News and Analysis on Global Agri-Tech Innovation, Investment and Regulation
Sustainability report card
Cargill is one the food system’s largest cogs. The largest privately owned company in America, its food commodities from soy to cocoa are eaten in every major economy in the world and from these, it makes more money each year than Morrocco or Ukraine.
Building on a tie-up announced in 2023, UAE-based agri-tech company Silal and Bayer are expanding their strategic partnership through a detailed memorandum of understanding.
The newly agreed COP29 finance deal could present opportunities for the agri-tech sector – particularly concerning carbon credits – but much remains up in the air.
Indigo Ag and Truterra’s new strategic collaboration is aimed at simplifying, expanding and accelerating the adoption of ag sustainability solutions.
Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University have discovered that a combination of yeast and green algae improves water treatment efficiency.
Norway has a unique opportunity to develop its seaweed industry but should explore a broader range of applications for seaweed, such as in fish and livestock feed, says an expert.
Sustainability report card
The meat giant’s climate ambitions are ‘unwavering’, according to its latest sustainability report. Is it making genuine progress or just hot air?
Opinion
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...
Sustainability report card
ADM's sustainability efforts are a competitive advantage and foundational to its purpose and growth strategy. But the company acknowledges areas for improvement, particularly in safety performance. Additionally, the agribusiness giant recognises the...
Smallholder farmers are set to receive training, resources and financing to increase the share of food that reaches the market in a new initiative that aims to help companies meet sustainability commitments and futureproof supply chains.
A lack of understanding about sustainable agriculture is hindering the uptake of organic farming in the UK, researchers say.
Growing lettuce vertically could be as good for the environment as growing them in fields and could save 8,000 hectares of land in the UK, according to a new study from the University of Surrey and the University of Aberdeen.
With only an estimated 3.3% of the UK’s farmed area currently practicing agroforestry, the supermarket has launched a new agroforestry initiative aiming to boost agroforestry adoption and help farmers integrate trees effectively while maintaining other...
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.
The start-up’s platform connecting each stage in the fresh produce supply chain has helped saved the equivalent to 655,000 meals, its first impact report shows.
Brazil supplies about a third of the world's coffee, making it by far the world's largest producer. But with dwindling water supplies threatening the industry, producers are busy with efforts to protect this vital resource.
A new study claims that biodegradable and compostable plastics are often replacing one harmful material with another.
With farmers under the age of 35 making up just 9% of the US farming industry, PepsiCo Foods North America has launched the Planting Pathways Initiative (PPI) to expand opportunities in the sector.
Sustainability report card
Agribusiness giant Bunge has announced progress towards eliminating deforestation from its supply chains by 2025 in its 2024 Global Sustainability Report. But critics remain unconvinced.
Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) is using AI technology to improve biodiversity across five of its blackcurrant farms in the UK this harvest season.
Strawberries are one of a wide range of crops impacted by the high temperatures of climate change.
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.
News
Sweaty cows could help solve a number of global warming related food security issues, according to new research by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).
Australian researchers have shown that both liquid and pelleted forms of the red seaweed Asparagopsis significantly reduce methane emissions in dairy cows, without affecting milk safety.
News
Eleven farmers across the globe will receive financial backing from innocent Drinks to help support projects that safeguard the future of fruit and vegetables.
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?
Blue Food Innovation Summit, London
The opening session of the Blue Food Innovation event in London last week centered around the need for sustainable aquaculture innovation to address climate change, responsible feed sourcing and measuring, the social licence to operate, and consumer...
A global collaboration of brewers – including Brooklyn Brewery, Carlsberg and Guinness – is showcasing the ancient West African grain fonio. What’s so special about the grain – and how can it transform brewing for the better?
Degradation of the earth’s extensive natural pastures due to overuse, climate change and biodiversity loss poses a severe threat to the world’s food supply, the UN warns in a stark report. But can pastoralism produce enough food to feed the future world...
Egg industry leaders in China have highlighted a need to develop better traceability technology to ensure cage-free eggs reaching consumers are authentic, in order for the sector to reach the next phase of development.
Waitrose, a premium grocer with over 350 shops in the UK, and part of Britain's largest employee-owned retailer, the John Lewis Partnership, says it is committing to support more than 2,000 of its British farmers to move to regenerative farming...
A new project aims to unlock renewable energy and cut rice straw emissions in India and Philippines.
Researchers in Germany have published an agenda for the smart digitalisation of agriculture.
Using satellite imagery to detect plant fluorescence, researchers have developed a way to predict crop yields that can potentially be used widely in developing countries.
Indigo Ag has announced a sustainable biofuels collaboration to allow farmers to benefit from clean fuel tax credit programmes.
A rapidly spreading virus threatens the health of the cacao tree and the dried seeds from which chocolate is made, jeopardising the global supply of the world’s most popular treat, scientists warn. They have developed a new strategy of using mathematical...
Regen ag in the US
Farmers don’t need to be told about the risks of climate change or learn any more about how regenerative practices can create more ecologically and economically robust agricultural systems. It simply remains a risk for them to adopt new practices....
A precompetitive initiative working towards the implementation of new solutions to prevent bacterial diseases and reduce the use of antibiotics has been announced in Chile.
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.
We chat to dsm-firmenich’s Dr. Heinz Flatnitzer to find out more about financed emissions, offering life cycle assessment platform Sustell to lenders, and how dairy farmers can benefit from sustainability-linked finance.
Singapore-based palm oil producer Golden Agri-Resources recently became the newest member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. According to the two organisations, the move illustrates action on sustainable agriculture coming to the...
Climate change could create dramatic shifts in where wine is produced: making vineyards unsustainable in some regions, but opening up new opportunities in others. Researchers have mapped how the global distribution of vineyards is likely to change.
Sustainability Report Card, Part 5
Canada-based Croptimistic has published its inaugural sustainability report detailing promising information on its product and service offerings and commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
Agricultural innovation and targeted dietary interventions could effectively address issues of nutrient deficiencies and food waste in China’s food systems, and prevent short-term market shocks, according to a review by researchers in the country.
Science continues to explore new ways to make agriculture more efficient in the modern world, taking a thorough approach to research and leaving nothing off of the table, including the impact of climate change. Here, we talk with Partha Banerjee, PhD,...
Boomitra, a soil carbon marketplace and recipient of the 2023 Earthshot Prize, has entered into an exclusive partnership with Terra Carbono, a prominent sustainable land management organisation in Brazil. The collaboration will introduce regenerative...
Sustainability Report Card
Palm oil giant Asian Agri’s commitment to sustainable practices and attainment of specific certifications, alongside its No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation (NDPE) commitment feature heavily in its latest sustainability report.
Potassium deficiency in soil has been revealed as a major threat to livestock and agricultural farming. So what does this mean for global food security and can the current threat be reversed?
As Spain grapples with drought in February and UK farmers also fearing another tough year ahead, a veteran agritech entrepreneur has questioned the ‘short term’ approach of continually rationing water and says new agricultural solutions are urgently...
Proposals to ban octopus farms in the US state follow similar moves in Washington and Hawaii and come as controversy about plans to build the world’s first octopus farm in the Spanish Canary Islands continues.