The AgTech Trends 2023 survey unveiled by the Yield quashes the idea that farmers are instinctively wary of adopting digital solutions. Many simply still grapple with deriving actionable insights from their data.
To say that genetically modified (GM) crops have met past resistance from campaigners is an understatement. Might the potential environmental benefits of GM crops prove a tipping point?
Boutique venture capital (VC) consulting and investment company ID Capital, which is the focus of this month’s Agtech Investor Profile feature, says China is poised to play a ‘catalytic role’ in sectors as diverse as bio-manufacturing and digitalisation...
Collaboration between industrial or commercial organisations and academic institutions is not as common as it should be, but such ventures provide a “huge benefit” for Australia’s agtech sector.
FA Bio claims to be revolutionising sustainable agriculture with the discovery of superior microbes for game-changing bio-products which can increase crop yields, protect biodiversity and replace chemical inputs, minimising the environmental impacts of...
In 2024, the rise of gen AI, the impact of digital twins on field trials, and the evolution of cloud-based technologies are expected to continue to revolutionise the agtech landscape.
Krishna Kumar, co-founder and CEO of intelligence provider Cropin, shares his agri-food predictions for 2024, among them a growing convergence between healthcare and agtech sectors.
While regenerative agriculture associated with strategies for reducing negative environmental impacts of ‘conventional agriculture,’ research has found that some strategies are better than others in improving soil productivity and, more importantly, maintaining...
When it comes to determining nitrogen inputs most farmers struggle with a Goldilocks-complex – applying too little hurts yields and applying too much hurts the planet and their profits, but when the amount is “just right” productivity and profitability...
While artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools have made progress in shielding agri-food systems against climate change, issues with bias and a lack of standards and data quality persist.
Canada-based precision ag-tech and clean-tech company CO2 GRO has agreed a Technology Adaptation Project (TAP) with a major US greenhouse lettuce grower to investigate how it can impact lettuce yield, product quality, CO2 savings, and overall financial...
Microbial agtech ventures are undergoing a ‘revolution’ that aims to bring the nitrogen cycle back toward sustainability. However, their true potential risks being unfulfilled unless there is more investment and further scaling up to meet specific regional...
In our opening Agri-food Sustainability Report Card analysis we take a look at how global food giant Nestlé is faring in its efforts to adopt more environmentally-friendly processes and outcomes.
In the second edition of our Look Who's Funding series, we assess how BASF Venture Capital is seeking to revolutionise agriculture and improve overall sustainability through advanced technological solutions.
Gathering crop information via a raft of satellite remote sensing innovations has been touted as a key agtech success strategy, but what are its constraints and how can they be best overcome?
While the precision agriculture sector is a hotbed of innovation to maximise critical inputs, such as land, water, fuel, fertilizer, and pesticides, how strong is the evidence that it improves sustainability and, just as crucially, maximises yields?
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 promote...
Venture capitalist (VC) and investment funds are crucial to helping agtech start-ups scale and fulfil their potential. But what are they looking for and what qualities should fledging firms possess? In the first of our AgTech Investor Portfolio Profiles,...
India-based Zuari FarmHub recently announced its partnership with global agritech firm CropX Technologies, which aims to 'revolutionise' farming practices and advance precision agriculture in the country.
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.
In the first of our features looking at how major MNCs are making waves in the global ag-tech start-up space, which shine the spotlight on PepsiCo and its Greenhouse Accelerator Programme with initiatives spanning IoT, pest control, eco-fertilizers and...
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...
A ground-breaking system built on a combination of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) and Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) could significantly improve crop enhancement and food security through its genome-editing (GE)...
A raft of ag-tech innovations could be needed to stop the drop of bitterness levels in hops – a fundamental concern to the beer and brewing industries.
Collaboration between the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Corteva Agriscience has yielded three 'platinum-standard' genome sequences for pearl millet varieties, providing valuable insights into...
Seafood giant Thai Union has signed up to be part of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) new sustainability booster programme, with 15,700 metric tonnes of shrimp in its supply chain to be included by 2026.
Ambitious plans put forward to boost the role of agtech in the New Zealand economy are in a state of flux following the country’s recent general election.
A new smart faming pilot project has been launched to verify the reduction of CO2 emissions from the use of Yunnan Yuntianhua's chemical fertilizer in China.
Exposures to two of the most popular herbicides were associated with worse brain function among adolescents, according to a study led by researchers at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at University of California...
A Singapore-based deep tech firm claims to be able to increase the commercial yield of bokchoy by 18.5% just by treating the water with its ceramic alloy.
Indian agriculture and foodtech startups collectively secured USD2.4bn in funding in 2022, according to a new report, but this marked a 33% decrease compared to the $3.6 billion raised in 2021.
The Japanese government has approved the applications of over 50 companies looking to implement agritech-focused improvements to their businesses, offering support and tax incentives in a bid to hit its national Green Food System sustainability goals...
Indian FMCG major BL Agro has committed US$62.5mn in investment to purchase Leads Connect, one of the country’s most comprehensive agricultural technology firms, in a bid to increase its presence in the burgeoning sector.
Flexible direct payment schemes have been touted as an effective approach to encourage widespread adoption of pesticide-free production, as well as building farmers’ capacities in plant breeding and improving production systems.
A new high-tech facility in Narrabri, New South Wales (NSW), is seeking to strengthen Australia’s food security by focusing on agtech to increase crop resilience and boost the productivity of farmers.
A better and more efficient use of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilisers is urgently needed to address food security and environmental problems, with new technologies vital to improve outcomes.
Public opinion about genetically modified (GMOs) products remain divisive, but where do the gaps lie when it comes to the adoption of biosafety regulations?
Hyperspectral remote sensing images from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used to develop a ‘more rigorous and scientific’ health assessment model to aid precision agriculture strategies, say researchers.
The trajectory of investment activity within the agtech sector — which saw a steady decline commencing in Q2 2022 — appears to be stabilising as of Q2 2023, according to financial data and software firm PitchBook.
Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) could be a holistic solution for sustainability in crop production and environmental stewardship, according to researchers in China, Australia and Pakistan.
The fungus Beauveria bassiana (B. bassiana) could have positive effects on oilseed rape production, but its different strains require further exploration to fully understand its cultivation benefits.
A new digital tool called the Digital Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (DAKIS) has been developed to assist farmers in making decisions that promote sustainable and diverse agriculture.
Social scientists should play a critical role in agtech collaborations, thanks to their experiences across diverse disciplines that include science and technology studies (STS), food studies, sociology and geography, experts have argued.
Using machine learning (ML) to monitor crop disease in real time may boost growth and development in sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural sector, where rop diseases have long been a significant threat to agricultural productivity, resulting in annual yield...
Innovations in identifying physiological, metabolic and genetic factors contributing to abiotic stress tolerance and grape berry composition could be key to safeguarding the future of two of the most popular wines - Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling.
