Agtech Action | Week of 08.29.20 - 09.04.20
Walmart gets in the grocery delivery biz, a Tesla engineer and the chocolate chip, and cell-cultured exotic meat
A happy Labor Day Friday to you all! I hope you have exciting plans for this extended weekend, hopefully enjoying some burgers, brats or alternative proteins. We have quite a jam-packed newsletter this week, from Black farmers suing Bayer, to a warning about a potential biblical flood in California, and farmer sentiment rebounding in tandem with commodity price rallies. And an update on the Soy Innovation challenge front. What labor day weekend would not be complete without the agtech action Friday newsletter?!
Food and the World:
Retail grocery prices tamer in July
White House asks US agencies to detail all China-related funding
Hurricanes and heat cause more headaches for farmers
Mapping environmental crime seen as key to slowing Amazon forest losses
Iowa’s corn crop rated below 50% good/excellent, USDA says
USDA changes course on school meals, allowing schools to serve free lunch to all children
Laura makes landfall, lines double outside Galveston food bank
FDA ousts spokesperson after 2 weeks
Adjusting demand expectations for corn on a smaller harvest
US leaders scrutinize Mexico’s ag trade practices
Info on trips, spending show what’s driving retail sales growth
Grain prices lower as showers more across the Midwest
USDA says farm income is increasing, gov. payments are a record
August takes the sheen off of US corn and soybean crops
USDA disaster money ‘unlocked’ for Iowa derecho victims
Livestock ship carrying 6,000 cows capsized near Japan
Nestle buys peanut-allergy treatment maker in $2.6B deal
The biblical flood that will drown CA
Tech startup, trying to the be the Amazon for farms, runs into ag giants
Agriculture in the News:
US farmers look to the weather for a good year-end
Walmart+ launches subscription grocery delivery service
Farm income to hit 7-year high, thanks to record-setting federal aid
Biggest farmers stand solidly with Trump, poll shows
Soil Health Institute to develop soil carbon monitoring system
Black farmers sue Monsanto to stop sales of Roundup
McDonald’s sued by former Black franchisees
With harvest at hand, farmers’ coronavirus thoughts turn to marketing
Data show strong apple demand this summer
Farmers urged to be prepared for future price volatility
‘Trump Bump’ in farm income to disappear in 2021
Perdue hopeful China will meet ‘Phase 1’ trade targets
Does the EPA have the resources it needs to perform?
Starbucks, Taco Bell, Chipotle: The $290B race for the perfect drive-through
Farmer sentiment rebounds as commodity prices rally
Mushrooms strong despite loss of foodservice in pandemic
NM Judges rejects COOL lawsuit (COOL is country of origin labeling)
Iowa crops suffer in most widespread drought since 2013
Aquaculture approved for federal waters off Southern CA
Livestock and Sportsmen Groups enter conservation partnership
Helpful Resources:
Choosing a social media platform to promote your farm
Fun:
More than 51,000 classrooms sign up for Adopt a Cow program
Farmer Derek’s ‘Old Town Road’ parody
Animal Ag Alliance scholarship develops the next ag-voices
CA Giant goes online for fundraisers
Interesting Reads:
Sustainable genetics create a healthier herd
America’s restaurants are worth saving. Here’s how
Opinion: Agriculture needs to do more to reach new parents
Amazon drivers are hanging smartphones in trees to get more work
The Oatly controversy explained
Why a Tesla engineer redesigned the chocolate chip
Kangaroo and zebra meat? This Australian food tech is developing cell-cultured exotic animal meat
Perspective: The case for climate collaboration
Finance:
Lever VC’s alt-protein fund attracts majority Asian investors as regional interest increases
SP Ventures raises $17.2M amid pandemic, announces first close on Latin America-focused tech fund
What we have learned ‘zero-starting’ an agtech company servicing the Australian livestock sector
Plant-lab raises €20M in first external funding round for international expansion
ADM looks to get ahead of robotics ‘revolution’ with minority stake acquisition
Interview: Argyle Capital’s Kim Morison reflects on a year since Blue Sky MBO
OCERS terminates UBS farmland fund amid real assets pullback
THE YIELD LAB ANNOUNCES NEW CYCLE AND €21 MILLION INVESTMENT FUND
Closing date for applications EXTENDED: 25th September 2020
The Yield Lab Europe is now accepting applications for its 2020 specialist accelerator program, which includes equity investment and tailored supports to help European AgTech companies commercialize globally. To apply visit www.theyieldlab.ie
The Yield Lab Europe invests in early stage, deep tech companies with technologies to improve the carbon footprint and the broader environmental footprint of the agrifood industry, whilst improving the profitability of the industry. There is an overall investment fund of €21 million; with successful companies receiving €100,000, and the best of these companies have the opportunity of securing up to €2m in equity investment.
Apply today: www.theyieldlab.ie
Closing date: 25th September 2020
As many of you know if you follow our newsletter, we are in the midst of selecting our final cohort for the Soy Innovation challenge. Today we heard pitches from fascinating and unique soy innovations from teams and startups all over the world. We will be making our final cohort selection in the coming weeks so stay tuned for that announcement.
The theme of this week’s newsletter is momentum and promise. Export activity and rising commodity prices show gaining momentum for agriculture and its stakeholders. But as the articles about climate change and farmer income bumps from the government indicate, that promise can be negated by growing strain on our environment and natural resources. Now more than ever, we need innovations and solutions that will re-structure our agriculture systems and supply chains in a more economical, environmentally sustainable and transparent manner. We at the Yield Lab Institute, and our key partner and sponsors, hope that our initiatives, like the Soy Innovation challenge, are contributing to that effort to sustainably feed the globe. But we need more partners and collaborative, like-minded organizations and groups.
If you would like to get involved or support the Yield Lab Institute initiatives, please email me at brandon@theyieldlab.com. Stay safe and wash your hands.
Brandon