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- The Ag Journal | 17 October
The Ag Journal | 17 October
Sam Turner
October 17, 2024
Switzerland, AgTech, and Dimethylsulfoniopropionate. Where else on the internet will you find those words together?
IN THIS EMAIL:
👨‍🔬 Plant Stress Compound Improves resilience
SWITZERLAND IS EMERGING AS A GLOBAL AGTECH POWERHOUSE
AgTech is not the first thing I think about when I hear Switzerland, but the Swiss are emerging as global leaders in ag/food innovation.
Aside from Toblerone’s and multi-tools, I’ll admit I didn’t think too deeply about Swiss ingenuity. Particularly as it pertains to agriculture, but the Swiss are emerging as serious players in the global food/ag tech space.
Innovation
Switzerland boasts a well established culture of innovation ranking first in the global innovation index for the 14th consecutive year. Swiss industry-university collaboration on R&D allows the country’s top tier universities to partner with startups to drive advancements. This clarity of focus and commitment to collaboration allows for more efficient funding and quicker pipelines from research to market.
Regulation
Switzerland’s regulations are known for their clarity, supportiveness and growth facilitation. Rather than an impediment to innovation, regulation allows firms to more easily navigate the complexities of food safety and compliance with greater ease, allowing startups to move further, faster.
Talent
Switzerland is know for attracting world class talent, but they also consistently rank high for retaining this talent. This access to a diverse, skilled workforce is a force multiplier for industry and allows startups to punch well above their weight.
Lessons Learnt
The world has a lot to learn from our continental friends:
Improved Industry, Research and Governmental collaboration
Clear, consistent, simple regulation which fosters innovation and creativity
Attraction and retention of top tier talent from everyone in the supply chain (code for pay people well)
FARMERS ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE
The findings of the 2024 Farmer Voice Survey are out and growers around the world are looking to technology to improve their farming enterprise.
AgTech
Digital farming is on the rise with farmers around the globe stating 3 key drivers for technology adoption:
Improved yields
Input cost savings
Increased quality
Nearly half of growers surveyed are using digital technologies for yield forecasting and business decisions.
When asked what the barriers to adoption of digital technologies, growers cited:
High investment requirements
Skill gaps
Technology availability.
62% of farmers are interested in learning about AI applications on farm, but only 6% knew much about it today.
Regen Ag
Growers surveyed understand and believe in the principles of regenerative agriculture, although what it means to be regenerative varies widely.
Globally farmers are using on average 7 different regenerative practices on farm.
Farming for the Future
The most important factor affecting grower’s ability to continue to farm into the future was seen to be policy and regulatory frameworks which allows access to better crop protection, technology, and genetics with better adaptation to climate resilience.
PLANT STRESS COMPOUND IMPROVES DROUGHT RESISTANCE
New research from the University of East Anglia identifies for the first time the genes that help plants grow under stress. The implications of the research could produce more sustainable food crops in the face of climate change.
Photo: Ben Miller
Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in high levels, allows plants to grow in increasingly saline conditions. The study investigated Spartina anglica where genes where identified that underpin high levels of DMSP synthesis. These pathways are common in plants suggesting a route for future bioengineering for sustainable crop production with greater resilience to the affects of climate change.
That’s a wrap,
Hope you enjoyed,
ST