Starbucks looks to worms to recycle used coffee grounds into fertiliser
The coffee giant has unearthed a new solution for disposing of spent coffee grounds in the UK.
Waste reduction & valorisation
What solutions does the UK agri-supply industry want to achieve resilience?
A new report flags the growing demand for data, circular innovation and market access for precision bred commodities in the UK.
Ugly approach: Obsession with ‘aesthetic grading’ causes significant food loss, economic woe for farmers
Research led by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) has revealed that aesthetic grading, which focuses on the appearance of apples, leads to significant food losses without economically benefiting farmers.
Wine and coffee by-products could power next generation batteries
Creating effective batteries is a critical part of renewable energy plans – and wine and coffee could hold the answer to cheaper, more efficient and more eco-friendly battery tech.
Plans to turn pongamia oil into biofuel move up a gear
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...
Global ag majors unite to halve on-farm food losses by 2030
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.
Plant breeders want unified global policy on genome-edited crops to boost food security
International Seed Federation members are calling for harmonised regulations on new breeding technologies such as genome editing to accelerate impactful innovation.
Agtech investor profile
Serra Ventures on why investors will continue to be drawn to the rewards of agri-tech
It’s currently a challenging time for venture capitalists in the sector. But Tim Hoerr, founder and CEO of Serra Ventures, can’t think of a better category to be in.
‘Every industry needs to start somewhere’: Calls for more insect farming R&D amid recent criticism
Insect farming allows us to farm sustainably and enrich foods in a way that harms the planet significantly less than traditional protein sources, an expert insists.
Innovation Insider Country profile
India: Are the bets back on?
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.
ProducePay reveals progress on supply chain inefficiency and waste
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.
Using seaweed and mushroom waste in chicken feed could boost Africa's food security
One of Africa's most pressing challenges is achieving food security. A researcher proposes an innovative approach to chicken feed to address this issue.
Can compostable packaging help drive regen ag adoption?
This is certainly the hope of US company Better Earth, which recently unveiled the first compostable foodservice packaging made exclusively with materials grown using regenerative agriculture methods.
Walmart and Denali expand food waste recycling partnership
US-based Denali, which turns food waste into valuable products such as fertiliser, renewable energy and biodiesel, has revealed a new collaboration with Walmart.
Is insect farming’s ‘green’ image overblown?
New peer-reviewed academic research challenges a key premise of the environmental case for insect farming, a global industry that has received billions of dollars in support from investors, major companies, and governments in recent years.
The rising role of mushroom chitin for sustainable production
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.
Meet the seven start-ups tasked with reshaping agri-food in Cambodia
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.
AgTech innovators take centre stage in latest PepsiCo APAC Greenhouse Accelerator Program
AgTech innovations spanning carbon reduction, waste valorisation and soil characterisation from across Asia Pacific are among the latest cohort of the PepsiCo APAC Greenhouse Accelerator Program.
How can rice straw processing become less environmentally damaging?
A new project aims to unlock renewable energy and cut rice straw emissions in India and Philippines.
Four solutions to the problem of damaging wastewater discharge in aquaculture
Four studies published by Purdue University scientists document the feasibility of previously unproven methods for successfully treating the wastewater.
VC investment
Agtech's ‘great reset’ continues, data reveals
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.
Innovation Insider
UK: Raising funds at required scale a barrier to ‘transformative change’
Despite advances in innovation and technology in UK agriculture, attracting sufficient investment remains a key hindrance in achieving transformative change in the industry.
Innovation set to accelerate as UK’s largest agri-tech body unveiled
Agtech is set to play ‘a defining role’ as agri-food businesses look to adopt new technology to drive growth, claims a new report commissioned to mark the launch of the new UK Agri-Tech Centre.
The worst job in ag? TerraClear raises US$15m to free farmers from chore of rock picking
Rock removal company TerraClear has announced its existing investors have poured an additional US$15 million into capturing the untapped US$2.7 rock management market. A 5,000-year-old problem finally has a solution, it says.
Côte d’Ivoire: Cocoa farmers turn to biochar to boost yields and soil quality
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...
Agri Trend Tracker: From BioConsortia’s latest US$15mn to Bayer’s data analysis to verify carbon reductions
Our 360-degree look at the latest developments from across the globe takes in the news that gene-editing start-up BioConsortia has secured US$15 million, while a UK-based spinout is set to accelerate efforts to help palm tree farmers improve yields.
Innovation insider
Japan wants to promote smart agriculture, fast
Agri-tech spend is lagging in the land of the rising sun. But amid the looming threats of depopulation and ageing, the government is looking to new styles of agriculture that can boost productivity, sustainability and strengthen national food security....
Bayer pilots unique generative AI tool for agriculture
The expert generative AI system has been trained by Bayer agronomists and proprietary data to benefit farmers, agronomic advisors, and other industry users.
