By Gustavo Yentzen, general manager of Yentzen Group

The year has begun, a decade has begun, and the Chilean agricultural industry faces 2020 with major challenges rarely seen before in its history.

This past year has been one of significant changes. We have seen issues that have encompassed all elements of society and affected us on every level, including our personal lives, our businesses, our industry, and our politics. 

We are not only living through a conflict in Chile that is changing the fabric of our society, but we are also seeing how our planet - in every way - is changing.

However, all these changes and challenges come with opportunities for us to develop new solutions that are better than ever before, with more people involved. They will be solutions that are truly in line with the needs of today.

Undoubtedly, a vital element in all of this will be good communication. 

At an industry-level, Chile is experiencing one of the most prolonged droughts in the past 100 years, which has resulted in a huge decline in water availability in important agricultural areas of our country.

This is of course one of the main challenges that we are facing as a sector, as it affects our capacity - and responsibility - to produce healthy and nutritious food for the domestic and international population.

Faced with this scenario, it has become necessary to understand more deeply the challenge of water, including what the future holds and possible solutions. 

As a team, we decided that we want to contribute to the search for answers.

We spoke with growers, exporters, water distribution companies, desalination companies, water associations, and grower associations, amongst many others, and we realized that much of the problem is due to a lack of communication between the affected entities that have the ability to take action.

The problem goes further than our industry - it involves sectors that normally would not work together. 

We firmly believe that if a solution exists in the short- to medium-term to the water shortage affecting Chile  - and other countries around the world - in order to find it it will first be essential that the various affected entities meet, get to know each other and join forces.

It is for this reason that we have decided to create a forum for communication, the Agricultural Water Summit, an event that is born as an answer to the challenge of an ongoing severe shortage of water.

It will be a space where the agricultural industry can learn about new technologies and initiatives that allow it to save, correctly use, and reuse water, and it will serve as a meeting point for our sector and other industries that are facing the same challenge.

It is time to act. The water shortage is everyone's problem and we invite you all to participate and contribute.

If we work together, all the actors in the different sectors, we will find answers to the challenges presented in this new reality. 

Yentzen Group is a marketing and communications company that owns the online trade media publications FreshFruitPortal.com, PortalFruticola.com and ChinaFruitPortal.com. It also created the events the Global Cherry Summit and Global Grape Summit.