Agtech Action

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Agtech Action | Week of 10.16.21 - 10.22.21
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Agtech Action | Week of 10.16.21 - 10.22.21

Agtech Action is a weekly newsletter highlighting current events in the world of agtech, and some light-hearted commentary

Brandon Day
Oct 23, 2021
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Carbon farming for winemakers, the top food trend for 2022, and the Walmart heir launches a new endeavor. A non-profit focuses on mental health in rural America, natonwide trucker shortage grows, and manure is more valuable than milk to CA dairies. Sustainable Agtech Challenge finale agenda is revealed and in case you missed the Global Aquaculture Challenge finale, you can catch the replay here.

The theme of the agtech week looks at a news headline in a different perspective, yes the supply chain issues,—opportunity. Such an exciting week in agtech so let’s get to it!

Food and the World:

Supply chain woes hit US ag sector hard

US begins new trade engagement with China; addresses lingering ‘phase one’ issues

USDA announces initial slate of FSA, RD state leaders

La Niña Means Dry Weather For Brazil

Agriculture Left High Centered as Supply Chain Problems Expected to Persist Well into 2022

Keep Climate-Smart Agriculture In ‘Build Back Better’ Bill, Say Lawmakers

This is the top food trend for 2022, says Whole Foods Market

High inflation to last into 2022 (0:05 mark)

In North Carolina, poultry workers are quitting in large numbers after an unknown chemical was introduced at their plant

Washington wineries considering dramatic changes for climate change

Frito-Lay workers end 19-day strike in Kansas with contract that guarantees one day off per week

Pork prices climbing (0:05 mark); CA Prop 12 new pork housing requirements will exacerbate this

Analyst Is Surprised That Grain Prices Are Not Retreating

Bayer Aims To Expand Xtendflex Acres, Launch Smartstax Pro Corn In 2022

100% of CA facing drought (0:05 mark)

Conservationists see rare nature sanctuaries. Black farmers see a legacy bought out from under them

US Farmers Need Science and Innovation as Climate Change Hits Harder and Harder

Some Hooters servers on TikTok are saying new shorts are too short

Nationwide trucker shortage grows (0:05 mark)

Sri Lanka reverses organic farming drive as tea suffers

Spring wheat reaches $10 per bushel (0:05 mark)

Where’s the beef? China meat ban leaves Brazilian officials baffled

Agtech in the News:

ASF Swine Vaccine Shows Promise, But Long Journey Ahead

In case you missed it: Replay of the Global Aquaculture Challenge finale

Pluton Biosciences Appoints Co-Founder Steven Slater to CEO Position

Beyond Meat Implodes After Reporting Catastrophic Q3 Sales (Markets are ruthless)

Agricultural runoff contributes to global warming - New study helps us figure out how and what we can do about it

Agencies say agriculture groups being targeted by BlackMatter ransomware

Machine removes carbon from atmosphere (0:40 mark); called Orca, built in Iceland

Sea cowboys & flying sheep (great newsletter about livestock shipments in the air and abroad)

MetoMotion closes $5 million investment led by Ridder and Navus

Proterra’s Black River Fund 2 to wind down with Corinella divestment

AgriLife to begin regenerative agriculture study in Texas

Agtools selected to join UC Irvine Beall Applied Innovation’s investment event

Bayer Tells Investors It Sees No Financial Hit from Hurricane or Dicamba

Another Global Pandemic Is Spreading—Among Pigs (very underreported issue looming in the pork industry)

Yanmar Introduces New Autonomous Vineyard Robot

Carbon farming, one of the oldest agricultural practices, is growing on winemakers

Taranis, Albo Climate Form Partnership to Deliver Satellite-Based Carbon Credit Verification

Trying to avoid health risks from PFAS? Good luck. Nonstick, stain-resistant compounds are ‘everywhere.’

Clean Hydrogen is Coming for Fleet Operators with Project Beehive Plan for Distributed Hydrogen Production Hub & Fueling Station in Utah

Dairy industry struggle eases with USDA aid, more normal markets

Agencies warn agriculture and food groups to protect against ransomware

Supply Chain Jenga: Be Careful What Piece You Remove Next

As southern workers quit in record number, restaurants struggle to meet demands

Fun:

37% of shoppers started Christmas shopping in August (0:45 mark); c’mon!

High speed tractor chase (1:15 mark)

I tried to prove that small family farms are the future. I couldn’t do it.

Free breakfast burritos from Taco Bell (1:10 mark); this Thursday!

Meet The Soil Whisperer Still Uncovering Secrets Of The Soil at World's Third Oldest Continuous Research Farm

Top food trend for 2022 (1:10 mark); leading the list:  ultra urban farming

Helpful Resources:

When Business Owners Divorce

Biosecurity:  Routes of disease transmission

Estimation of the Basic Reproduction Numbers of the Subtypes H5N1, H5N8, and H5N6 During the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Epidemic Spread Between Farms

VC investment in HR tech skyrockets as opportunities abound

Non-Profit Focuses On Mental Health Needs Across Rural America

What is the innovation investment gap to meet hunger and climate change goals?

