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Company News, Europe, Finance, Live Stock, Poultry

The move comes as the industry sees signs of recovery for the first time since the start of the cost-of-living crisis

Tesco has announced it is providing a further £10 million of additional support for the UK egg sector as it continues its commitment to sourcing all of its shell eggs from the UK. £6 million of the support will be provided from August this year until March 2024. The move comes after Tesco’s investment of £27.5m in the sector across 2022/23.

In a further boost to producers and customers, Tesco is lifting its buying restrictions on shell eggs. The restrictions, which mean customers can only buy three packs of eggs at a time, were introduced in November 2022 to ease pressure on a supply chain that was adversely affected by price increases in key inputs such as feed and energy, as well as the avian flu outbreak. 

The support package will be paid to suppliers to cover the cost of handling, processing and egg production, including any increases in feed for farmers. Tesco will continue to work with its suppliers to ensure the additional investment gets passed to farmers as quickly as possible.

Tesco will also continue operating its industry-leading poultry feed model. Poultry feed represents up to 70 per cent of the cost of production on egg and poultry farms. The model adjusts to price changes in the market, providing producers with the cost protection and security they need when buying feed.

The move comes as the industry sees

Finance, Sustainability, World

FAO Investment Centre’s 2022 Annual Review looks at achievements and priorities

Investment and finance solutions play a critical role in transforming our agrifood systems, especially at a time when multiple shocks keep pushing more people into hunger and poverty.

This is an area where “the FAO Investment Centre is leading that charge,” QU Dongyu, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), wrote in the foreword of the 2022 Annual Review of the Centre, which for nearly 60 years has been helping countries and financing partners make more and better agri-food investments to reduce poverty, hunger and malnutrition, improve rural livelihoods and protect the environment.

“We must act together – and quickly – to tackle these global challenges for a healthier, more sustainable future that leaves no one behind. That means transforming the way our agrifood systems work, from how we produce, supply and consume our food to how we reduce food losses and waste in our landfills. Ultimately, the goal is to help countries realise the four betters – better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all,” Qu wrote.

According to the review published, 2022 saw the Centre clock some notable achievements against the backdrop of volatile food, fertiliser and fuel prices, supply chain disruptions, conflict, the climate crisis, humanitarian emergencies and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those include support in the design of 45 public investment projects in 32 countries, worth a total of $8.8 billion in new investments – up 22 per cent from the previous year’s $7.2 billion.

They also include investment policy contributions in 65 countries, along with 52 agricultural strategies, 25 sector studies, 17 policy studies and 6 policy dialogues, as well as 54 new knowledge products – from a high-profile study on carbon neutrality in agrifood systems to investing in youth in Africa, among others.

Of particular note was the first Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum, which was held during the 2022 World Food Forum, and matched 20 Hand-in-Hand countries and three regional initiatives with potential investors.

Above all, the Centre entered a transformative period of its own in early 2022 with the launch of its Transformation Plan, the so-called “4+2 solutions,” which seeks to make it even more fit-for-purpose, structured and staffed to respond to the growing and evolving demand from Members and investors.

FAO Investment Centre’s 2022 Annual Review looks

Climate, Nature, Supply Chain, Sustainability, World

The company delivers more than 10 Million bushels of sustainably grown grain, helping companies meet climate commitments

Indigo Ag, the premier sustainability partner of the agriculture industry, is using its proprietary measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) capabilities to help consumer goods companies measure and reduce their Scope 3 emissions and water use through the agricultural supply chain.  

Through its Market+ Source (Scope 3) program, Indigo connects consumer goods companies to sustainably grown crops within their existing supply chain. Indigo partners with agribusinesses to support farmers in adopting sustainable practices, the results of which are quantified through Indigo’s MRV capabilities. The company has had success working with multibillion-dollar companies over the last few seasons to deliver more than 10 million bushels of sustainably grown grains, reducing emissions by more than 15,000 metric tons and saving 6.7 billion gallons of water – enough to sustain 36 million people for a year.  An additional 13 million bushels have been contracted to be delivered in 2024. Indigo has secured farmer premiums of up to 10 per cent for sustainably grown crops with minimal impact on the price of finished goods.  

