken dynamics, and hidden histories that shape our current systems.

De Louw's approach is deeply personal yet broadly applicable. Raised with the principle that “we don’t leave anyone behind,” he shows how this value is not just charity, but a form of enlightened self-interest—a strategic necessity for resilient systems and shared prosperity.

The Seven Insights for Systemic Change:
1. Slowing Down to Accelerate – Taking time to reflect creates space for deep learning, innovation, and sustainable action.
2. Understanding the Roots and the Top – Every system has a unique signature; understanding its structure is key to transformation.
3. The Past Shapes the Future – Invisible past dynamics continue to influence today’s reality. Ignoring them leads to repeated mistakes.
4. "I Am Because We Are" – Systems are interconnected. Listening to excluded voices strengthens the whole.
5. Zooming In and Out – A system is always part of a larger one. Recognizing nested systems helps address inequality at its core.
6. Follow the Energy – Balance requires effort. Remove blockages and enable the system's natural flow.
7. Clustering Dynamic Layers – Bridge gaps between different worlds by connecting seemingly unrelated systems.
From regenerative agriculture to inclusive finance, this book offers a fresh, systems-based lens for anyone tackling today’s most pressing global challenges.

For Whom?
Slowing Down to Accelerate is an insightful read for changemakers, system thinkers, development professionals, social entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking clarity, direction, and meaningful impact. It provides a practical philosophy to reimagine how we work, connect, and drive change—especially in complex and unequal environments.