International

[ad_1] Agriculture has a big nitrogen problem. As farmers spread synthetic nitrogen fertilizer on fields, runoff carries it into adjacent waterways where it wreaks havoc on aquatic ecosystems. Algae thrives on the excess nitrogen leading to algal blooms that decrease oxygen levels in the water and create dead zones beneath the surface. A number of […]

[ad_1] The news cycle for the entire Covid-19 pandemic crisis has been awash with crises in the food industry. First up, stockpiling left consumers without fresh vegetables (as well as toilet paper!) as grocery stores struggled to keep up with unprecedented and panicked consumer demand. (This spelled good news for online grocers that were able […]

[ad_1] Starbucks is set to become an investor in China’s tech startup scene after announcing a partnership with VC firm Sequoia Capital in the country. Following last week’s launch of meat-free alternative proteins in Starbucks’ Chinese stores, the collaboration signals that the US coffee chain plans further forays into agrifood innovation. Belinda Wong, chair and […]

[ad_1] Monsanto’s acquisition of The Climate Corporation in 2013 marked a major turning point for the then-nascent agri-foodtech space. Since then, investment has flooded into startups innovating for food and farming from row crop production to traceability to food safety to grocery stores. Apart from Merck’s record-breaking $2.4 billion acquisition of livestock tech digital health […]

[ad_1] Slugs are greedy guests on farms. Some estimates reckon a single slug is capable of killing up to fifty wheat seeds within one week of sowing. Nor is a slug ever single for long; as hermaphrodites, slugs are prolific breeders regardless of their relationship status, capable of self-fertilizing and laying hundreds of eggs in […]

[ad_1] Indian agri commodities trading platform Bijak has raised $12 million in a Series A round led by RTP Global. Existing investors Omnivore, Omidyar Network, and Better Capital also took part, along with Sequoia Capital India’s early-stage program, Surge. Co-founder Nukul Upadhye said the funding will be used to grow Bijak’s tech team and roll […]

[ad_1] Indian impact VC firm Aavishkaar recently revealed it has invested ₹350 million ($4.58 million) into the Series A fundraise of agritech startup Ergos. It’s looking to close the round at about $15 million, according to Aavishkaar founder and CEO Vineet Rai. It’s not the first time the firm has backed Ergos. It previously led […]

[ad_1] Last weekend, Marc Andreessen published his now-famous essay It’s Time To Build; a call to arms to innovators and investors to build a more resilient society. This is our acceptance to that call, and our pledge to do our part to build a better, more resilient food and agriculture system. The past month or […]

[ad_1] These are unprecedented times; if we had a dollar for every time we’ve heard that in recent weeks… But there might not be a better way to describe the situation we are in, especially as there’s so much uncertainty in the short, medium and long term for everyone on our planet. The agrifood industry […]

[ad_1] Happy Earth Day! As my colleague Jessica Pothering said in an earlier post today, you’d be forgiven for not knowing it was Earth Day today or feeling happy about it. I’m sure sustainability and climate change are far from many people’s minds right now as you grapple with a new normal that might involve […]

[ad_1] Editor’s Note: Emily Negrin is director of global communications & marketing for Geosys, the satellite imagery analytics business. For Earth Day, we asked her to provide an overview of how climate change has impacted agriculture industries all over the world using data from the company’s 2019 Climate & Crop Report. Once owned by Land […]

[ad_1] Facebook is investing ₹436 billion ($5.7 billion) in Reliance Jio, India’s largest mobile network operator, in a deal that will have significant implications for the country’s agrifood ecosystem. The US tech giant is buying a stake of 9.99% in Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of the Reliance Industries conglomerate that brings together Jio’s range of […]

[ad_1] One could be forgiven for forgetting that it is Earth Day. Or forgetting what day it is, full stop. While most of us are feeling wholly consumed by coronavirus news and disruptions, people in some corners of the world were already facing immediate, consuming and disruptive environmental incidents before the pandemic hit. Like many […]

[ad_1] Humanitarian aid NGO Mercy Corps is joining forces with a number of private-sector startups to provide a boost for Myanmar’s agriculture sector. Local agritech startup Village Link, tech-driven rice brand Golden Sunland, and fintech firm Daung Capital have launched a collaboration with Mercy Corps to offer farming contracts and services to smallholders in the […]

[ad_1] IBM is giving Indian farmers and agritech startups the chance to use its weather monitoring tools for free during the country’s strict Covid-19 lockdown. The US tech firm is offering a 30-day free trial of its Operations Dashboard – developed by its subsidiary, The Weather Company – to assist smallholders and supply chain-focused startups […]