Harry Holmes

2 months ago | agtechnavigator.com | Harry Holmes |Oliver Morrison

For years, most farmers relied on chemicals in the form of weed killers, insecticides, fungicides to protect their crops. Yet that is now changing with more demand than ever for alternative solutions that cause less environmental damage. Cerelixis is one start-up fuelling that transition by developing products that optimise plant growth as opposed to targeting pest, weeds, and disease.

2 months ago | agtechnavigator.com | Harry Holmes |Oliver Morrison

In its 53-year history, Sofinnova Partners has invested in more than 500 companies. Now, it’s powering up to pour $1.2bn into several more. Its new funds have come in a surge with the Paris-based venture capital firm saying recently it raised more than €1bn in the final quarter of last year alone to bring its total assets under management to €4bn. As is usual for the life sciences specialist, the healthcare arm which made its name received much of the attention.

2 months ago | agtechnavigator.com | Oliver Morrison |Harry Holmes

The EU faces a “critical moment”, claims the Danish brewing giant in a new report which urges a move towards regenerative farming practices that “restore soil health, protect nature, and reduce emissions while improving farmers’ income”. Co-written with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and One Planet Business for Biodiversity (OP2B), a business coalition, the report gives six recommendations to transform European agriculture and secure a more sustainable future. 1.

Feb 28, 2025 | agtechnavigator.com | Amanda Lim |Oliver Morrison |Harry Holmes

The organisation sees a pressing need to rethink how oil palm trees are cultivated. “We need to treat oil palm like a forest tree,” said Nova Nelson, global advisor board member of Wild Asia. “Oil palm is a forest tree, but it’s treated like a commodity crop. We know conventional farming has challenges like soil degradation, compacted ground, no rock cover, no diversity.

Feb 24, 2025 | agtechnavigator.com | Harry Holmes |Si Ying Thian |Amanda Lim

Agroecology is essentially the use of ecological and social principles in agriculture and food systems, often exemplified as the introduction of natural flora into agricultural land to improve sustainability – e.g. having patches of rainforest amidst oil palm trees in a plantation.