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Agribusiness, Agrotech, North America, R&D, Water

 The Goanna Ag GoField® technology solution leverages field sensors, satellite imagery, weather forecasts, and crop data to enable precise irrigation.

Cargill is partnering with Australian company Goanna Ag on a new pilot project focused on advancing irrigation efficiency on cotton fields in the Mississippi Delta. The project will introduce a state-of-the-art technology that aims to transform how and when farmers water their fields, optimizing crop yields, reducing water withdrawals and lowering operational costs. The program is initially available to a select number of cotton growers in Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi.

“Through our partnership with Cargill we are thrilled to offer program participants with solutions to improve water-use efficiency, reduce costs and promote long-term, sustainable outcomes.”

“Major retail brands have set goals related to water and are increasingly looking to supply chain partners like Cargill for data-backed sustainability solutions. This pilot project underscores Cargill’s commitment to helping our customers meet those ambitions to advance sustainable agriculture and water conservation,” said Matt Dunbar, managing director of Cargill’s cotton business. “By integrating advanced irrigation technology, we aim to bolster the resilience of cotton farming in the Mississippi Delta while conserving one of our most precious resources—water.”

Goanna Ag, a leader in on-farm irrigation management operating in Australia and the U.S., brings over 20 years of experience and data driven insights to the project. The Goanna Ag GoField® technology solution leverages field sensors, satellite imagery, weather forecasts, and crop data to enable precise irrigation. This innovative approach helps farmers optimize their water use, contributing to both increased crop yields and significant water conservation.

Participants in the pilot receive installation of the GoannaAg GoField® technology and personalized training to optimize irrigation timing tailored to their specific soil and crop conditions.

Goanna Ag’s proven methodologies and easy to use tools can help cotton growers improve water-use efficiency, boosting crop yields, essentially delivering more crop per drop,” said Derek Brazda, vice president, U.S. sales and operations, GoannaAg. “Through our partnership with Cargill we are thrilled to offer program participants with solutions to improve water-use efficiency, reduce costs and promote long-term, sustainable outcomes.”

This pilot project aligns with Cargill’s global water ambition to enable restoration of 600 billion litres of water and reduction of 5,000 metric tons of water pollutants in water-stressed regions by 2030.

The Mississippi Delta region–home to the third largest area of irrigated cropland in the U.S.—is experiencing a significant decline in groundwater-levels, which poses a threat to water availability in the region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. With more precise irrigation scheduling, this project is expected to maximize farmer yields while reducing the pressure on aquifer resources.

With approximately 70% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals used for agriculture, innovative partnerships and solutions are critical to producing food sustainably and meeting the demands of a growing global population.

 The Goanna Ag GoField® technology solution leverages

Agrotech, Company News, India, Industry Reports / Analysis, Water

The report recommends using science and data to make better decisions, focusing on local agriculture ecosystems (LAE).

DCM Shriram Foundation, supported by DCM Shriram, a leading conglomerate in India with a strong presence in agriculture, and Sattva Knowledge Institute, a knowledge platform for the impact ecosystem, today launched the report titled, Transforming Crop Cultivation: Advancing Water Efficiency in Indian Agriculture to identify actionable solutions to address the ongoing water crisis in the Indian agriculture sector.

Agriculture today accounts for 90 per cent of the water withdrawals in India, an indication of how water-intensive this sector is. Furthermore, within the agriculture sector alone, irrigation uses 84 per cent of the country’s precious water reserves, followed by domestic and industrial sectors. Unfortunately, this trend is estimated to continue, as per 2025 and 2050 projections, unless systemic changes are introduced to evolve from high water use methods to more sustainable options in the agricultural sector. These systemic changes will need to address complex challenges, such as the myopic reliance on philanthropic funding, limited scalability of initiatives beyond pilot projects, and inadequate collaboration among stakeholders.

Addressing these challenges will require catering to Local Agricultural Ecosystems (LAE), whilst also enabling the scale of these solutions and techniques across states. Solutions that account for the LAE will not only foster localised insights to tailor water- efficient techniques for individual farmers and specific regions, but also mobilise effective government and industry involvement to enable scale.

In the long term, addressing the water crisis from the agriculture sector will require diversifying funding sources, fostering partnerships with government and private sector actors, and promoting sustainable financing mechanisms.

Debaranjan Pujahari, Principal and Head, Agriculture Practice Area, Sattva Knowledge Institute, expressed the urgency of the situation by stating, “India is the most populous and the most water-stressed agrarian economy in the world. Our food security demands the production of water-intensive crops, exerting pressure on our water resources. Driving on-farm water efficiency in agriculture is the need of the hour if we want to avert the impending water crisis in India”.

Recognising the gravity of this situation, DCM Shriram Foundation and Sattva Knowledge Institute have undertaken a comprehensive study to understand the complexities of water scarcity and the use of water in Indian agriculture. The study sheds light on the intrinsic link between water and agriculture, emphasising the challenges posed by cultivating water-intensive crops like rice and sugarcane.

