Agtech Action | Week of 02.05.22 - 02.11.22
Agtech Action is a weekly newsletter highlighting current events in the world of agtech, and some light-hearted commentary
A new tractor powered by cow farts, robots drop meals from ceiling at the Winter Olympics and why famous people are joining food tech boards. Food inflation hits record highs, vegan Fridays at NY schools is met with mixed feedback and more sleep may help you cut calories (time for a calorie nap).
The theme of the agtech week—people—is inspired by my trip to the World Ag Expo. I got the opportunity to explore the expo and I was reminded about what matters most in food and ag. Read on for my thoughts. Have a wonderful agtech Friday.
Food and the World:
Veterans Protect National Food Security by Becoming Beekeepers
USDA: Farm income to stay strong, but input costs to bite in 2022
House approves bill to boost US competitiveness with China
Tyson Foods' Beef Profits Expected to Amplify Concerns About High Meat Prices
Biden extends Trump-era solar tariffs, with several modifications
Vilsack's climate spending price tag
Food prices to go up another 5% to 6% (0:05 mark)
Supply chain gridlock causes $2.1B loss to California agriculture
Rollbacks in tariffs on Japanese steel (0:05 mark)
Del Monte Foods sets earth-friendly packaging goals
USDA Drops South America’s Soybean Output
Poll: Citizens globally blast politicians' lack of action to combat climate change
New Yorkers Take to Twitter to Share Harrowing Photos of NYC’s First ‘Vegan Friday’ Meals
JBS agrees to pay beef wholesalers $52.5 million in latest price-fixing settlement
U.S. December Exports to China Drop, Cementing 'Phase 1' Purchases Shortfall
School lunch menus get temporary revamp via new USDA rule
2M beehives imported to California for almond bloom
U.S. Confirms Highly Pathogenic Bird Flu at Indiana Turkey Farm
USDA Continues Haircut to South American Production
2021 retail potato sales jump compared to 2019, but lag 2020 pace
Consumer inflation running hot at annual rate of 7.5% in January
Truck rates staying hot despite more equipment, seasonal decrease in shipments
Ivory Coast cocoa bean quality hit by dry weather, farmers say
Can ‘Green’ Ammonia Be a Climate Fix?
Inflation at its highest point in 40 years (0:05 mark)
Truck blockade impacting the auto industry (0:35 mark)
Disposable cups in supply chain crunch (1:00 mark); shortage and supplies stuck at ports
Rwanda: 70% of Waste in Kigali to Be Converted into Fertilizers
Fish oil and fishmeal industry harming food security in west Africa, warns UN
Cyclone Batsirai Leaves Devastation and Death in Madagascar
Agtech in the News:
Feds Plan Aerial Gunning of Estray Cattle in New Mexico
Clarity in pig tech: Crossing the chasm to proof of value
The 1000 Farms Initiative Investigates Regenerative Agriculture Across the U.S.
The urine revolution: how recycling pee could help to save the world
New Holland's New Tractor Powered by Cow Farts
New York City’s “Vegan Fridays” school-food program is as vegan as its mayor—that is, not entirely
UC Davis Leads Effort to Accelerate Wheat Breeding
USDA announces four new members of the National Organic Standards Board
Supercharged by Wave's Series A, Senegal became the #5 start-up investment destination in 2021
Letter to Sec Vilsack from Senator Roger Marshall regarding the new USDA Climate Smart Program
Rural America May Experience Service Blackouts as Providers Sunset 3G Technology
Bayer launches Testing4Ag to explore potential new modes of action
Rethinking Synthetic Fertilizers: The Race for Alternatives is on
How the secret world of soil microbes helps keep carbon in the ground
Epic floods in Pacific Northwest revive long-running dispute over how to manage a river
Why famous people are joining food tech advisory boards
IKEA Is Making 3D-Printed Vegan Meatballs
Sorghum: A Sweet Proposition for Sustainable Biofuel
USDA opens Puerto Rico to Prince Edward Island fresh potatoes
Bringing Unsexy Back: Are Waste and Wastewater the Next Big Opportunity?
Supply chain gridlock causes $2.1B loss to California agriculture
USDA launches new round of cover crop payments
Why 2021 Might be the Year That the Food-Health Connection Hit the Mainstream
Climate-smart labels for food debated as part of USDA funding initiative
Robots Drop Meals from Ceiling at 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing
Fun:
Product as strong as steel, with the lightness of plastic (0:40 mark); discovered at MIT
Farm Boy to Super Bowl, Kansas Kid Plays Key Role in Bengals Run
1.42B chicken wings are expected to be consumed during the Super Bowl (1:05 mark)
Avocado market peaking with strong Super Bowl demand
“When a grocery store closes up and it’s your last one, you feel it immediately.”
