Our 360-degree look at the latest agtech developments from across the globe takes in the latest tie-up between Syngenta Crop Protection and Israel’s Lavie Bio to make biological insecticidal solutions, while US-based Agtonomy announces the first-of-its-kind smart farm task ecosystem that digitally connects self-driving tractors with farm tools. Elsewhere, the UK will establish the world’s first UN-backed centre for circular economy research, while FloraPulse introduces a real-time water monitoring system to reduce water stress. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
Image: Getty/Igor Borisenko
Our 360-degree look at the latest agtech developments from across the globe takes in the latest tie-up between Syngenta Crop Protection and Israel’s Lavie Bio to make biological insecticidal solutions, while US-based Agtonomy announces the first-of-its-kind smart farm task ecosystem that digitally connects self-driving tractors with farm tools. Elsewhere, the UK will establish world’s first UN-backed centre for circular economy research, while FloraPulse introduces a real-time water monitoring system to reduce water stress. Scroll through the photo gallery for more…
Image: Getty/Igor Borisenko
Varda, the agtech data service provider founded by Yara, has announced a partnership with Slow Philosophy, the agrotech company assisting decision-makers on where to cultivate certain crops.
Varda’s Global FieldID™, which establishes a geospatial reference framework for the global agricultural industry, will merge with Slow Philosophy's Agroscoring, a tool to facilitate strategic decision-making for rural development activities - from agribusinesses to environmental practices and also real estate development.
Agroscoring is a tool designed to offer policy makers and investors a comprehensive agricultural reference index and a detailed assessment of farmland information. Its aim is to support and enhance the efforts of those dedicated to maintaining and improving the health and productivity of farmland.
Slow Philosophy will integrate Varda’s Global FieldID™ into its field index algorithm to offer detailed insights which will enhance agricultural efficiency. Varda's system maps agricultural fields, enabling seamless data sharing through unique IDs assigned to each land plot, essentially creating a 'QR code for fields'. Through the collaboration with the Agroscoring platform, relevant stakeholders will gain the ability to assess their farmland for optimal production, taking into account climatic risks and soil conditions.
Varda’s integration into the Agroscoring solution will provide farmers and agricultural stakeholders with crucial insights about their mapped fields, and also improve soil health. This includes detailed weather information such as accumulated precipitation and humidity, alongside other variables that monitor carbon neutrality and geolocation factors. These insights will enable farmers to accurately report on how healthy their farmland is and what improvements can be made.
Raúl Sánchez, CEO at Slow Philosophy, said: “This partnership is an important step in our mission to transform the agricultural industry. It isn’t just an advancement in land assessment technology, but also a significant step in empowering farmers and key stakeholders with precise, actionable insights. It emphasises our dedication to sustainable farming, ensuring that every decision will contribute positively to soil regeneration and crop efficiency.”
Davide Ceper, CEO at Varda, said: ‘‘The insights gained through this partnership will be instrumental in driving progress and realising our shared vision of a more sustainable, resilient, and transparent agricultural ecosystem. By providing public and private stakeholders, farmers and regulatory parties with data-driven insights into their fields, the partnership assures a virtuous cycle for collaboration and success in the quest to expand regenerative agriculture. At Varda, we aim to facilitate collaborative data sharing through a standardised approach that can benefit all stakeholders throughout the supply chain. We see our Global FieldID™ service as a digital public infrastructure and are working to ensure our delivery model reflects this philosophy going forward.”
Image: Varda
Designed by Cornell scientists to save money and increase yields, FloraPulse’s system aims to enhance crop quality and environmental health for the future of regenerative agriculture.
Only plants know when they need water, but it has been impossible to communicate with them, until now, according to FloraPulse, which has developed a way to acquire data directly from plants, providing agricultural professionals with accurate, automated measurements on plant water status.
Prospective users will include like woody crop owners and managers, nut and dry fruit growers, fresh fruit growers, commercial orchard/vineyard operators, government and university researchers, certified crop consultants, scientists, FloraPulse said.
FloraPulse’s new microT system comprises patented hardware, software, and technical support for each user to directly manage water stress, reducing water and labour costs and risks while increasing yields, crop quality and environmental health. It can be used for a wide range of crops including almonds, hazelnuts, wine grapes, apples, peaches, and berries.
