Our 360-degree look at the latest agtech developments from across the globe features US grape breeder IFG’s newly patented grape variety, while a first-of-its-kind bee vaccine receives market approval in the US and Canada. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
Image: Getty/Surasak Suwanmake
Our 360-degree look at the latest agtech developments from across the globe features US grape breeder IFG’s newly patented grape variety, while a first-of-its-kind bee vaccine receives market approval in the US and Canada. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
Image: Getty/Surasak Suwanmake
The “sky’s the limit for vertical farming”, according to Kate Hofman, founder of GrowUp Farms, who shared her insight into the UK vertical farming industry and how it can be supported to make the nation’s food supply chain more sustainable.
GrowUp Farms launched vertically farmed salads in the UK’s largest supermarket Tesco last year.
“There is a rising demand from consumers to buy from food brands that prioritise sustainability and produce longer-lasting locally grown food that helps reduce waste and cut supply chains significantly,” she said.
“Earlier this year, UK supermarkets were hit with shortages of salad vegetables due to the impact of climate change and over-reliance on overseas imports — the UK imports 90% of its lettuces in winter. In addition, UK greenhouse growers have been faced with soaring production costs and energy prices. Vertical farming offers a way to support the UK food industry by providing reliable food production all year round.”
Energy has been described as vertical farming’s Achilles heel, however. Hofman responded: “Energy is needed to maintain optimal conditions in vertical farming facilities by powering systems such as LED lights, HVAC air conditioning systems and water filtration systems. If you’re relying on electrical energy alone, the costs can be a barrier to the success of vertical farms, impacting their carbon footprint and increasing operating expenses — especially during the recent energy crisis. Vertical farmers can overcome this by powering their facilities with renewable energy.”
In order for food production in the UK to become more sustainable, vertical farming needs to be put on a level playing field with traditional farming, she added.
“Vertical farming can help enable the UK to meet its environmental goals much more quickly, however, there is currently no way for vertical farms to access government support for delivering these environmental benefits.
If vertical farming continues to be treated as an emerging technology, we are missing a vital opportunity to grow the industry, create a sustainable and long-lasting supply chain and deliver the outcomes laid out in the Government’s 25-year Environment Plan. The extension of ELMS to include vertical farming would create a level playing field for more farming techniques that produce high-quality food and take care of the environment.”
Image: GrowUp Farms
Tallinn-based farm management software provider eAgronom announced a series of on-the-ground trials with local farmers across Europe.
Trials will begin in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Spain. The company aims to expand the programme into Latvia, Czechia, and Romania later 2024.
The company aims to helping farmers generate additional revenue streams, improve soil quality, and access better financing through environmentally sound farming practices.
The trials will test measures concerning machinery, cover cropping, plant protection products, and various fertilisers. The company said this is the first extended trial of its kind in Estonia dedicated to the potential environmental benefits of farm-based and soil-focused regenerative tactics.
The company said these trials aim to streamline the implementation process of such practices in a way that is not only convenient for farmers but actively beneficial to their farms’ efficiency and bottom lines.
Robin Saluoks, co-founder and CEO of eAgronom, said: “Our field trials and demo farms enable us to test innovative regenerative farming practices and prove these practices to farmers. We’re learning right alongside our partner farmers, and their feedback and experiences will have a direct impact on how we help all our farmers make the best decisions for them in economic and environmental terms. Sustainability measures won’t work theoretically. They need to have practical benefits, and implementation has to work seamlessly. We’ll strengthen both aspects through these trials.”
In 2022, eAgronom raised US$7.4 million to tackle emissions with farming-based carbon credits, taking its total raised to US$12 million.
Image: eAgronom
Israeli biotechnology company GeneNeer successfully closed a US$1 million seed round to support the acceleration of its technology for rapid crop seed innovation.
GeneNeer’s IP-protected Superlines are a gene editing tool designed to accelerate new crop development by improving speed, safety and accuracy.
