State of Agrifood Tech - 21st January 2023

An Agritech Revolution is underway to make deserts bloom. With experiments underway in Israel and Sharjah, desert blooming through pivot irrigation and controlled environment agriculture could very well herald a new agritech vertical. In the picture: Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, visiting a wheat farm in Mleiha on Sunday. Photo Credits: Sharjah Government / Wam

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In today’s edition:

1/ How do you solve a problem like food waste?

Why is food waste both an underrated and overrated problem depending on which part of the world you are tackling it from? Can circular economy framework provide the ballast to tackle food waste without imposing high-minded ideals on customers? Case in Point: Greenpod labs, winner of the 2022 Ray of Hope Prize® winner from Biomimicry Institute. A Study in contrast: Mill, the new startup from Google Nest Founder’s stable.

2/ Irrigating Irrigation Tech’s fundraising climate

Flood Irrigation goes back all the way to the Bible and yet, today accounts for 95%¹ of the world’s irrigation. Can Irrigation Tech, inching globally towards Irrigation-as-a-service model, rise up to the challenge? Why is Irrigation Tech in smallholding countries like India a no-go-zone for venture capital activity? Can we, umm, <cough> <cough> irrigate irrigation tech’s parched fundraising climate?

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