Founded through research and collaboration of Cornell University’s emeritus professor of horticulture, Alan Lakso, director of the Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Abraham Strook, and mechanical engineering Ph.D. and microT technology developer, Michael Santiago, FloraPulse provides growers and researchers accurate and trusted automated measurements of water stress directly from trees and vines. The patented technology, used worldwide, provides science-based advice to optimize irrigation, increases profits, and valuable research data. Crop managers and researchers can now know to grow with FloraPulse.
“FloraPulse is a game-changer for the entire agricultural industry,” said Lakso. “After years of research and development, our team created the first simple-to-use device that provides farmers and researchers real-time data that helps growers and researchers achieve efficient water use in the face of variable climate conditions,” said Lakso.
FloraPulse’s real-time water sensing technology allows for more resilient plant health systems that enhance our agricultural system and farmers’ bottom lines, the company added.
Image: FloraPulse
San Francisco-based Agtonomy, a company specialising in advanced autonomous solutions, announced the first-of-its-kind smart farm task ecosystem that digitally and autonomously connects self-driving tractors with farm tools and implements to create greater efficiency and sustainability in the field.
“For autonomy to bring value to agriculture, we must think about tractors and farm tools like farmers do. Together,” said Tim Bucher, Agtonomy CEO and co-founder. “While other companies have designed individual components of farm robotics, either self-driving tractors or autonomous implements, Agtonomy has connected the digital dots between machines to seamlessly and autonomously execute tasks while keeping farmers in control.”
According to company, the Smart Farm Task Ecosystem gives farmers the advanced computing and AI-software and the farm-tested hardware needed to remotely plan and autonomously execute daily field tasks in orchard, vineyard, berry and specialty crop production.
“Unlike driving a car from point A to point B, no farmer goes ‘tractoring.’ Farmers use equipment for very specific, precise tasks that are becoming more challenging in today’s environment,” Bucher said. “By working with industry partners farmers know and trust on both the tractor and implement side, we can more rapidly scale a complete autonomous solution for farmers today.”
Agtonomy is also expanding its introductory paid pilot programme started in 2023. For 2024, multiple wineries have signed on to participate, including E & J Gallo, the world’s largest winery, and Treasury Wine Estates (TWE), one of the world’s largest premium wine companies, as well as several award-winning wineries including Silver Oak Cellars and Caymus Vineyards. In addition, Agtonomy is working toward expanding the pilot program to West Coast fruit and nut tree growers.
“TWE has been trialling robotics across our global operations for a number of years now and we’re excited about the potential for AI to continue to improve safety across our business through automation and progress our farming techniques and sustainability efforts. After experiencing Agtonomy’s farmer-first approach and their ability to deliver in-field, autonomous solutions, we are thrilled to continue collaborating in the development of advanced tools to succeed in today’s evolving farming environment,” said Simon Graves, Director of Vineyard Operations at Treasury Americas, a division of Treasury Wine Estates.
“Grower partnership allows us to tap into their knowledge of every tree, row or landscape to focus and strengthen autonomous design for real ROI for the end-user. OEM collaborations are vital to scaling adoption to the industry as a whole because they have the ability to produce not just a few hundred autonomous tractors a year, but tens of thousands, which provides the level of impact this industry desperately needs,” Bucher added.
Image: Agtonomy
Switzerland-based Syngenta Crop Protection, and Israel’s Lavie Bio, an ag-biologicals company and a subsidiary of Evogene, announced an agreement for the discovery and development of new biological insecticidal solutions.
The collaboration will leverage Lavie Bio’s technology platform to rapidly identify bio-insecticide candidates, as well as Syngenta’s extensive global research, development and commercialisation capabilities.
“Syngenta is a leader in advancing sustainable agriculture and we are thrilled to collaborate with Lavie Bio in biocontrol innovation and bring novel modes of action in the growers’ toolbox to combat insect resistance,” said Camilla Corsi, Global Head of Research at Syngenta Crop Protection. “This collaboration underscores Syngenta’s commitment to collaborating with cutting-edge agricultural technology companies, merging digital and experimental approaches to accelerate and diversify innovation.”