The funds will be used to expand the company’s research and development into its methods for enhancing gene editing and gene discovery. While the company’s first focus is on the potato market, further development in other key crops is being actively pursued through strategic partnerships.
The round was led by Tall Grass Ventures, and 2b AHEAD Ventures. Chris Edwards, Managing Partner at Tall Grass Ventures, said “We believe GeneNeer is at the forefront of gene-editing in crop development through their novel and proprietary Superline technology. With this technology, they have developed a multi-faceted platform, which we believe mitigates many of the business risks inherent in biotechnology and deep science-based startups. This approach not only enhances stability, but also aligns with the nimbleness and adaptability required to lead an emerging field.”
Image: Getty/Avalon_Studio
US grape breeder IFG said it is set to transform the raison market with a newly patented Dried on Vine (DOV) variety called IFG Rais-one.
DOV is a process whereby the grapes have been bred to reach a sugar-level point so that it naturally dries on the vine.
By growing DOV raisins, growers can cut down on labour-intensive processes such as cane cutting and potentially boost profits, resulting in increased sustainability and profitability for the industry.
Dustin Hooper, commercial manager for raisins at Bloom Fresh, said: “As labour costs continue to grow in California, it is vital that we take this into consideration when developing new varieties.”
The company bred several characteristics into the grapes so that the grapes would dry “just enough and in just the right way – not too much or too little,” he said.
Marthedal Farms farm manager Austin Hubbel added: “We have been testing IFG-Rais one for the past 36 months and the DOV process has shown incredible promise. For the first time in years, we are able to alleviate several arduous processes that used to take so much time and energy. Additionally, the quality of the IFG’s raisins will allow growers to stay competitive in an ever-changing world market.”
Image: Getty/Morsa Images
Dalan Animal Health, the makers of the world’s first honeybee vaccine which protects them against a devastating and wide-sweeping bacterial disease, received conditional market approval in the US and Canada, and plans to continue expansion to bring the solution to beekeepers globally. Dalan’s first-of-its-kind vaccine is designed to offer protection against American Foulbrood, a devastating disease plaguing beekeeping operations globally, before it occurs.
The company said: “Honeybees are essential to ensuring a stable, sustainable food supply for a growing population and are responsible for pollinating about one-third of crops globally. This vaccine represents a major step in protecting honeybees and advancing greater biodiversity in the face of climate change.” Dalan’s honeybee vaccine was also named on Time’s 2023 best inventions list.
CEO and co-founder Annette Kleiser said: “This safe, non-GMO, non-chemical prophylactic tool puts the power into the hands of beekeepers as a proactive way to protect their hives and avoid the use of antibiotics. It is our deep conviction that honeybee vaccines are transformative, with the power to make way for greater biodiversity and a more sustainable food supply.”
Image: Getty/Gary Yeowell
France- and Netherlands-based RED Horticulture, which makes LED lighting solutions to reduce energy consumption in greenhouses closed €17 million in a Series A round of funding.
RED Horticulture’s solution is based on dynamic spectrum LED lights that precisely activate the photoreceptors of plants in greenhouses and are controlled via its AI-powered proprietary platform. According to the company’s case studies, strawberry growers have increased yields by 35% and reduced the time from sowing to harvesting their crop by 20%. At the same time, young plant breeders have reduced energy consumption by up to 60% and achieved better crop morphology using RED Horticulture’s lighting strategy.
Stéphane Roussel, Partner at ECBF, which lead the funding round, said: “Controlled environment agriculture (which includes greenhouses), is poised to grow fast because of the many advantages it offers: producing healthy and nutritious crops close to where they are consumed, while using less soil and water, and with a reduced usage of chemicals. We were impressed by the boldness and vision of RED’s founding team to offer a solution that optimizes light as any other input in the greenhouse. Leveraging its strong agronomic expertise, RED offers the possibility to growers to both automate their operations further and optimize for what matters to them (be it yield, energy, product quality).”
Image: RED Horticulture
