Welcome to Global Signals, your monthly update of new and interesting 'signals' in the world of AgriFoodTech. We hope this newsletter informs, insights and inspires you to start thinking about your market in new ways.
Callaghan Innovation collaborates with futurist Melissa Clark-Reynolds to bring you this Global Signals series. Every month we will present the signals we find most intriguing, and help you understand the importance behind them.
For starters - what is a signal?
Signals may inform the future of food, agriculture and technology developments. They're not predicting the future, nor identifying trends. They can come in the form of an event, product, practice, business model, or technology and are specific, small, or localised innovations that have the potential to grow.
Callaghan Innovation is planning a series of workshops on Global Signals - see details here.
Taking a further step towards hands-off apiculture, this robotic beehive uses automated harvesting and real-time app alerts, providing much-needed quality care to two million happy little bees.
This solar-powered ‘BeeHome’ provides climate and humidity control, pest control, disease identification and swarm prevention.
Honey production is one of the last farming systems to receive detailed research on how to best manage the lifecycle of its livestock. What would more automation mean to the NZ honey sector?
Relying on machine learning and LiDAR, Sybil can plant seeds, weed, and map your garden, plus also monitor areas requiring attention. Being solar-powered and waterproof means Sybil can keep working long after you’ve called it a day.
Sybil is the result of a Kickstarter success project, a proven method for validating customer interest while generating early revenue, at the start of the development process. What other untapped consumer needs within AgriFoodTech can you see opportunity in?
PlantVillage was created by David Hughes to help farmers across the world track and deal with blights and diseases in their plants through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
PlantVillage has reached over 60 countries and allows farmers to upload photos of the plants they suspect to be diseased. Through its AI technology, Nuru, it can detect and identify these blights, provide solutions, and notify nearby farms.
What impact will the changing climate have on the emergence and spread of novel plant diseases?
Are there opportunities for New Zealand researchers to provide surveillance systems? What expertise might we bring to bear using predictive analytics to identify potential impacts on cropping and the production of food?
German farmer Fabian Kathaus shares insight of growing berries beneath solar power systems. The solar farms produce enough electricity for 160 households. Meanwhile, their shade saves water and protects plants from hotter summers.
Mixed-use farming has long been a feature of New Zealand farm systems, with sheep and beef, or forestry, combined with other livestock production. As New Zealand moves to decarbonise, we need to locate smaller scale generation closer to the users of that power.
Regional NZ may have to rely on solar and wind to fulfil this need, as there are a number of process heat users trying to move off coal and onto other forms of heat. How might we incorporate power production into our farming systems, either for farm use or in food processing facilities in rural/regional areas?
Fruit colour & size predictions via new app Spectre
Spectre is a new technology developed to accurately collect data on fruit yield. With the help of an app, fruit colour and size have been assessed with at least 95% accuracy.
Pressures on accessing people to work in the horticulture sector are creating global opportunities for software and hardware that are even better at some tasks than humans. What productivity gains might we make by integrating AI and human decision-making into fruit production?
Forbes Asia has released their list of the top 100 small companies and startups to watch. From India to Hong Kong, these companies span across industries including biotechnology, food, hospitality, e-commerce, and more.
Many of the fastest-growing small-to-medium companies in Asia are in the agriculture or biotech spaces. There are significant opportunities for assisting small scale farmers globally to grow through the use of on-farm technology. In particular, mobile app development for farm management is a current focus.
Sufresca is working on a bio-coating that is odourless, tasteless, and practically undetectable. The aim is to keep produce fresh and dramatically reduce waste.
With concerns about plastic and microplastic use accelerating, do we really want to see our cucumbers individually wrapped in plastic? At the same time, we are experiencing unprecedented supply chain disruption. We are under pressure to reduce food waste. What technologies can we use that are acceptable to consumers and prolong the shelf life of fruit and vegetables? This looks like a problem worth solving, with a global prize to be had.
‘This Climate Business’ by Vincent Heeringa. The discussions are focussed on turning the climate crisis into an opportunity.
This interview with newsroom's Marc Daalder and Dr Victoria Hatton from PWC details the essentials from the IPCC report. It’s the first of three different interviews on the report so enjoy and let us know your thoughts.
Kevin Kelly is an admirer of disruptive technologies and how they will change the world. The AI chapter (left me contemplating: what if we could combine the best of AI with humans, and free the creative human mind to solve bigger and more wicked problems?
This movie may have done more to rehabilitate the American image of farming than anything since ‘Little House on the Prairie.’ You’ll feel good after and fall in love with farmers, farming, and the land.
Make sure to share with us your feedback and what these signals could mean for you and the future of AgriFoodTech. We want to build momentum in this space, so please feel free to share this email with friends, family or colleagues who might be interested.
If you come across any cool or interesting signals… we’d love for you to share them with us so we can so kindly share them with others!
