Starbucks looks to worms to recycle used coffee grounds into fertiliser
The coffee giant has unearthed a new solution for disposing of spent coffee grounds in the UK.
Soil health
Regen ag: ‘If 70% of farmers did it, we would end the climate crisis’
Experts are meeting in Spain to highlight the role of regenerative agriculture in reducing the climate footprint and boost the profitability of crops.
Meet the start-up helping farmers make (and sell) their own biochar
UK-based CapChar has developed a ‘plug and play’ way for biochar to be produced on farm. It’s time this “remarkably simple material” was supported, its co-founder says.
Study says organic inputs can boost rice yield and cut nitrogen losses
Integrating organic and inorganic fertilisers can improve eco-efficiency and sustainability in rice cultivation, which could hold significant implications for rice growers in mid-latitudes.
Climate funds fail to get finance to family farmers, COP29 told
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.
Does TIME’s best invention list mark a shift in how the world views agtech?
Agtech companies are celebrating recognition in TIME magazine’s best inventions for 2024. Does it mark a turning point in wider perceptions of the industry?
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.
Innovafeed gets $11m USDA grant to bring insect fertiliser to the US
French insect company Innovafeed is celebrating after the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded it an $11 million grant as part of its Fertiliser Production Expansion Programme (FPEP).
The challenges genomic selection has to overcome to revolutionise fruit, vegetable crop breeding
Genomic selection (GS) has shown promise in enhancing fruit and vegetable crops but significant challenges remain, limiting its full potential in the sector, says new research.
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.
Agtech investment is bouncing back... kinda
Pitchbook’s new Q3 2024 agtech report reveals investor confidence is returning. Venture capital funding is on the rise. But deal counts continue to decline and exit opportunities remain limited.
Gene editing promises to futureproof the wine sector
Gene editing technology could help the global wine industry combat the effects of climate change, says Lithuanian specialist Caszyme.
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.
Study says ‘vaccinating’ plants could reduce pesticide use and secure global food supplies
Induced resistance, where plants’ immune systems are activated in a controlled way that prepares them to fight pests and disease, could help build a sustainable and resilient agricultural system, according to researchers.
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.
Watch: BASF on innovation, regulation and collaboration
Progressive regulatory frameworks, together with more collaboration with data, are needed to scale effective innovation, says BASF’s Neil Key.
Watch: Gates Ag One discusses the tech solutions on its radar
The innovation being eyed by Gates Foundation's agtech arm has potential to be deployed in richer nations, says Trey Key, its director of business development. But he warns that ag requires more time for technology integration compared to other sectors.
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: Henry Dimbleby says the link between human and soil health is set to explode
Knowledge about the impact of regenerative farming on human health will snowball in the next few years, believes Henry Dimbleby – the former UK food tsar and founder of restaurant chain Leon who is now managing partner of the investor Bramble Partners.
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...
Gene editing set to boost Africa’s pressured yam production
A project by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, in partnership with US tech company Pairwise, will employ gene editing to support the yam in industry in Nigeria and wider region.
Is it time for a more balanced perspective on chemical crop protection?
Valid concerns about their use have led to some negative perceptions. But it’s time to be more agnostic regarding the use of both synthetic and natural ingredients in crop protection, believes Moa Technology.
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.
Smallholder farmers in Africa call for improved access to technology
Smallholder farmers in Africa benefit from regenerative agriculture through a diverse set of practices but need better access to technology.
Recoup launches gut-friendly beverage at Sprouts, raises awareness on benefits of regen ag
Recoup’s prebiotic sparkling beverages hit the shelves at 420 Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide, as the company leans into gut health and regenerative agriculture claims to deliver consumer demands for functional and environmental benefits.
Food companies' regenerative ag strategies 'lack ambition'
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.
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.
Farmers globally demand agricultural innovation: Bayer survey
Farmers around the world are crying out for agricultural innovation amid widespread concern over climate breakdown, a new survey has found.
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.
Opinion
Regenerative agriculture is transforming farming for Kenyan women
In sub-Saharan Africa, the female share of the agricultural labour force is the highest in the world. The charity Farm Africa – whose work stretches across Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, DRC and Kenya – is training farmers to develop the agricultural and...
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.
Yara’s agtech arm Varda joins European soil health study
Agtech data services provider Varda has joined the four-year €6 million ‘DeepHorizon’ project, funded by Horizon Europe, to conduct extensive subsoil sampling across European countries.
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.
Fresh calls to clear up confusion between 'organic' and 'regenerative' farming
A lack of understanding about sustainable agriculture is hindering the uptake of organic farming in the UK, researchers say.
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.
UK bank HSBC offers farmers discounted loan fees to support sustainable practices
Farming businesses on the journey to more sustainable practices can now receive discounts on loan fees as part of a new HSBC UK initiative.
Soil Capital raises €15 million to boost agricultural transition
Brussels-based Soil Capital said it aims to strengthen, secure, and make agricultural supply chains more sustainable, addressing a ‘triple need’: social, environmental, and economic.
Brazil still offers ‘significant’ opportunities for foreign investment to help meet fertiliser demand
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...
Flipping a genetic ‘switch’ in beans, peas and lentils can boost soil fertility and food security
The potential to flip the genetic 'off switch' and ensure legumes convert nitrogen into nutrients regardless of the soil conditions could improve the yield of legume crops and also the amount of nitrogen left in the soil for subsequent crops, explains...
Accuracy advances: How aligning satellite data with rice growth stages improved paddy mapping info in China
Scientists have developed an innovative framework that aligns advanced satellite data with rice growth stages to bolster paddy mapping accuracy in China, raising hopes it will enhance precision ag strategies and contribute to global food security efforts.
Can a cacao gene atlas help solve the cocoa crisis?
Mapping the genome of every cacao tree on the planet is the first step to developing elite high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties say researchers
Gene-edited cereals a step closer for English farms
A project bringing trials of precision-bred cereal crops onto commercial farms for the first time in Europe is underway.
What’s behind Nespresso's regen ag honey launch?
The Nestle-subsidiary has just unveiled its first ever honey products in the US in a move that illustrates the key potential benefits of regenerative agriculture for FMCGs: premium taste and supply chain sustainability.
Virtual fencing tech: smart solution or just shocking?
Halter’s virtual fencing technology has just launched in the US, where it insists it can help the beef and dairy industries become more productive and more sustainable. And despite concerns from some – but not all – welfare groups, the company’s system...
How ‘citizen science’ hopes to find the crops of the future
The tricot (triadic comparison of technologies) approach is proving key to testing new crop varieties, particularly in the context of smallholder agriculture and climate adaptation, say scientists.
Key questions from ADM’s regenerative agriculture report
ADM's latest regenerative agriculture report highlights significant progress and ambitious goals in expanding its programme. How does it plan to scale up from 2.8 million acres to the new 2025 target of five million acres globally?