For The North Face and other VF Corporation brands, Indigo used its MRV capabilities to deliver more than 31,000 bales of sustainably grown cotton.  

“We are excited about the positive environmental impacts regenerative cotton production can have not only for The North Face products but for our industry as a whole,” said Carol Shu, senior manager of global sustainability for The North Face. “Regenerative agriculture-sourced materials have the ability to shift the industry from simply ‘doing less harm’ to actually replenishing or having a positive impact on nature and resources. As a brand that is committed to protecting the outdoor places we love to play in, we believe this is another critical step in addressing climate change impacts in our supply chain.”  

“The scientific rigour of our models and operational processes have allowed us to connect sustainability claims to the physical delivery of grain and cotton, and we are seeing incredible success,” said Ron Hovsepian, president and CEO of Indigo Ag. “This is just the beginning. With the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) guidance on Forest, Land and Agriculture finalised last year and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s guidance on the land sector and removals expected to be finalised this fall, we are well positioned to help corporations achieve their Scope 3 targets. We look forward to expanding our capabilities to include more crops and more practices to better serve more corporations.”  

Indigo’s proprietary MRV capabilities use the highest scientific standards to quantify environmental benefits for companies participating in the Market+ Source program. The program currently includes corn, wheat, rice, and cotton, and will be expanding to new crops in 2024. 

The company delivers more than 10 Million

Agrotech, Cold Storage, Company News, Packaging & Labelling, Supply Chain, World

As part of this multi-year project, Shank’s Extracts will expand its facilities to support current and future growth

Universal Corporation announced an approximately $30 million expansion project at its subsidiary Shank’s Extracts, LLC, a speciality ingredient, flavours and botanical extracts company, headquartered in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  As part of this multi-year project, Shank’s Extracts will expand its facilities to support current and future growth needs for additional liquid and dry manufacturing, packaging, and refrigerated storage. The project also includes installing other manufacturing capabilities to serve its customers better. “We are excited to announce this expansion in our facilities at Shank’s Extracts that will enable us to enhance and expand the product offerings of our plant-based ingredients platform,” stated George C. Freeman, III, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Corporation.

Universal expressed appreciation for the support of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and the City of Lancaster for their coordination and support of this project. “Shank’s Extracts has a long and impressive history in Lancaster County, and DCED is proud to have worked with the company to ensure they continue to grow right here in Pennsylvania,” said Rick Siger DCED Secretary. “The Commonwealth has a lot to offer to food manufacturers, from our strategic location to our dedicated and skilled workforce.”

Universal Corporation, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a global business-to-business agri-products supplier to consumer product manufacturers, operating in over 30 countries on five continents.  We strive to be the supplier of choice for our customers by leveraging our farmer base, our commitment to a sustainable supply chain, and our ability to provide high-quality, customized, traceable, value-added agri-products essential for our customers’ requirements.  We find innovative solutions to serve our customers and have been meeting their agri-product needs for more than 100 years.  Since our founding in 1918, our principal focus has been tobacco, and we are the leading global leaf tobacco supplier. Through our plant-based ingredients platform, we provide a variety of value-added manufacturing processes to produce high-quality, speciality vegetable- and fruit-based ingredients as well as botanical extracts and flavourings for the food and beverage end markets.

As part of this multi-year project, Shank's

Agrotech, E-commerce, Horticulture, India, Start ups, Supply Chain

Consumers can view pesticide test reports for Superplum fruits and see the actual farm where their fruits were grown

Superplum, an agritech startup based out of Noida, recently launched a unique feature that allows consumers to scan a QR code and pay a bonus to the farmer who has grown the food they are eating. Consumers can already view pesticide test reports for Superplum fruits and see the actual farm where their fruits were grown.

All this is possible due to the company’s fully digitised and traceable supply chain that tracks every pack that the consumer receives. Superplum’s end-to-end digitised platform allows granular quality control and analysis of all products. The company works across 20 states and delivers over 20 fruits from the farm to retail stores. 

Shobhit Gupta, the CEO of Superplum, said, “From the outset, our system has been designed to benefit both consumers by getting better quality fruits and farmers by getting them a better share of consumer spending. We also work with farmers and support them to grow high-quality, safe fruits and reduce wastage through investment in cutting-edge technology and an innovative cold chain. If you love the fruits you are eating, it’s now easy to show your appreciation.”