“We’re excited to collaborate with Syngenta, a world leader in agricultural innovation,” said Amit Noam, CEO of Lavie Bio. “Both companies share a mutual commitment to sustainable farming, and together, we aim to develop an impactful bio-insecticide product. Lavie Bio’s unique computational capabilities and Syngenta’s vast experience in developing and commercializing innovative products make this partnership significant. We enthusiastically look forward to joining forces to achieve the mutual task of insect management in agriculture.”
Image: Getty/SilviaJansen
EcoPhage has conducted successful field trials in Mexico with its flagship product – GoldenEco against Bacterial Speck (caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato) and Bacterial Spot (caused by Xanthomonas vesicatoria, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria, Xanthomonas gardneri, and Xanthomonas perforans) in Tomatoes and Peppers.
EcoPhage, which makes sustainable phage-based biopesticides for bacterial plant diseases, has concluded its third season of field trials in Mexico, with its flagship product, the GoldenEco against Bacterial Speck (caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. Tomato) and Bacterial Spot (caused by Xanthomonas vesicatoria, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria, Xanthomonas gardneri, and Xanthomonas perforans) in Tomatoes and Peppers.
The field trials evaluated GoldenEco against these two diseases in different climate zones and various disease pressures. GoldenEco was evaluated against the farmer practice in Mexico which is Copper-based product and Antibiotic. Alongside, the growing cycles, in different climate conditions and in various disease pressures, GoldenEco has shown superior results than Copper and Antibiotic, the company claimed. These results also showed improvement of yield and quality of tomatoes in addition to the superior performance results.
“Mexico is considered to be in the 10 top Tomatoes and Peppers production markets with more than 8.1 BT production annually, where more than 40% of that, is exported,” said Guy Elitzur, CEO of EcoPhage. “Within this big market, the bacterial diseases are evolving rapidly and the farmers are left with very limited tools to address it due to resistance, regulatory and performance issues. EcoPhage brings innovative tools to the market, assisting the farmers to have better performance to control these diseases and improve their bottom line with higher yield and better superior quality.”
Image: EcoPhage
Indian agri-tech companies Satyukt and Zuari FarmHub have joined forces to advance progress in digitising agriculture.
Satyukt is harnessing satellite data, advanced technology, and machine learning, to provide satellite-based farming solutions to farmers and agricultural stakeholders to revolutionise agriculture through precision farming. Zuari FarmHub Limited (part of the Adventz Group) operates one of the largest agri-retail chains in India, offering an extensive product range including micronutrients, soil conditioners, organic products, specialty agri fluids, fertigation products (WSF) and crop care products.
Leveraging the power of an application programming interface (API) – a way for two or more computer programs or components to communicate with each other – Satyukt will provide access to farm management solutions to farmers and other stakeholders associated with Zuari FarmHub.
Dr Yukti Gill, MD, Co-Founder of Satyukt, said, “Our joint commitment to innovation means that we will be at the forefront of developing and providing affordable, actionable, and precise agricultural services. This commitment drives us for sustained agricultural growth to create enduring value for farmers.”
Madan Pandey, MD, Zuari FarmHub added, “We aim to create value for farmers and stakeholders by providing integrated agri solutions to all farm needs. By providing real time access to farm data, we will empower farmers to maximize yields, reduce wastage and hence ensure sustainable farming practices. Precision farming will create the next agricultural revolution in India that will vastly improve the profitability for Indian farmers.”
Image: Getty/andrewswd
Dutch agrifoodtech environmental impact investor Future Food Fund II (FFF II) has announced its final closing, having successfully raised €40 million.
The milestone was achieved with the support of impact-driven entrepreneurs backing FFF from the first hour and esteemed entities such as), which affirms its confidence in FFF II’s vision and its potential to reshape the future of food and agriculture.
Since its inception, FFF II said that has been a strong force in the transformation of food and agriculture systems, investing in Seed & Serie-A companies in Western Europe that change the value chain of food & agriculture. Focus is on pivotal areas like regenerative agriculture, zero-impact foods and circular systems. These sectors are crucial for mitigating climate change impact aligning perfectly with the fund’s mission to invest in a sustainable future.
