Helping Angel Agricola revolutionize its packaging line with solar innovation
Tackling automation downtime with a novel idea for a major produce provider
Brazilian produce provider Angel Agricola is a top exporter known for taking on challenges. Founded two decades ago in Apodi, the heart of the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the company saw the potential to turn this semi-arid area in the northeastern part of the country into a high-value, agricultural region—and they would do it focusing on irrigated fruit, especially melons.
At the start, the region lacked adequate infrastructure, reliable roads and skilled labor. However, founder Angelo Shigueyuki Morita led the company to invest in technology, irrigation systems and local workforce development. The investment paid off: Angel Agricola is now a leading player in produce, supplying hundreds of tons of melons weekly to both domestic and international markets and strengthening the economy of the Apodi Valley.
As a scaling business, it eventually reached a point in growth where it needed to automate, and Smurfit Westrock, a parter from the beginning, guided the business in choosing and implementing the right automated equipment for the growing packaging line. After implementation, the business ran into some additional issues with infrastructure in the region.
Smurfit Westrock team members were determined to find a solution for the grower and help it turn lemons into lemonade. Their creativity and resourcefulness led to an idea that would push the whole team out of their comfort zones and eventually lead to a 2025 Worldstar Packaging Award.
A customer in a jam
With counsel from Smurfit Westrock, Angel Agricola purchased a machine to automate their packaging, speed up their packing line and meet the demands of its growth.
Power interruptions are common on the farms of Northeastern Brazil where Angel Agricola grows its produce. The company’s new packaging automation was experiencing significant downtime thanks to those interruptions, preventing the business from using the machine as much as it needed.
Additionally, when the machine did run, it significantly increased the business’ electric bill. Angel Agricola’s average monthly bill during the time it was using the machine was over $7,000.
Planting the seed and watering an idea
Waldenio Moraes is the Smurfit Westrock lead account manager who sold the company their automated tray former and led its implementation. When he heard what was happening, he was frustrated for the business and became determined to figure out a solution.“After his visit there, he went into a store, and when he was walking around the store he saw a solar panel”, said Otavio Figueiredo, a Smurfit Westrock machinery specialist. “He realized that that’s what was powering all the machines in the store, and he thought, ‘What if we could use solar power for this customer?’”
When Moraes brought the idea back to his team members, they weren’t sure it would work. They’d never before helped a customer adopt solar power for automation. However, their dedication to the project and to Brazilian farming would pay off.
Harvesting the right solution
The team contacted a third party that specialized in solar implementation to lead the conversion and solar installation project. Our team members worked to supply product information so solar specialists would know how much energy the machinery needed to run.
“It was challenging because this solution wasn’t in our portfolio,” said Julia Simplicio, Smurfit Westrock account executive. “To learn about solar energy, how to implement it, do all the calculations ... It was amazing for us!”
Many members of the implementation team at Angel Agricola, including Smurfit Westrock team members Hekyzuky Lucas, Waldenio Moraes, Charles Santos, Julia Simplicio and Juaraz Dantas.
Our team also helped Angel Agricola determine if it would be better to have an off-grid system (completely independent of the Brazilian power grid) or an on-grid system (connected to the country’s power grid). The company ended up choosing an on-grid system that would allow it to contribute any extra power it generates back to the Brazilian power grid and then be compensated for that excess power.
The fruits of resourcefulness and determination
Angel Agricola now runs its automation without any losses of power. The company also shared that its power bill is 60-100% less, depending upon the time of year. The team estimates the grower’s annual savings will be over $19,000 based on their harvest cycle and amount of use.
“Through this project we learned that we can do more than we are used to doing, think outside the box and truly offer bold, innovative, sustainable solutions!” said Simplicio.
Box rendering of the clean energy label designed by the Smurfit Westrock team.
Because the boxes in which Angel Agricola packs its produce are now converted using solar power, the company was able to add a label to the box showing consumers it’s made with 100% clean energy. In 2025, the box won a Worldstar Packaging Award in the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables category in recognition of being “sustainable packaging produced with clean energy.”
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