Consumers can view pesticide test reports for

Company News, North America, Supply Chain, Sustainability

Farmer-focused Features to Enhance B2B Produce Marketplace Capabilities

Full Harvest, the San Francisco, California-based business-to-business produce marketplace specialising in surplus and imperfect produce, has announced the acquisition of FarmersWeb, a farm sales and inventory management SaaS provider. Adding FarmersWeb’s proven software capabilities to its technology pipeline, Full Harvest now has the ability to speed the delivery of advanced features for its produce suppliers and buyers – driving a more efficient, sustainable produce supply chain.

“Climate change considerations have become a pressing priority across the agriculture and food industry, especially in regard to on-farm food loss. We understand the need to move as quickly as possible to provide effective solutions to reduce food waste, and acquiring FarmersWeb will help us make our vision of 100 percent full harvests a reality faster,” said Full Harvest Founder and CEO Christine Moseley. “Adding valuable software features from the FarmersWeb platform to our produce marketplace will help our farms sell their excess produce easier, more rapidly, and more efficiently than ever before.”

“Providing farmers with the software capabilities needed to better streamline and manage their business has been our core mission for many years. Working with an acquirer who shared that mission was very important to us. Full Harvest is disrupting how surplus and imperfect produce is bought and sold; I am thrilled to know that the hard work we spent creating our software will continue to be part of building a more sustainable supply chain,” added David Ross, Co-Founder and CEO of FarmersWeb. “I am looking forward to seeing Full Harvest’s vision take root even faster.”

Digitising produce buying and selling through its online marketplace, Full Harvest quickly and efficiently connects growers with produce buyers to unlock new revenue channels and minimise food waste. The addition of FarmersWeb’s advanced software features, such as inventory and order management as well as payments, will enable growers to bring even more produce to market faster.

Farmer-focused Features to Enhance B2B Produce Marketplace

India, World

Rathi expected to drive strategic growth and set up processes and capital structures.

V-Trans India Ltd, an integrated single window logistics solution provider appoints Deepak Rathi as Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of V-Trans India Ltd group w.e.f. October 13, 2022.

Rathi possesses over two decades of experience as a finance professional. Previously, he was associated with Greaves Cotton Ltd as Vice-President – Finance. In his earlier experience, he has worked with companies like Future Group, Essel Group, Reliance Media World, and Garware Polyester among others companies.  

Rathi is expected to drive strategic growth and set up processes and capital structures. The CFO’s appointment comes as part of the company’s growth strategy that includes the Capital raising plans in the next 2-3 years.

V-Trans India has a turnover of about Rs 1200 crore. It is a six-decade-old company and has three business verticals V-Trans, V-Xpress, and V-Logis. V-Trans India has 850 branches and over 3,000 professionals to provide logistics solutions.

Commenting on his appointment as the Group Chief Financial Officer, Deepak Rathisaid, “I am delighted to be a part of the prestigious Company and aim to drive the Company’s financial vision with added zeal. We intend to tap the financial market by working as a cohesive and collaborative team. As the company plans to scale up, my role is increasingly critical both in capital raising for growth and management of risks.”

Rathi expected to drive strategic growth and

Agrotech

The consultation was attended by more than 140 participants from diverse stakeholders including different state governments, state agriculture universities, ICAR, agritech start-ups, agri industry

The Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Government of India in association with the World Economic Forum (WEF), India organised a one-day stakeholder consultation on Public Private Partnership in Digital Agriculture on July 11, 2022.

It was chaired by Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare. Ahuja referred to the Union Budget speech for 2022-23 which reads out a policy vision on “Delivery of digital and hi-tech services to farmers with involvement of public sector research and extension institutions along with private agri-tech player and stakeholders of agri value chain”.

Subsequently, Rajeev Chawla, Chief Knowledge Officer (A&FW) shared insights on the conceptual framework on Public Private Partnership for Digital Agriculture. He also shared pertinent points on data sharing, technology validation and need of a sandbox.

From state perspective, Ajit Kesari, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture, Madhya Pradesh also shared his views on digital agriculture and its potential stressing the need for a framework for bringing technology into agriculture.

