News and Analysis on Global Agri-Tech Innovation, Investment and Regulation
Recent protests in the UK serve to illustrate the problems faced by farmers the world over. It is more vital than ever that agtech solutions offer a clear return on investment and low cost of implementation and maintenance.
The two biggest global climate funds are failing to get finance to grassroots farmer organisations where it can have the most impact, claims new researched released during the Food, Agriculture, and Water Day at the COP29 climate summit.
Country profile
French agri-tech is alive with innovation despite recent company woes and the government falling short on its ambitions to help the sector go global.
Trump’s return to the White House is expected to have a significant bearing on the agtech sector. Here’s how.
Research led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has revealed that aesthetic grading, which focuses on the appearance of apples, leads to significant food losses without economically benefiting farmers.
Carbon farming in Europe is still a relatively new and emerging market, but Patrick Pagani, deputy secretary general of influential agricultural lobby group Copa-Cogeca says there is confidence that carbon credits will prove a viable income source for...
Progressive regulatory frameworks, together with more collaboration with data, are needed to scale effective innovation, says BASF’s Neil Key.
Biological players have criticised the overlong regulatory timelines for alternative crop protection products in the region.
Innovation Insider: Country profile
Will Denmark’s unprecedented carbon tax be replicated in other countries? Or is it simply another example of its unique willingness to challenge the status quo?
Beef and dairy companies put greater focus on claiming lower emissions through regenerative ag practices over embracing the concept holistically, a new report has found.
The UK government has announced next steps toward implementing the Precision Breeding Act, aimed at harnessing the benefits of gene editing technology in England.
International Seed Federation members are calling for harmonised regulations on new breeding technologies such as genome editing to accelerate impactful innovation.
Food giants are still lagging in their decarbonisartion efforts to meet high-level climate targets, according to analysis.
With livestock producers across Europe braced for the impact of bluetongue, the UK has become the latest country to approve emergency vaccines. Will they stop the spread of the virus?
Despite some controversy about the effect of direct foreign investment in the Brazilian agricultural sector, the country’s push to increase domestic fertiliser production is continuing to present sizeable FDI opportunities for companies looking to enter...
The Yield Lab, an early-stage investor in sustainable AgTech, is tackling dairy sector challenges linked to emissions, manure management, land use, and water quality through a new initiative.
A new report details farming’s needs for climate resilience.
Plant scientists in the UK are demanding clarity from the new government to unlock the potential economic and environmental benefits of new precision breeding techniques such as gene editing.
In response to proposed legislation aimed at banning China-made drones in the US, a group of American distributors have come together to fight the ruling.
Denmark will introduce the world’s first carbon tax on agriculture following a landmark agreement by seven negotiating parties, including the government, farmer organizations, trade unions, industry representatives, and environmental NGOs.
The global ag-food system has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with middle-income countries (MICs) in particular needing to reverse their collective role as the world’s largest emitters of GHGs related to ag-food.
Despite being backed by a world-renowned science base, the UK's agri-tech industry grapples with significant challenges in translating its research into practical applications for end-users.
A bipartisan bill introduced into the US House of Representatives aims at promoting agricultural sustainability and supporting efforts to reduce methane emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.
Agtech solutions must address financing for smallholder farmers, together with scope 3 emissions, and inequity across multiple sectors of the industry in order to meet sustainability goals. This was the consensus among panellists at a recent webinar...
Innovation Insider
Despite advances in innovation and technology in UK agriculture, attracting sufficient investment remains a key hindrance in achieving transformative change in the industry.
The unknown illness that struck dairy herds in the Texas panhandle has been identified as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) as federal agencies work around the clock to contain the spread and minimize the impact to farmers.
World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit Roundup
The adoption of biological crop protection is being delayed by a regulatory environment that has failed to keep abreast of innovations that would make these products easier and more effective to use, according to a new report.
