What Happened Today in The AgTech & FoodTech Sector?
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The partnership will see Bayer provide support for domestic and export compliance. Bayer will support the commission of a production schedule to ensure improvement in the quality and productivity of the produce and will train farmers in the implementation of crop protection packages for fruit crops. Superplum will provide full traceability to consumers through its scannable QR code and incorporate their information from farmers in its own supply chain.
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Solarea Bio Raises $15M in Series B Financing Led By S2G Ventures
Solarea has developed its platform to characterize beneficial microbes that naturally colonize fresh fruits and vegetables, which it has developed into rationally designed symbiotic consortia called Defined Microbial Assemblages (DMAs). These DMAs have been validated for their efficacy in several disease models. Their first product, SBD111, has already demonstrated significant bone maintenance in a mouse model of postmenopausal osteoporosis.Their second product, SBD121, is designed to aid in the dietary management of rheumatoid arthritis and will enter human study this year. Solarea is building a pipeline of other products leveraging the deep understanding of the interactions of DMATM products with the immune system.
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Researchers Identify Versatile Anterograde Transporter in Plants
A groundbreaking study by Yoshida, Hakozaki, and Goshima (2023) has identified the long-sought-after versatile anterograde transporter in plants. This discovery of a motor functionally equivalent to conventional kinesin, known as Kinesin-1, has significant implications for plant biology.
Kinesin-1 is widely used for microtubule plus-end-directed (anterograde) transport of various cargos in animal cells. However, until now, no equivalent motor has been identified in plants, which lack the kinesin-1 genes. The researchers discovered that plant-specific armadillo repeat-containing kinesin (ARK) is a versatile anterograde transporter in plants.
Read more here.
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USDA and Colorado Join Forces to Boost Conservation and Water Quality Efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State of Colorado are reinforcing their Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) partnership, focusing on reducing water use, protecting water quality, and conserving vital natural resources. In addition, the partnership aims to empower Colorado’s agricultural producers and landowners further.
A major initiative under this partnership is the revised Colorado Republican River CREP project. Now available via USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, this initiative offers producers a dryland crop production practice for eligible cropland. The practice provides producers with practical tools to continue farming while transitioning towards permanently retiring water rights and conserving the Ogallala Aquifer for future generations.
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AIM for Climate Boosts Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment
During the opening plenary of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) Summit, co-hosted by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, it was announced that there would be a boost in global investment and support for innovative climate-smart agriculture and food systems.
Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Climate Change and Environment, reaffirmed the importance of fortifying national and global food security through sustainable technology and innovation. This initiative forms a core strategic pillar of the UAE’s National Food Security Strategy 2051.
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BIGakwa Raises Funding for Pioneering Sustainable Fish Farming Facility
Sparbanksstiftelsen Norrland’s Venture Capital Foundation continues to invest in regional growth initiatives. As a result, Foodtech company Big Akwa has developed an entirely new way to farm fish economically and sustainably. In addition, they are raising additional capital for what will become its first fish farming facility.
“Investing in the future of fish farming technology is timely and has great potential to provide local jobs in Ånge. It’s an initiative we are eager to contribute to,” says Frida Anundsson, CEO of Sparbanksstiftelsen Norrland’s Venture Capital Foundation.
“We are grateful for our investor's and lenders’ confidence in our company. These investments will be crucial for us to achieve our environmental permit goals. Furthermore, we are convinced that the next generation of sustainable fish farming like this can guide the entire process industry,” says Elena Petukhovskaya, CEO and founder of Big Akwa.
Read more here.