News and Analysis on Global Agri-Tech Innovation, Investment and Regulation
Rainstick prepares for external validation trials, including one in India, to demonstrate how its Variable Electrical Field (VEF) technology can boost the growth of crops.
Vietnam aims to reform its fragmented coconut farming sector to capture growing opportunities in the global market for fresh coconuts.
Smallholders in East Kalimantan face steep hurdles to meet EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requirements, including unclear land tenure and limited traceability tools, as initiatives like SHINES work to close the compliance gap.
US agribusiness giant is set to acquire 100% of the operations of a Brazilian animal nutrition company
Major grocers actively investing in farm-level innovation
Australian dairy farm profits fell 24% in 2023–24 from record highs, with further decline forecast due to lower milk prices.
Japan pledges that local rice producers will not be impacted by a new deal to increase US rice imports, stressing that it would not be used as table rice.
Once hailed as a global pioneer in insect-based protein production, Ÿnsect continues its fight for survival
Data transparency is reportedly key to help UK dairy farmers unlock one of the most overlooked opportunities to reduce carbon emissions - the cow’s daily ration
Scientists transfer sunflower gene to help rice increase grain yield and strengthen resistance to drought and salt stress, highlighting potential as climate resistant crop.
Vietnam’s key low-emission rice project is delivering higher yields and profits while cutting costs and carbon, earning further support from government.
Industry needs to look in the mirror and take maximum responsibility for the future of food, claims Dick Hordijk, CEO of swine genetics company, Topigs Norsvin
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) approves 153 new wheat varieties of which 80% are high-yield varieties to increase productivity and profit.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is considering support for saké producers as staple rice boom pressures supply of raw materials.
Vietnam and Japan are set to launch circular cassava production model which aims to make cassava production greener and enhance the value of one of Vietnam’s key exports
Australia’s hot and dry weather has led to a productivity slump among its biggest crop and livestock operations, with the west of the nation hit by significant 38% decline.
South Asia now has a dedicated ‘breeding hub’ to accelerate crop innovation in the region and give growers access to the very latest global breeding innovations.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) reports bananas, chickens, oysters as top agricultural losses following Typhoon Danas.
Japan’s welzo is exploring opportunities in South East Asia, recognising the region’s thriving agricultural sector as fertile ground for innovation in knowledge sharing and productivity enhancement.
Suntory Global Innovation Centre (SIC) has discovered a sex-determining gene that could potentially lead to ‘superior’ hop varieties.
DiMuto introduces Indonesian-grown raspberries to Singapore for the first time, but doubts that short-haul sourcing will become mainstream due to limited scalability.
An increasing number of South Koreans are moving to the countryside, but those becoming farmers have fallen for the third year running.
Good things are coming for agri-food tech investors, believes Adam Anders, managing partner at Anterra Capital, because the ‘talent is there, the problem got bigger, and technology is getting cheaper’. But it will not be without risk, he tells Harry Holmes
South Korea’s new digital breeding information system aims to strengthen country’s position in the global seed industry
It is only the second US company to use this technology
A new study from China reveals the three bacteria that rice plants recruit to help it cope with cadmium soil contamination
State of the Sector
In this ‘State of the Sector’ exclusive report, we explore the innovations advancing crop protection and challenges hindering it in the face of mounting pressure to feed a growing population.
‘Investors are becoming more discerning, not less committed’
Ag-byproducts such as peach and black locust sawdust can replace oak in shiitake mushroom cultivation as a sustainable solution that maintains high yields and nutritional quality, says research
The companies have announced a new partnership to develop and commercialise sustainable biological fungicides to protect fresh produce post-harvest
Pear producers from Cangzhou, China, have successfully increased yields and fruit quality after high-tech overhaul.
The co-founder of rice decarbonisation firm Mitti Labs explains why consumer awareness could be even more important than corporate stakeholder engagement in making the sector more sustainable.
Australia’s Lockyer Valley Foods aims to bring food production back onshore and boost the country’s fruit and vegetable industry with a A$50m circular canning facility
Enorm seeks new investors to relaunch operations and reposition site as a broader bio-industrial platform amid shifting market conditions
DiMuto is aiming to grow its Latin America business to $30m - $40m within a year, fuelled by increasing US demand for imported fresh produce from the south.
State of the sector
In the first of our ‘State of the Sector’ exclusive reports, we assess how innovation in aquaculture can help overcome considerable challenges and meet growing consumer demand.
FFAR also aims to lower production costs, and help reduce prices for US consumers
Will ‘science of spread’ ensure adoption of digial tools by farmers?
Startups from Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are being sought for a new accelerator programme from ClimAccelerator and Better Earth Ventures.
Grass protein has a superior amino acid profile to soy, claims Grassa.
President Trump has defended the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs he has imposed on US imports from around the world saying they will create a ‘booming’ domestic economy. But agricultural groups in and outside the US have responded with a mix of criticism,...
Singapore’s JAH Cultura’s ceramic alloy tech has been found to boost shrimp growth while increasing microalgae, potentially lowering feed requirements.
US firm Agrovision has detailed how predictive analytics and data-driven farming has led to sales success for premium blueberries in China.
Big Interview
Challenges to food safety continue to come thick and fast for businesses both big and small. But for giants like Nestlé, the consequences of getting it wrong are colossal
Reducing food waste and investing in tech to improve shelf life are among the priorities unveiled by South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA).
Investor profile
Tough times for VC require unconventional thinking, believes Po Bronson, general partner at SOSV and managing director of IndieBio.
Opinion
The European Commission’s new agri-food strategy makes some positive overtures to the agtech sector. But more meat on the bones is needed, particularly regarding financial incentives for farmers.
Agroecology - a means of integrating more sustainability and nature into agricultural practices – does not need to be at the expense of yields, provided the right data and expertise is followed.
Country profile
With a declining birth rate, rising life expectancy and little arable land, South Korea desperately needs to increase its agricultural productivity. How’s it faring?
The results reinforce Benson Hill’s strategic pivot toward the feed market