From the conferences to the exhibition floor, AgTechNavigator’s editors was on the ground to bring our readers an insider’s view with a global perspective.
Oliver Morrison, Editor, Europe, observed an “enormous” push for impact-led innovation though it faces significant challenges.
“There’s still an enormous divergence between the solutions given and the needs of the particular farmers involved. There’s still a massive demand, for farmer insights, which might help unlock that divergence.”
In the agritech sector, start-ups struggle to secure the investment needed to expand and scale their businesses and innovations, said Ryan Daily, Editor, Americas.
“It’s still a very rough funding environment. But that said, there is some green shoots that we’re seeing.”
She noted that commodities platform Helios’ closed a $4.7m seed round – highlighting the continued interest in artificial intelligence (AI)
“I think it’s going to be really interesting on the digital platform side, seeing how AI can improve things like logistics, commodity pricing, forecasting weather events with climate change. AI is still a buzzword and a very important aspect of this industry.”
In the area of research, Amanda Lim, Editor, Asia Pacific noted a significant gap in the understanding of the soil microbiome.
“There’s still a lot of people that don’t understand it enough or have misconceptions about it. And the main gap we face is actually the lack of knowledge about these soil microbes… The biggest misconception that we have about soil microbiome is that it’s dictated by the plant, but that only applies to the rhizosphere… the microbes beyond that are also really important.”
She emphasised the need to close knowledge gaps, as healthy soil is the cornerstone of the regenerative agriculture movement that is gaining momentum globally.
For more detailed agricultural insights from the 2025 World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London, check out the video above.
The event took place on September 22 and 23, where business leaders, innovators, investors, and policymakers gathered to shape the future of the agricultural industry.
Speakers included leaders from Arla, Bayer, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Kraft Heinz, Mars Food and Nutrition, Kraft-Heinz, and Moët Hennessy.
The summit was also attended by Minister of State in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP, in her first UK public appearance since taking office.