“Future Food Fund II is more than an investment vehicle; it’s a catalyst for change. We are not just investing in companies; we are investing in a brighter future for our planet,” stated Peter Arensman, Founding Partner of FFF II. “We are grateful to have such a strong base of entrepreneurs who have continued to support us since our inception, and we are equally appreciative of the commitment from our valued partners both in the Netherlands and across Europe.
During this final close, The European Investment Fund has committed €20 million to the fund, supported under the InvestEU programme of the European Commission, Risk Capital Resources and the Dutch Future Fund.
EIF Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt said: “The EIF, as part of the EIB Group, works to mitigate climate change through its investments. Future Food Fund II supports this European vision for a sustainable future by investing in ground-breaking ventures that prioritise environmental sustainability. A more resilient and eco-friendly food system benefits all EU citizens and we’re happy to support this.”
The fund has already invested in various startups that embody the essence of innovation and sustainability. Among these, FFF II has invested in EV Biotech, a company specialising in designing and optimising precision fermentation strains and processes, and Extracellular, a CDMO scale-up and development partner for cultivated meat. With a full pipeline of opportunities, more companies are expected to join the portfolio in 2024.
In addition to the EIF, FFF II has continued its collaboration with influential Dutch organisations such as Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Oost NL, and the Northern Netherlands development agency NOM. These partnerships underscore the Netherlands’ position as a frontrunner in agrifoodtech and sustainability.
With the final closing of the fund, FFF II will continue to invest in early-stage startups, further solidifying its role as a key player in the sustainable transformation of the food and agriculture sector.
Image: Future Food Fund II
Westfalia Fruit, a leading multinational supplier of avocados, has conducted the first successful trials of an innovative and natural method of ensuring food safety within the supply chain.
Current industry practice is to manually deep clean avocado ripening rooms to maintain high levels of food safety and eliminate residue from naturally occurring fruit mould. Westfalia’s new method uses a probiotic uniquely distributed within a water mist circulated throughout ripening room which delivers several clear benefits.
Andrew Mitchell, Head of Innovation at Westfalia Fruit explained: “Our innovative probiotic liquid is similar to that found in yoghurts which can help with the natural balance of our digestive system. This type of probiotic is also very good at attacking yeasts and moulds. We have developed the application of this natural probiotic further as a liquid, Westfalia Fruit is the only avocado supplier able to do this.”
In an initial study there was a 65% reduction in micro levels in the trial room compared to the control room. The study also found that mould on the individual fruit was significantly reduced. Avocados that had been treated with the probiotic remained mould free for up to fifteen days, which resulted in a reduction of internal rot of around 20%. Using this method also has several other clear benefits – it eliminates the need for chemical cleaning materials, avoids the need to shut down ripening rooms for cleaning and can also be applied to hard to reach areas such as ventilation ducts and fans.
Westfalia is conducting a second trial, applying the probiotic liquid from the roof of the ripening room and expects this to achieve a 90% reduction in micro levels compared to the control room. Fruit quality will be continuously monitored over a four-week trial in preparation for initial roll out across Westfalia’s UK facilities.
“From there, we will be managing a role out to our European operations and extend trials across a range of products including citrus and mango. Looking even further ahead with the benefit of Westfalia’s integrated supply chain, the unique misting technique can be applied within shipping containers, giving fruit the benefit of the probiotic application before reaching its final destination, Andrew continues. This project is a clear example of how Westfalia continues to ensure consistent high quality avocados are available for consumers to enjoy 365 days of the year.
We are very excited about this breakthrough, as well as the immediate benefits we anticipate a further reduction in potential waste product whilst successfully and naturally maintaining food safety, all of which directly aligns with our ambitious sustainability goals”.
Image: Getty/Evrymmnt
Sustainable approaches to the circular economy and resource efficiency will be developed to enable the transition to a greener future, according to the government.