The consultation was attended by more than 140 participants from diverse stakeholders including different state governments, state agriculture universities, ICAR, agritech start-ups, agri industry, banks, think tank, civil society, and farmer organisations.

The consultation was attended by more than

Company News

The report cements the company’s commitment to high standards around transparency, sustainability, and social responsibility

ADAMA Limited, a leading global crop protection company, has recently issued its 2021 ESG report. The publication of this report cements the company’s commitment to high standards around transparency, sustainability, and social responsibility.

Ignacio Dominguez, CEO of ADAMA, said, ” ADAMA chooses to put ESG values in the centre of its activity and to integrate sustainability into every aspect of the business – products, manufacturing, operations, and people. Our investment in novel formulation technologies to deliver superior products with enhanced biological performance is resulting in better solutions for farmers and a favourable sustainable footprint, ultimately benefiting all our stakeholders. We’ll continue to listen to farmers and deliver what they need to succeed, making sustainable agriculture part of the solution.”

Michal Arlosoroff, EVP, General Legal Counsel, Company Secretary, Chief Corporate Communication & Chief Sustainability Officer, stated, “As an agrochemical company, we have an even greater obligation to put ESG at the forefront of our operations. We take this commitment seriously and I am proud of the results and progress that we have made in our ESG journey, including reducing our carbon footprint; improving safety; and reducing our products’ environmental impact through a combination of efforts across the whole business.”

2021 ESG highlights:

  • Outperformed regulatory requirements while growing production volumes. 
  • Funded $60 million toward greener manufacturing operations.
  • Increased portfolio of biological products. 
  • Invested 2.9 per cent of total profit in social responsibility. 
  • Promoting diversity and inclusion. 
  • Retained employees’ rate at 87 per cent in 2021.

The report cements the company's commitment to

Company News, Supply Chain

This new in-house production capability of Indoxacarb is expected to improve the Company’s control over the availability, quality and cost of this important active ingredient

ADAMA Limited, a leading global crop protection company, announced that it has begun the in-house production of Indoxacarb, a key insecticide active ingredient (AI), with its new proprietary synthesis process providing a building block for ADAMA’s differentiated formulations. Producing this complex molecule with an innovative, cost-effective process is expected to improve ADAMA’s supply chain performance while opening access to a global market of approximately $200 million of Indoxacarb sales as of 2021.

“With its vast global market potential, we identified Indoxacarb as a key building block for ADAMA’s future differentiated product pipeline,” said Elad Shabtai, EVP Global Operations at ADAMA. “This new in-house production capability of Indoxacarb is expected to improve the Company’s control over the availability, quality and cost of this important active ingredient. Moreover, our Indoxacarb formulations deliver powerful solutions, thus combining our AI cost position with superior product features on the formulation side.”

ADAMA is targeting more than 15 countries with its self-produced Indoxacarb, including leading markets Brazil, India and the USA.

In addition to the potential sales of Indoxacarb, ADAMA expects to expand the production and sales of its proprietary active ingredient, Novaluron, due to increased demand, given that these two active ingredients are paired together in formulations to provide a highly effective solution against chewing pests in their early stages of development.

ADAMA’s Indoxacarb is now being manufactured in-house at its production facilities in Neot Hovav, Israel, and in India, requiring a dedicated production line with state-of-the art equipment.  

This new in-house production capability of Indoxacarb

Supply Chain

Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme works to build a regenerative, traceable supply chain for growers and buyers

Beginning next month, Cargill will start enrolling US cotton growers in its Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme, rewarding cotton growers for the positive soil health practices they are already using. This new addition to the Cargill RegenConnect portfolio furthers Cargill’s role in giving farmers access to emerging market opportunities within sustainable, traceable supply chains, opening doors to Cargill’s downstream customers looking to achieve their sustainable sourcing goals.   

William Barksdale, president of Cargill’s cotton business and chairman of the American Cotton Shippers Association said, “Cargill is committed to playing its role in advancing sustainable cotton production practices around the world. Through the Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme, we are connecting market demand to the growers actively engaged in supporting environmental stewardship through regenerative agriculture practices.”

