COP29: Progress or cop out?
The newly agreed COP29 finance deal could present opportunities for the agri-tech sector – particularly concerning carbon credits – but much remains up in the air.
Carbon
Tariffs and capital drought: A threat to APAC climate adaptation efforts?
Everyone knows we need to produce more food, with fewer resources. But how is Asia’s agri-food sector turning words into action, and what more urgently needs to be done?
EIT Food launches new start-up accelerator to serve future resilient agriculture
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is partnering with EIT Food, the world’s largest food innovation community, to launch a new accelerator bub for start-ups in the EU.
NitroVolt gets €3.5 million to realise its green ammonia plan
The Danish company has secured €3.5 million in seed funding to develop a sustainable and decentralised method for producing ammonia.
What impact will Donald Trump's victory have on the agtech industry?
Trump’s return to the White House is expected to have a significant bearing on the agtech sector. Here’s how.
What does Bowery’s closure tell us about the future of vertical farming?
Bowery Farming may not be the last vertical farming company to fail before the sector begins a period of more stable scaling and growth.
Cheer for Italy’s agrisolar sector as projects attract €185m
Private equity firm and renewable energy investor Capital Dynamics has raised €185 million to finance two of Italy's largest agrivoltaics projects in Sicily.
Watch: Copa-Cogeca on why data is needed to grow Europe’s carbon farming market
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...
Watch: Farms are crying out for innovation, says UK-Agri-Tech Centre CEO
Farmers are not resistant change, says Phil Bicknell, CEO at the newly merged UK-Agri-Tech Centre. But the “three Cs” of communication, collaboration and cash are needed to help them adopt newer sustainable practices.
Last chance to register for FREE webinar dissecting Asia’s growing agri-food ecosystem
AgTechNavigator's FREE AgTech Innovation and Investment – APAC editorial webinar takes place on November 6. Register your attendance today so you don’t miss out. The event will start on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 5:00 PM SGT (Singapore).
WATCH: Microsoft and Syngenta discuss the impact of AI in ag
GenAI and AI platforms continue to develop at a fast pace, experts from Microsoft and Syngenta Group told the recent World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London. But ‘humans in the loop’ are needed to develop dependable frameworks for validating...
The end of the era of ‘nice to have’ products? 5 insights from McKinsey’s latest farmer survey that you can’t ignore
Cautious farmers are more concerned with ROI and less willing to experiment with new products and technologies, according to a new global report from McKinsey.
‘We still have work to do’: Agreena celebrates milestone but insists efforts are needed to scale regen ag
Danish company Agreena is now working with more than 2,300 farmers to transition a total of 4.5 million hectares to regenerative agriculture across Europe – up by 2.5 million hectares in a year.
Plans to turn pongamia oil into biofuel move up a gear
Terviva, the company aiming to plant 200 million pongamia trees over 10 years for food, feed and fuel, has received investment from Chevron Renewable Energy Group, as mining giant Rio Tinto also looks to pongamia as a feedstock for renewable diesel...
‘Aggressive’ usage of technology by young and growing farms revealed
A new report shows a rise in digital payment adoption among US farmers, reflecting a broader industry shift towards digital solutions. But costs are still a concern for younger tech adopters.
Innovation Insider: Country profile
Denmark: Outlier or pioneer?
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?
xFarm eyes global growth after raising €36 million
The company that provides digital solutions to help farmers and agribusinesses optimise their operations has raised €36 million in a Series C funding round.
M&S employs precision ag to deliver eco-friendly parsnips in time for Christmas
UK retailer Marks & Spencer has begun using drones and robot tractors to produce lower carbon parsnips.
Is carbon capture and storage really a feasible option to combat climate change?
Two studies investigate the potential of carbon capture and carbon sequestration in mitigating the effects of climate change.
Overheard at World Agri-Tech – 11 talking points for the sector to ponder
From regen ag to AI and biologicals… what’s hot and what’s not in agtech? This and much more was discussed at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London.
Sustainability report card
Are JBS’s sustainability commitments meaningless without more transparency?
The meat giant’s climate ambitions are ‘unwavering’, according to its latest sustainability report. Is it making genuine progress or just hot air?
What’s gone wrong for Ynsect?
The French poster child of the insect farming industry has filed a safeguard plan after failing to find enough financing for its expansion plans. Can it find cash from some investors?
Enhanced rock weathering start-up Eion celebrates Microsoft deal
Eion, a carbon removal company that uses enhanced rock weathering to remove atmospheric CO2 permanently and verifiably, has announced a contract to deliver 8,000 tonnes of permanent CO2 removal to Microsoft.
Sustainability report card
ADM: Positive, but room for improvement
ADM's sustainability efforts are a competitive advantage and foundational to its purpose and growth strategy. But the company acknowledges areas for improvement, particularly in safety performance. Additionally, the agribusiness giant recognises the...
Ahold Delhaize and General Mills join forces to scale regenerative agriculture
The US food giants have announced an innovative approach to address Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions within their shared value chain.
