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.
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 production.
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.
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?
A recent Swiss study has found that biochar (BC), a substance gaining popularity in agriculture for carbon storage and soil improvement, does not effectively reduce methane emissions.
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.
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.
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.
SOLASTA Bio, based in Glasgow in the UK and with a base in North Carolina in the US, has completed a $14 million Series A funding round to accelerate the development of its peptide-based bioinsecticides.
By Dugald Reid, group leader at the La Trobe Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food
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,...
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.
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.
The venture capital arm of agricultural sciences giant FMC Corporation looks for ‘game-changing’ innovations that go beyond FMC's core business of crop protection. Associate Matt Foley tells us more about the firm’s operations, strategies and impact.
Micropep Technologies, which creates natural crop protection and stimulation products using micropeptides, has announced a $29 million Series B funding round and unveiled a proprietary discovery platform called Krisalix.
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.
PepsiCo Europe has announced a long-term collaboration with crop nutrition company Yara aimed at providing farmers in Europe with crop nutrition programmes to help decarbonise the food value chain.
The crop protection giant has revealed a partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks, a US biotechnology company that specialises in using genetic engineering and synthetic biology to create custom microorganisms for a wide range of industries.
The Japanese government has released new data highlighting the safety of genetically modified crops to placate public concerns that accidental spillages were affecting biodiversity.
Argentina-based Unibaio is a biotechnology company that develops innovative microparticles to improve the performance and sustainability of agrochemicals. Its key technology involves creating biodegradable nanocapsules made from natural polymers that...
Research shows that enhanced rock weathering combined with fertilisers with nitrification inhibitors could cut global agricultural nitrous oxide emissions by 25% without slowing down the overall recovery of the ozone layer.
Thanks to its perceived sustainability advantages over animal-based chitin, there’s rising interest in the use of mushroom-derived chitin in agriculture, AgTechNavigator learns.
Zinc can make crop yields more climate-resilient, particularly for legume crops, according to new research. Separately, Israeli BetterSeeds has achieved USDA approval for the world's first gene-edited cowpea.
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.
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.
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 new tie-up between agritech giant Corteva Agriscience and Dutch accelerator StartLife, which supports start-ups in the food and agriculture sectors, aims to enable solutions through open innovation and speed the path to market breakthrough agrifood...
The study of RNAi in biology has been around for decades, but the use of RNAi for crop protection is relatively new. We caught up with Canada-based Renaissance BioScience Corp, which is developing novel yeast-based RNA interference (RNAi) technology for...
It’s a question we put to Sao Paulo, Brazil-based Aqua Capital, a private equity firm investing in sustainable and innovative companies within the ag and food sectors, which has announced the final closing of its Ag & Food PE Fund III (Fund III).
In a groundbreaking move, Syngenta Group has announced that it is expanding access to its genome-editing and breeding technologies to academic researchers globally.
It’s a significant and growing environmental concern. But has the agtech industry been slow to address the issue of microplastics pollution from agrochemicals and agricultural practices?
Researchers have developed a new geochemical ‘fingerprint’ to trace contaminants in fertiliser in the hope of remediating contamination linked to phosphate.
Lettuce cultivars should be selected for their ability to thrive under varying light conditions in order to maximise production in vertical farming, say researchers in Thailand.
A new scientific discovery in Australia could help engineer climate resilient crops capable of ‘sucking carbon dioxide from the atmosphere’ more efficiently, and helping to produce more food in the process.
Seven disruptive start-ups have been selected to drive agri-food innovation and economic growth in the country, offering innovative solutions to enhance the agrifood value chain, improve commercial exchanges, and introduce high-value crops.
Early-stage ag and food tech investor Big Idea Ventures has launched its fifth portfolio company through its Generation Food Rural Partners (GFRP) fund.
Biologicals are demonstrating a trend of growth amid rising demand for more sustainable and natural farming practices. SymbioMatch, an early research-based start-up based in Denmark, hopes to fulfil the need for biofertilisers that work consistently across...
The Israeli company says securing this round of capital in today’s challenging economic climate is further validation of Greeneye’s mission to drive mainstream adoption of precision spraying technology in the US.
PitchBook’s latest Q1 2024 Agtech Report indicates a market undergoing a correction, with the wheat being separated from the chaff. Some sectors are hotter than others, meanwhile.
Despite advances in innovation and technology in UK agriculture, attracting sufficient investment remains a key hindrance in achieving transformative change in the industry.
Three groups are collaborating in South Texas to connect landowners engaged in nature-based carbon capture with a network of carbon credit buyers. The project will boost soil health and grower incomes, they announce.
Via a new agreement with UK-based R&D company AlphaBio Control, Bayer has gained exclusive rights to market the first ever biological insecticide which will help farmers control pests in arable crops. The product is expected to launch in 2028.
NPHarvest, a spin-off from Aalto University in Finland, has raised €2.2 million to bring its proprietary nutrient catcher machine to market. The hardware is the first of its kind, making it possible to catch nutrients on a real commercial level, the company...
Our round-up of the latest research from institutions and universities across the globe looks at the world’s first unmanned machine designed for autonomous forestry operations, while Korean scientists have successfully developed ‘cultured beef rice’,...
Biochar made from empty cocoa pods has the potential to improve and retain moisture in soil, according to a cocoa cooperative in in Côte d’Ivoire. It is looking to biochar made from agricultural waste to solve the problem of persistent drought compromising...
McKinsey & Company survey reveals that 90% of US farmers are aware of sustainable practices, but widespread adoption remains low with compensation levels remaining a main concern.