Cargill will offer one-year contracts to growers who have implemented cover crops and reduced-till or no-till practices since the Fall of 2021. Cotton growers can earn a premium for each pound of regeneratively-grown cotton contracted, produced and delivered to Cargill.  Cargill has partnered with Regrow to make it easy for farmers to securely enter data to verify their use of regenerative agriculture practices through the Regrow MRV platform.

Cargill RegenConnect regeneratively-sourced cotton programme works to

Environment, Supply Chain

The two companies said the partnership would allow hemp farmers to take advantage of PanXchange’s deep knowledge of commodity trading

PanXchange, the industry market structure solution and benchmark price provider for US hemp, and the Washington DC-based National Industrial Hemp Council of America announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will support the growth of financial incentives for carbon sequestration for the US industrial hemp market.

Julie Lerner, founder, and CEO of PanXchange commented, “Partnering with a strong hemp membership and advocacy organisation like NIHC will help grow industrial hemp markets and related climate-smart agricultural practices across the supply chain.”

The two companies said the partnership would allow hemp farmers to take advantage of PanXchange’s deep knowledge of commodity trading and the potential impact of implementing climate-smart practices specifically for hemp growing and processing.

PanXchange is rolling out a transparent carbon program that provides farmers a viable path toward financial rewards for implementing regenerative agricultural practices. Moreover, Lerner explains that the PanXchange program gives farmers full ownership of the carbon credits earned and full agency to market the credits directly to buyers through its online trade platform.

The company already has 31,000 acres of croplands committed to the program for the 2023 crop year.

“Carbon sequestration and the voluntary carbon market are part of hemp’s renaissance and will be an important part of North American agriculture. This partnership will be a value-add for American farmers who choose to grow hemp.  Producers and the companies using these raw goods will also benefit alongside American consumers who will ultimately fulfill the promise of hemp’s potential to power our climate-smart economy,” said Patrick Atagi, President and CEO of the National Industrial Hemp Council of America.

The two companies said the partnership would

Environment

The company plans increase the initiative to 100,000 acres of spring Maize

Gram Unnati, India’s first integrated agri-tech solutions company, worked closely with multiple stakeholders to help farmers in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand save 4,000 liters per acre by bringing climate-compatible agriculture to over 5,000 acres of farmland.

In what may become a lesson in climate compatible agriculture to millions of Indian farmers, Gram Unnati worked closely with the local district administration, local maize processors, input companies, and lead farmers in a short span of 18 months prompting 2,000 farmers to switch to climate-compatible crops that are commercially viable as well. 

Commenting on the success of the project, Aneesh Jain, CEO and Founder, Gram Unnati, said, “The success of the project comes at a time when we are dealing with acute water shortage across the world. According to the United Nations, by 2050 more than five billion people could be affected by water scarcity. India, which constitutes 16 per cent of the total world population, has access to a meagre 4 per cent of the world’s water resources. The success of our pilot project in Uttarakhand will impact other farmers to shift towards climate compatible crops without having an impact on yield and returns.” 

“Gram Unnati intends to scale up this intervention to 100,000 acres of Spring Maize in the next five years. Not only would this reduce dependency on groundwater resources, but it will also help in making agriculture more remunerative for the farmers and more sustainable for the environment,” Jain added. 

The company plans increase the initiative to

Supply Chain

Superplum employs science and technology to increase the shelf life of litchis through a proprietary multi-faceted approach

Superplum, an Indian Agritech company, has built the country’s first modern supply chain to deliver fresh litchis from farms in Muzzafarpur to all over the country. For the first time in India, litchis are being chilled, trimmed, cleaned and packed at the farm level to retain freshness. They are then transported using Superplum’s Fresherator, a proprietary IoT-based transport system that keeps the fruits fresh in an environment that can be remotely monitored and controlled.   

In the past, some litchis would go through a sulphitation process to increase their shelf life but this process made the fruit unfit to consume, due to which it has been banned in several countries. With a promise to deliver safe-to-eat fruits, Superplum employs science and technology to increase the shelf life of litchis through a proprietary multi-faceted approach. 

While these Muzzafarpur Litchis are currently being delivered to stores and homes in Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Bengaluru, the company plans to expand their delivery across the country and the world.

Superplum employs science and technology to increase