The South Korean government is implementing a new national strategy to boost wheat self-sufficiency and production capabilities, after several years of supply chain challenges.
Long-awaited guidance from FDA on the safety of foods derived from gene-edited plants reiterates the agency’s position that biotechnology is not inherently unsafe, but still encourages developers to voluntarily engage with the agency before going to...
LiveEO, a Berlin-based provider of satellite analytics, has launched TradeAware Lite, a free version of its software platform, TradeAware, designed to help companies achieve compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Fruit and vegetables in Europe are increasingly contaminated with PFAS pesticide residues (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), according to a study by the NGO PAN Europe.
As Spain grapples with drought in February and UK farmers also fearing another tough year ahead, a veteran agritech entrepreneur has questioned the ‘short term’ approach of continually rationing water and says new agricultural solutions are urgently...
Farmers need more opportunities to diversify their revenue streams by adopting climate-smart agriculture, according to US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Greater understanding of the potential risks of the pesticide chlormequat is ‘urgently needed’, say campaigners, as a study in the US finds the crop chemical in four out of five people tested.
Innovation Insider: India
India's agtech sector is witnessing significant developments driven by government policies, changing investor landscapes and a growing focus on sustainability. However, market fragmentation is dampening its ability to scale up, with challenges...
Agriculture and over-fishing have been identified as two key factors responsible for almost half of the world’s migratory species showing population declines, according to a major UN wildlife conservation conference
Two South Korean ministries are collaborating to lower the allowed levels of pesticide residue in agrifood and processed food products made domestically, in the hope that it will help boost international trade.
In a crucial election year for Europe and the US, how much of an impact can agricultural producers’ growing unease have on global politics?
Transforming global food systems would lead to socio-economic benefits summing up to 5 to 10 trillion USD a year, equivalent to between four and eight percent of global GDP in 2020, according to a new global policy report produced by the Food System...
Proposals to loosen EU rules on gene edited crops have passed a significant barrier after the European Parliament’s Environmental Committee voted in favour of a proposal to introduce a new regulatory framework for New Genomic Techniques (NGTs).
With the EU set to bring in strict rules aimed at limiting global deforestation, Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee and cocoa farmers can now opt-in to specific criteria that align with European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requirements in...
An open letter signed by 35 Nobel laureates and more than 1,000 European scientists has been sent to Members of the European Parliament, pleading with them to ‘reject the darkness of anti-science fearmongering’ and vote in favour of new genomic...
AgTechNavigator caught up with Croatia’s Agrivi for its thoughts on the mega trends underpinning the need for innovation throughout the food and agriculture sector.
INNOVATION INSIDER - POLICY ANALYSIS
In the second edition of our Innovation Insider series we focus on the Netherlands, where the sector may be hampered by European Union (EU) legislation that restricts innovative solutions to food production and other aspects of agriculture, despite the...
INNOVATION INSIDER - POLICY ANALYSIS
In our first Innovation Insider monthly feature we are shining the spotlight on China and assessing how the opportunities and challenges when comes to adopting innovative technologies to enhance agricultural productivity, improve food security and...
In a comprehensive analysis of the EU’s environmental regulations and directives for agriculture, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has revealed that the ambitious targets set for sustainability and environmental protection...
After member states failed to reach the required qualified majority to renew or reject its approval during a vote, the European Commission is to renew the approval of glyphosate for another decade.
A recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) highlights the disproportionately low percentage of resources — just 6.1% between 2019 and 2021 — dedicated to agricultural knowledge and innovation in the EU, compared...
Despite being one of the largest importers of genetically modified (GM) crops, there are still significant hurdles spanning consumer, farmer and government sentiment in driving their widespread use in China.
Canada’s agtech sector should continue investing in innovation and avoid the scepticism prevalent in the EU towards topics such as GM, says University of Saskatchewan Professor and Agri-Food Innovation and Sustainability Enhancement Chair, Dr. Stuart J....