Meet the Iraqi start-ups hoping to futureproof a drought-hit sector
The Agriculture Innovation Hackathon was hosted in Mosul earlier this month, as an agriculture sector beset by desertification turns to the power of technology to overcome the challenges faced by farmers.
Biotechnology solution could be key to unlocking Saudi food security
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture take algae production to industrial scale to boost food security for the Kingdom.
Sustainability Report Card
‘Third-Way' mindset: Valagro Group’s last sustainability report before coming under Syngenta Biologicals
Valagro Group's recently published Sustainability Report 2023 highlights some successes and a continued commitment to environmental responsibility, social impact and economic value distribution, but more details and data would be welcome to more...
US census a ‘wake-up call’ for need for investment in climate-smart agriculture
Farmers need more opportunities to diversify their revenue streams by adopting climate-smart agriculture, according to US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
AGTECH INVESTOR PROFILE
Are we at the dawn of African agri-tech innovation?
The continent’s agtech sector is rife with challenges but the potential rewards are huge, Sherief Kesseba, managing partner at Climate Resilient Africa Fund (CRAF), tells AgTechNavigator.
‘Reducing food waste and the mismatching of supply and demand’: ProducePay raises $38m to fuel global expansion
The Los Angeles-based agtech start-up – which provides financial solutions to farmers to improve supply chain efficiency – has raised US$38 million in Series D financing.
3 start-ups boosting food quality in Europe
Food quality technology plays a vital role both in ensuring that food is safe to eat, therefore reducing food waste, and providing insights around its health and composition. Three European start-ups tell FoodNavigator how technology can help them...
AgTech Investor Profile
Eatable Adventures on how technology can solve the ageing farmer timebomb
Agtech innovation is playing a critical role in addressing food security and environmental challenges. But it is also key to cracking the problem of an ageing farmer population threatening global agriculture, says Eatable Adventures founder and CEO José...
UK scientists to tackle challenges of converting rice straw into biofuels
The open burning of rice straw in fields is not only a source of pollution but also an enormous waste of organic material. Researchers at Aston University in Birmingham are therefore looking at how to make inedible rice straw into the next generation of...
WHAT WE'VE LEARNED – START-UP ANALYSIS
‘Urine is the missing link to complete the nutrient cycle’: Why Toopi Organics is turning pee into fertiliser
AgTechNavigator caught up with the French start-up to hear how and why urine can be leveraged as a local and renewable natural resource for agriculture.
Global regulatory push set to ‘breathe wind into agtech’s sails’: start-up
AgTechNavigator caught up with Croatia’s Agrivi for its thoughts on the mega trends underpinning the need for innovation throughout the food and agriculture sector.
British bio-tech secures £5.3 million to commercialise sustainable farming solutions
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...
Why the agtech market is ‘primed to thrive’ in 2024: investor
It is no secret that global agtech investments were hit in 2023. But Fiona Choppe-Magal from Cukierman Investment House stresses the reasons to be cheerful in the coming year.
Brewing up change in beer filtration
Industrial filtration specialist Pall Corporation tells AgTechNavigator why it wants to help the brewing industry transition to more sustainable manufacturing processes by avoiding the use of diatomaceous earth.
AI, digital tools for agri-food climate resistance slowed by bias, quality and standardisation issues, say experts
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.
Agri-food Sustainability Report Card - Analysis
Agri-food Sustainability Report Card, Part 1: Nestlé’s eco endeavours unveiled
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.
Not sticking to the status quo: Meet the start-up using agricultural waste to replace petroleum-based adhesives
Early-stage agtech investor Big Idea Ventures has announced the launch of its second portfolio company through its Generation Food Rural Partners (GFRP) fund.
Denali’s de-packaging machines upcycle would-be waste into cost-efficient, planet-friendly farming solutions
Leading organics recycling company Denali is helping retailers, distributors and food manufacturers turn would-be trash into treasure with the help of dozens of composting facilities across the US where de-packaging equipment efficiently separates food...
Look Who's Funding - MNC Collaboration Analysis
Look Who's Funding, Part 1: How PepsiCo is collaborating creatively in the agtech space
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...
‘Our goal is to deploy it across 600,000 hectares in Europe by 2027’: French start-up secures €16 million to turn urine into crop biostimulants
Founded in 2019, Toopi Organics specialises in the collection and transformation of human urine into microbial plant biostimulants for agricultural use.
Farming machine: Malaysia’s BoomGrow secures pre-Series A investment to expand in SEA
Malaysian agech start-up BoomGrow has bagged pre-Series A funding from venture capital firm Gobi Partner to expand operations across South East Asia.
‘The brain’ of agtech: Siemens, Artisan Green highlight Singapore’s major vertical farming potential
Global technology heavyweight Siemens believes that Singapore is well-placed to emerge as a major ‘brain’ in vertical farming, on the back of its recent collaboration with local modern indoor hydroponics farm Artisan Green.