Higher prices for Super Bowl party foods (0:35 mark)
More sleep may help cut calories (0:50 mark)
Helpful Resources:
Emissions and Decarbonization graphic
Managing the net-zero transition: Actions for stakeholders
Breaking Taboo: Parent’s Worst Nightmare, Child’s Near-Fatal Decision
What is Sustainability? (In Pork)
Dry Winter has Farmers Concerned about Soil Moisture
Layer Your Protection: Shallow Loss Crop Insurance Products
Have private markets become too big to hide? The SEC thinks so
Re-Imagine Profit-Loss Areas in your Fields
Farm Income is Forecast far Above Average for Second Year
Why Self-Care is Important for Entrepreneurs
Interesting Reads:
Online Tool Allows Farmers, Ranchers to Report Anticompetitive Practices
It’s harder than ever to get fired or laid off
Fighting Food Insecurity with Football: Here’s What Joe Burrow and Farmers Have in Common (Opinion piece)
Column: Brazil’s expected soy crop losses already a modern era record
South Korea’s nose-only ‘kosk’ mask for Covid-safe eating raises eyebrows
Black ranchers in Texas tend cattle, land, and family history most of all
How the Sugar Industry Makes Political Friends and Influences Elections
Is Agrochemical Contamination Killing Nebraska’s Children?
A Sense of Crisis’ for Wasabi, a Pungent Staple of Japanese Cuisine
Pair up and share your thoughts with a person next to you, someone you have not met yet
How Machine Learning Can Improve Food Insecurity Predictions
Will Sustainable Fuel Power Your Farm Equipment In 10 Years?
Mexican migrant shelter aspires to raise its own food
Agriculture needs an escrow agent when it comes to data
The Growing Importance of Center Pivot Irrigation in Today’s Agriculture
The Growing Trend of Beef X Dairy
Kalera Goes Public on Nasdaq via SPAC Merger at Value of $375M
Zero Acre Farms has Raised $37M to Remove Vegetable Oil From Our Diets
Elicit Plant Raises €16M to Address Water Stress in Crops
Could Growing Feed Indoors be a Solution for Your Cattle Operation?
Six Food Tech Companies to Watch in 2022
Science sleuths to study deep sea salmon secrets
Majority say food hygiene rating display should be mandatory in England
Data is cheap but infrastructure is expensive
Co-occurring droughts could threaten global food security
Plant-Based Chicken Plucking (Opinion piece on plant-based chicken wings consumption during the Super Bowl, which is very low FYI)
Controlled environment ag moves onto the next growth phase
U.S. fresh fruit imports surge while U.S. produce exports score modest gains
New York mayor holds court in swanky restaurant alongside friend with checkered past
The Visionaries Running a Worm Farm in Prison
See Through the Fog: 4 Economic Forces at Play
La Niña Roars Back; More Drought Is Ahead
Trade War Payments Skipped Specialty Crop, Underserved Farmers
Iowa trying again for higher ethanol blends
Labeling food 'light' in calories may backfire, study suggests
What is an 'atmospheric river'? These rivers of water vapor can extend thousands of miles.
Florida House offers compromise to more rooftop solar users
Judge delays enforcement of California animal housing law
House approves bill to boost US competitiveness with China
Finance:
Lightsmith Group closes climate adaptation fund on $186M
Tech investment needed to ‘bring the trust’ for a biodiversity credits market, says SWEN
Serra taps HNW network for $45M agtech fund close
Kubota Makes Second Investment in U.S Based AgTech Startup
AAM Investment Group to expand cropping in Northern Territory
Kering and J Crew call for urgent investment in regenerative agriculture
Kilter Rural closes Australian Farmlands Fund on A$60M
Grosvenor Food & AgTech invests in $23 million Series B funding
In numbers: EU grains and oilseeds set for stunted future demand
AgDevCo hopes Ghana exit tempts capital to new farming hub
A Venture Capital Firm Aims to Redefine Meaning of 'Diversity'
China goes serious about cell-cultured meat
Cooks Venture, the chicken company with big dreams, eats up $50M
AppHarvest indoor farm nearly under roof, SPEDA Commerce Park underway
Why VC Investors Are Plowing Record Sums into Agtech
NitroCapt raises 2.8 M€ to develop a pilot plant
Agritask raises $26M Series B funding, led by Liechtenstein Group
Theme of the Agtech Week: People
It was great to be back at a large, and well-attended, ag event like the World Ag Expo. I was blown away by the exhibits that showed the latest in ag equipment, gadgets and innovations in agtech. And I got to hear pitches from 8 agtech startups (check them out) during the WET (Water Energy & Technology) Center Innovation Pitch session (shoutout to the WET Center at Fresno State staff Jeff Macon, Helle Peterson, Hadley Ciceroni, and Grace Manly for a fantastic event). Each of the 8 startups presented their interesting solutions in verticals that include waste effluent, carbon markets, bio-bactericides, geospatial and more. Their pitches reminded me that food and ag is a people business.
No matter the technology, the innovation or the sophistication with which they solve the problem, you ultimately have to sell it to people. The end user has to be able to feel, touch, test and deploy your solution but before that, the end user has to trust you. And that is a people problem. That is solved by looking someone in the eye, building rapport, trust and serving the end user. In an increasingly sophisticated world of agtech, the innovations that serve their market, solve a problem are ultimately those that provide value to people. You do that best in-person, not through a screen.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the big game around people!
BD
Brandon Day is the Chief Operating Officer of the Yield Lab Institute, the global agtech think-tank, non-profit arm of The Yield Lab global network of venture capital funds and accelerator programs.