UK will establish the world’s first United Nations-backed ‘International Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Resource Management in the Circular Economy,’ the resources minister Robbie Moore announced. In a move that ‘will help drive the programme forward and contribute to the UK’s world-leading efforts to protect the environment and improve its use of resources, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will support the establishment of the centre in the UK.
A circular economy is one in which resources are kept in use for as long as possible, rather than being taken from the earth, used once and disposed of in landfill.
The centre will develop sustainable approaches to the circular economy and resource efficiency to enable carbon reduction and the transition to a greener future. The UK will also help countries across the world to maximise the environmental and economic opportunities the circular economy offers.
Opening formally in April 2024, the centre will comprise five institutions: University College London (UCL), University of Exeter, Brunel University London, Swansea University and the British Geological Survey.
Co-ordinated by a government-funded UNECE research manager based in Geneva, the coalition will leverage their expertise to explore circularity in areas such as metals, construction and critical minerals to develop effective data, technological innovation, finance models and policy. The five participating institutions have together contributed £1.85 million to fund the centre’s technical activities.
Resources Minister Robbie Moore said: “This is real recognition of the UK’s global leadership in sustainable resource management and testament to Britain’s world-leading academic expertise.
We are delighted to host this centre, enabling our cutting-edge UK academics to develop the tools and research that will help countries across the world seize the opportunities of the circular economy, leading the way in the transition to a greener future.
UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean added: “Making the use of our resources more sustainable and moving towards a circular economy is fundamental to sustainable development and climate action.
“Partnerships mobilising international expertise play an important role in UN cooperation to develop and share best practices. I welcome the establishment of this new Centre of Excellence, with its focus on circularity of metals, construction and critical raw materials.”
The centre will also draw heavily on the success of several of the partner institutions in the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) research and development programme, a four-year £30 million investment established by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ chief scientist in 2019 under the UK Government’s Strategic Priorities Fund.
In July 2023, the UK government announced new plans setting out its long-term aim to use fewer new resources, drive up the repair and reuse of existing materials and increase recycling. The programme – Maximising Resources, Minimising Waste – brings together a range of measures backed by government funding which will help to keep products and materials in circulation for as long as possible and at their highest value, including through increasing reuse, repair and remanufacture, helping to grow the economy and boost employment.
Image: Getty/We Are
UPL Corporation, a global provider of holistic and sustainable agricultural solutions, and Radicle Growth, a company-building platform investing in early-stage agriculture and food technologies, today announces the finalists of "The Radicle Natural Plant Protection (NPP) Challenge by UPL". The Challenge sets out to invest US$1.75 million in start-up companies from around the world that are advancing natural and biological solutions to protect crops from biotic stresses such as bacteria, fungi, nematodes, insects, arachnids, and weeds. The four finalists competing for investment are:
- IBI-Ag: IBI Ag harnesses the power of antibodies to develop bioinsecticides that target pests with precision while minimizing environmental impact.
- Impetus Agriculture: Impetus Agriculture is developing new biological insect control products with the effectiveness of legacy chemical methods of control.
- SOLASTA Bio: SOLASTA Bio is a bioinsecticides company designing nature-inspired, selectively targeted peptide insect control products.
- Trillium Ag: Trillium Ag is developing a platform to unlock RNAi for precise, sustainable, and effective crop protection.
Mike Frank, CEO of UPL Corp, said: “We were delighted to receive 237 applications for the NPP Radicle Challenge – signalling the extraordinary innovation happening across the biologicals space. Our business unit Natural Plant Protection (NPP) offers growers an extensive portfolio of biosolutions to increase crop resilience and protection, improve nutrition, and support soil health, and we’re excited to work with pioneering innovators to help bring to market more nature-based solutions.”
Kirk Haney, Managing Partner of Radicle Growth, said: “We are incredibly impressed with the game-changing technologies we have identified through the Radicle Challenge process and believe these technologies can be transformative in advancing natural and biological control solutions in the food value chain.”
Each company will present to a panel of judges on March 18. A US$1 million investment will be made in The Challenge winner and a US $750,000 investment in the second-place winner to accelerate their growth. In addition to the funding, the winners will get access to advice from both UPL and Radicle senior executives to help accelerate their company's business and technical efforts.
Image: Getty/LordHenriVoton