Project aims to create a unified methodology for the UK ag sector
Lloyds Banking Group and Soil Association Exchange have joined forces to offer what they call a ‘first of its kind’ environmental baselining assessment in a bid to create more sustainable and profitable farming practices.
Plant breeders want unified global policy on genome-edited crops to boost food security
International Seed Federation members are calling for harmonised regulations on new breeding technologies such as genome editing to accelerate impactful innovation.
Agtech investor profile
Serra Ventures on why investors will continue to be drawn to the rewards of agri-tech
It’s currently a challenging time for venture capitalists in the sector. But Tim Hoerr, founder and CEO of Serra Ventures, can’t think of a better category to be in.
Report illustrates urgent need for food sector to tackle scope 3 emissions
Food giants are still lagging in their decarbonisartion efforts to meet high-level climate targets, according to analysis.
'Seasonality can kill you as a company': Can a new standards framework help bring successful products to market quicker?
A new standard-setting playbook edited by Leaps By Bayer, the impact investment arm of Bayer, aims to spur innovation and investment across the sector.
‘Powerful validation of our approach to regenerative agriculture’: Why Microsoft is backing Farmland LP
The still nascent carbon credit market for agriculture has received a boost with the news that Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund is backing Farmland LP. Will it be enough to propel the regenerative soil carbon credit market?
Innovation Insider Country profile
India: Are the bets back on?
After the crisis in funding in 2023, India’s agtech landscape is adjusting. But can investment be directed to the right places? Harry Holmes investigates.
First plant sustainability index launched to cut environmental impact of growing crops
Global genetic improvement consultancy AbacusBio has launched what it calls the world’s first sustainability index for plants to help reduce the environmental impact of growing crops.
AgriZeroNZ invests extra $4m in Kiwi company developing methane-inhibiting bolus
Public-private joint venture AgriZeroNZ is investing a further NZD $4 million in Ruminant BioTech, to accelerate the commercialisation of a methane-inhibiting bolus specifically suited to New Zealand’s pastoral farming system.
ADM and Farmer Business Network strive to expand adoption of digital regenerative agriculture platform
The pair have announced a new joint venture to accelerate the Gradable platform, designed to allow farmers to derive value from grain produced using sustainable and regenerative practices.
Can compostable packaging help drive regen ag adoption?
This is certainly the hope of US company Better Earth, which recently unveiled the first compostable foodservice packaging made exclusively with materials grown using regenerative agriculture methods.
PepsiCo commits $1.7 million to drive young people into US ag
With farmers under the age of 35 making up just 9% of the US farming industry, PepsiCo Foods North America has launched the Planting Pathways Initiative (PPI) to expand opportunities in the sector.
Sustainability report card
NGOs push Bunge for stronger measures on deforestation
Agribusiness giant Bunge has announced progress towards eliminating deforestation from its supply chains by 2025 in its 2024 Global Sustainability Report. But critics remain unconvinced.
Will the new UK government embrace gene-edited food?
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.
Can GenAI really predict the future of crop yields? Ask Cropin
We caught up with India’s Cropin Technology, which has just partnered with Google's Gemini generative AI chatbot to launch Sage, a real-time intelligence platform for the agricultural sector.
Start-up’s fundraise illustrates need to address climate credit’s ‘chequered’ past
Mitti Labs, which aims to reduce methane emissions in rice farming, has just secured $3 million in equity investment thanks to its prospects of being able to meet rising demand for verified carbon credits.
Co-op the latest UK supermarket to support greener farming
Co-op has unveiled plans to support its British farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices to boost sustainability and address future environmental issues.
Tea giant begins climate change mitigation and resilience field trials
A project unveiled by Lipton aims to improve tea production standards and create data and resources that can benefit the whole industry.
Regen ag: Undefined and unable to feed the planet?
Yes, its broad principles offer a promising path towards sustainable nutrition and food security for the future. But without a standard definition regen ag risks becoming a soon-disregarded fad, it has been warned.
Choose where to plant energy crops wisely to minimise loss of biodiversity, says new study
Energy crops can be used for heat, electricity and even biofuels like bioethanol. They will become more important as the world transitions away from fossil fuels, say researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK.
Denmark introduces world's first carbon tax on agriculture
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 next source of eco-friendly fertiliser: purple bacteria?
Biomass made from a species of purple bacteria typically found in marine sediments, seawater pools and mud flats is an ‘excellent nitrogen fertiliser’, according to research published in the journal Sustainable Agriculture.
Underscoring the impact of sustainable ag? Climate tech company scoops TIME100 honour
Climate tech company Boomitra – which has created a marketplace that monetises soil carbon sequestration, allowing farmers to get paid for implementing climate-friendly agricultural methods – is celebrating after being included in the TIME100 Most...
Urgent need for ag-food sector in middle-income countries to ramp up emissions reduction efforts: World Bank report
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.
UK agtech faces funding, scalability challenges amid sustainability and Brexit concerns
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.