Agtech Action | Week of 03.27.21 - 04.02.21
Agtech Action is a weekly newsletter highlighting current events in the world of agtech, and some light-hearted humor
This week’s newsletter will be filled with recipes and Gordon Ramsay cooking videos— belated April Fools! Of course we would not take a week off, there is too much agtech news to report. From a wannabe food influencer wanted by the FBI, to more backlash from the seafood industry on Seaspiracy, and how the infrastructure plan will affect rural America. The CEO of Krispy Kreme defends their free doughnuts for vaccines campaign, and at least 20 livestock ships were caught in the Suez Canal logjam. And we feature one of the speakers at our first Space for Food free virtual event on April 13th—do not forget to register! Enjoy the news.
Food and the World:
Large ag exports to China create risk for U.S., says FCA chief
USDA to print higher corn acres next week, analyst says
Worst drought-stricken areas of the U.S. remain thirsty while soils warm
Rural broadband is on Biden’s infrastructure list (as it should be)
Vilsack focuses on expanding markets to pitch carbon plan
America’s conservation ag movement engages farmers
Cold storage for food is a hot real-estate play
Krispy Kreme CEO defends free doughnuts offer to those vaccinated (here we go)
Bars and restaurants are about to go on an epic post pandemic hiring spree
Drought areas shrink in many top corn-growing states
Corn hits ‘limit up’ on USDA’s lower-than-expected acreage
Volkswagen changing name to 'Voltswagen'? (0:45 mark)
U.S. court slams brakes on Trump-era hog slaughter line speed rule; union cheers
Syngenta to keep North America HQ in Greensboro, invest $68M
Biden proposes $100B to bring broadband to all Americans
Washington rancher pleads guilty to $244M ‘ghost-cattle’ scam
How the $2T American Jobs Plan affects the ag industry
Native American and Indigenous immigrant groups unite to fight hunger in NYC
Climate change slowed growth in agricultural community
House bill would bar racial favoritism at USDA
One in ten Kenyans face crisis levels of food insecurity
The wannabe food influencer who’s wanted by the FBI (wannabe starting something)
Iowa attorney general asks U.S. Supreme Court to block biofuels exemptions
Agtech in the News:
How stagnant public funding for ag research threatens food systems
Keeping and improving the food box program
Farming got hip in Iran some 12,000 years ago, ancient seeds reveal
President Biden’s trustbusters aren’t just experts on tech. They know about big ag (do they really?!)
At least 3 recent e. Coli outbreaks in lettuce linked to nearby cattle
U.S. states embrace ‘cloud seeding’ to try to conquer drought
Precision Agriculture market worth $794M by 2026 – exclusive report
Seaspiracy: Recognizable propaganda
With all eyes on USDA data, corn, soybeans open mixed | March 31, 2021
US foodservice: Expect an even bigger lift from the 3rd stimulus
New rural plan: What are the policy actions for agriculture?
Climate change has negative impacts on farmworker health
Why combining farms and solar panels could transform how we produce both food and energy
At least 20 livestock ships caught in Suez Canal logjam
Senate bill calls for half of slaughter cattle to be sold on cash market
Top 20 fruit and vegetables purchases in 2020
Federal appeals court sides with Missouri Attorney General’s office in fake meat labeling case
PMA and United Fresh to create new global trade association
Global study shows consumers trying to reduce plastic usage
Helpful Resources:
Making the most of spring grazing for cattle owners
Transforming food systems by 2045
TechnoServe Impact COVID Report
BASF launches digital tool to calculate crop protection value
Farming with four senses & struggling to smell out trouble
Anhydrous safety should be top concern this spring
Angus Foundation Scholarship applications now open
OSHA & grain industry leaders celebrate Grain Safety Week
Fun:
Meet the Illinois farmer who helped change the game of basketball with the breakaway rim
8th generation farmer shares her passion for agriculture
Fronteras: ‘Truly Texas Mexican’— New Film explores food, culture and feminism
Grizzly bears stay on endangered species list, ag groups disappointed
NAMI and NPB host Deli-cious TikTok tournament
Mysterious case of the f***ing good pizza
American Egg Board unveils 44th annual First Lady’s Commemorative Egg
Sen. Wicker of Mississippi honored with Farm Bureau Golden Plow Award
4 easy ways to create better flow through your cattle handling system
ASA & Corteva Agriscience introduce 38th Young Leader class
Interesting Reads:
Planting season: Sacrifices of a farming family
The battle to control America’s ‘most destructive’ species: feral pigs
A premium coffee shortfall is getting worse, lifting latte costs
Monetizing a new agricultural commodity: Where to start with carbon credits?
These cheese alternatives aren’t plant-based – they’re microbe-based
Climate change cut global farming productivity 21% since 1960s
The solutions Seaspiracy missed
A law has empowered farmworkers for 46 years. The Supreme Court must let it be
Finance:
St. Louis agtech startup CoverCress raises $8M, Bunge’s venture arm participates
ADM Capital appoints new head of investor relations
Domestic focus and sustainability drawing SWFs to ag – IE University
Foodtech politics in the Middle East could cast a long shadow
CropX partners with NASA Harvest for out-of-this-world global soil monitoring
Bluu Biosciences raises €7M in seed funding for first EU cell-based fish
Domain Timber’s environmental fund exits seven wetland assets
South Australian port raising A$45M ahead of potential 2023 IPO
ACCC finds no evidence investors manipulated Murray-Darling Basin water markets
Space for Food: Food, Space and Re-imagination, April 13th 9:00-11:15 am CDT
The Deep Space Food Challenge, launched by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, was launched as an open call to innovators to submit solutions that would sustainably, and regeneratively feed astronauts on deep space missions. To support that aim, the Yield Lab Institute is organizing two key events bringing together thought leaders and SMEs in subjects that include cellular agriculture, controlled environment agriculture, plant science, and more to discuss future food systems within the deep space challenge context.
Join us for a free virtual event on Tuesday April 13, 2021 from 9:00-11:15am Central US Time as we discuss how solving for food in space can help us solve for food on Earth. Register here
You will hear from thought leaders from the Yield Lab Institute, Bayer Crop Science, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Space Commerce Matters, the Arrell Food Institute, the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of Fraser Valley, St. Louis University, Pluton Biosciences, the CEA Food Safety Coalition, Hawkwood Biotech Partners, the Food Equation Institute at the University of Missouri, and many more as we explore future food systems and have thought provoking discussions on circular systems, and regenerative food for space.
Read a profile on Thad Simons, co-founder of the Yield Lab and the Yield Lab Institute, and one of the speakers talk about Space for Food, future food systems, specifically controlled environmental agriculture within the context of space and food.
Agenda and speaker information on the April 13th event can be found here.
Thank you for reading our weekly newsletter! More exciting things to come from the Institute so follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube for updates on our activities and agtech content.
BD
Brandon Day is the Chief Operating Officer of the Yield Lab Institute, the think-tank, non-profit arm of The Yield Lab global network of venture capital funds and accelerator programs.