Conservation Innovation Grant Creates Market Opportunity for Small Grains in Midwest

IL grows the most pumpkins (0:40 mark)

Farm profits threatened by volatile fertilizer, pesticide costs

The Changing Landscape of Protein Production

GRAPHIC: For family farms, most income comes far afield

Interesting Reads:

Not Acres, But People

The Iowa Farm Bureau is a small nonprofit. It’s sitting on a huge business empire

The Death of Ronald McDonald

To Learn Bees’ Secrets, Count Them One by One

Carbon Credits: Patience Will Pay for Farmers

FDA In Brief: FDA Announces Investigation of Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Whole, Fresh Onions

Enough chewing the fat, UK politicians: we must stop eating so much red meat

Biden administration moves to block copper mine near Boundary Waters

Why You Should Give a F*ck About Farming

Under guise of climate benefit, manure is more valuable than milk at California dairies

California Farm Water Coalition objects to Interim Operations Plan for the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project

Mexico's Agriculture Minister Says Mexico Will Not Limit GMO Corn Imports From U.S.

Bayer: Farmers Prebuying Crop Inputs As Supply-Chain Snarls Continue

Joint Statement from U.S. and Mexican Agriculture Secretaries

Back From the Brink, Farm Couple Rebuilds After Hurricane Devastation

Inspired Evolution leads $15m investment in d.light

As EV blank-check boom fades, VCs double down on electrification startups

New Research Shows Hunting’s Effect On Sage Grouse Population Is Mixed

Top 50 deals represent 83% of funding raised in Africa

European private equity's IPO exit boom cools off as deals are shelved

Will Inflation Test Consumers’ Appetite for Meat?

USDA flagged multiple fraudulent Covid-19 hunger relief deliveries. Then it paid millions for them anyway

The City of Lancaster Approves 2.8M Square Foot High-Tech Sustainable Glass Farm

Finance:

DPI eyes African ag exports following $900M close

Agricorp is spicing things up for Nigerian farmers following $17.5m funding

CPP Investments ready to play long game with carbon markets

Walmart Heir Behind S2G Ventures Launches New Platform Builders Vision

Five Season Ventures Announces Final Close Of Fund II At EUR180m

Fulcrum Has First Close Exceeding $44m On Second Fund, Makes First Two Investments

Ecto Emerges From Stealth With $7m Series A From Rabo, Seventure, And Aqua-Spark

Nuveen Makes $169m Foundational Investment In Game-Changing Upcycling Platform

$6.8M project seeks to develop cow-inspired biodigesters

Dublin brothers become Ireland’s first commercial vertical farmers

The US FARM Act and its place in global ag markets

Why ‘natural capital’ could be coming to a bucket near you


Sustainable Agtech Challenge Finale: October 26th, 2021 09:00 a.m. CST (GMT-6:00)

The call for this challenge was aimed at innovations and startups with products, services and/or technologies that are contributing to fight the causes and impacts of climate change, thus creating more regenerative, sustainable and inclusive agrifood systems.

We are excited to share with you the winners of the challenge as well as the findings of the policy assessment that will inform public policy agencies, the public and private sector on how to better support agtech innovations and entrepreneurs and are there policy action items that can help advance green policy, sustainable agriculture and SDGs.

Register for the big finale here: https://lnkd.in/edJPQmH7

Day Agenda:

Introduction & Opening:

by Piedad Martín Deputy Regional Director, Latin America and the Caribbean UN Environment Programme

Policy Assessment:

Presentation of main findings and conclusions on the Sustainable Agricultural Technology Challenge.

by Ana Inés Navarro, Director of the Economics Department at Universidad Austral, Buenos Aires

Panel discussion: “Policy and Innovation: How they drive forward Sustainable Agtech” Moderated by Brandon Day, Chief Operating Officer at The Yield Lab Institute

Panelists:

Adriana Zacarias Farah, Head and Global Coordinator Go4SDGs

Camila Petignat, Partner at The Yield Lab LATAM

Anna Ricoy, Disaster Risk Management Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, FAO

Winners Revealed: Closing by Brandon Day

Live presentation of the 3 outstanding projects


2022 NREL Industry Growth Forum:  April 13-14, 2022 in Denver, CO

We are excited to be a community partner for the 2022 Industry Growth Forum brought to you by National Renewable Energy Laboratory.  Join us next year in Denver for this exciting event filled with networking opportunities with investors, strategics and other stakeholders in topics that include #cleantech, #materials, #agtech, carbon capture, alternative proteins and so many more interesting verticals.

More information can be found here about the event and registration: https://lnkd.in/eJnsPfr3

We will see you in Denver in April 2022! #renewableenergy #cleantech


Theme of the Agtech Week: Opportunity

We have read all the reports about foods, industrial goods among other items that are backlogged because of crowded ports, lack of truck drivers and unorganized supply chain. As any startup founder can tell you, this situation can be framed in 2 different perspectives—obstacle or opportunity. We know the former is clear, but the latter is what I want to focus on for this week’s theme. Opportunity is how we should see not only this supply chain issue, but all problems in food and ag. An opportunity to create value, an opportunity to solve a problem, or an opportunity to separate yourself (e.g. your innovation, startup) from the pack.

Enjoy your weekend and eat your fruits and vegetables.

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.

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