The report brings together insights from more than 50 public reports and over 40 sectoral experts to present three focused, actionable recommendations to scale water efficiency in agriculture.

● The first recommendation is to build a public tool that can offer tailored techniques and practices contextualised to LAEs. By providing personalised recommendations aligned with the unique characteristics of each ecosystem, the aim is to empower industry players, policy, and smallholder farmers to make informed decisions, driving sustainable practices at the grassroots level.

● The second recommendation introduces the concept of a Water Vulnerability Index, enabling science and data-led business and policy decisions. This comprehensive index consolidates diverse data parameters, offering stakeholders a reliable resource to guide their actions. By integrating scientific insights into decision-making processes, we pave the way for more effective water management practices and informed policy interventions.

● The final recommendation proposes developing a model for collaborative action among essential stakeholders in the ecosystem, including government entities, to encourage joint commitments to harness the industry’s capabilities to promote greater adoption of water-efficient practices in agriculture. This framework aims to facilitate collective learning and advocacy efforts.

Aman Pannu, Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR and President, DCM Shriram Foundation expressed her optimism about sharing this report in collaboration with Sattva Knowledge Institute, “Water scarcity poses a formidable threat to India’s agricultural landscape, demanding urgent attention and collaborative action. Our findings highlight the urgent need for collective action and innovation to safeguard our water resources while ensuring food security for all. We believe that by leveraging science, data, and strategic collaboration, we can drive transformative change and build a sustainable future for generations to come.”

The report recommends using science and data

Agribusiness, Company News, India, Start ups, Supply Chain

The collaboration aims to redefine the ERP landscape for startups, offering them a tailored pathway to growth without the traditional hurdles associated with digital transformation.

CENSANEXT, the tech subsidiary of WayCool Foods today announced a collaboration with SAP India to foster technology innovation and redefine the landscape for emerging startups. This pioneering collaboration establishes CENSANEXT as a Partner Managed Cloud provider of the most advanced ERP, SAP S/4HANA, specifically curated to meet the unique needs of small enterprises and start-ups globally.

This collaboration not only presents a unique licensing model and cost-effective pricing for end-customers but also signifies a commitment from CENSANEXT to managing the shared infrastructure, ensuring startups experience the full potential of SAP S/4HANA. The collaboration aims to redefine the ERP landscape for startups, offering them a tailored pathway to growth without the traditional hurdles associated with digital transformation.

Commenting on the occasion, Avinash Kasinathan, CEO – CENSANEXT, said “Our collaboration with SAP marks a significant milestone in our commitment to providing cutting-edge technology solutions to small enterprises and startups. By becoming a Partner Managed Cloud provider of SAP S/4HANA, we empower emerging businesses with a robust ERP foundation from the early stages, lowering TCO, and eliminating the need for complex transformations as they scale. This collaboration is a testament to our dedication to fostering innovation and efficiency in the startup ecosystem.”

Adding to this, Sanket Deodhar, Vice President, Digital Natives & Start-ups, SAP India said, “We are delighted to team up with CENSANEXT to democratize a unique, curated offering built by CENSANEXT, powered by SAP S/4HANA, for small enterprises and start-ups globally. The collaboration reflects our shared commitment to driving digital transformation and empowering small enterprises and start-ups with world-class ERP capabilities. With its parent company – WayCool Foods’ expertise in agri-tech and food value chain, CENSANEXT will be able to bring more value, through its unique IP, to the end-customers.”

Through the SAP Partner Managed Cloud model, CENSANEXT envisions a co-branded offering that extends the reach of SAP S/4HANA to small enterprises and startups worldwide. The collaboration will enable CENSANEXT to provide a one-stop solution to manage both application and infrastructure, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for customers embracing the power of SAP’s cutting-edge technology. By adopting SAP S/4HANA from the outset, through a flexible subscription model, customers can eliminate the need for interim solutions and the complexities associated with migration as they scale. This forward-looking approach ensures a smooth and cost-effective transition for companies that choose to grow with SAP at the core of their operations.

The collaboration aims to redefine the ERP

Agrotech, Company News, Sustainability, World

The Positive Agriculture Outcomes Accelerator will now catalyse more than $30 million in investments to support nearly 40 agricultural projects through 2028.

PepsiCo announced the third year of its global agriculture program, the Positive Agriculture Outcomes (PAO) Accelerator, by backing eight new innovation projects across nine countries. PepsiCo’s continued investment aims to address some of the most urgent challenges facing agriculture today, while moving the company’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) agenda forward. The PepsiCo Positive Agriculture Outcomes (PAO) Accelerator will now catalyze more than $30 million in investments to support nearly 40 agricultural projects through 2028.

PepsiCo’s PAO Accelerator offers local farming communities co-investment to accelerate diverse and results-driven Positive Agriculture projects, as well as funding for ag-tech start-ups that offer proven products or technology with the potential to scale. This year’s innovations will build resiliency through climate related analysis, improve soil health, and strengthen farms’ climate resilience – engaging farmers in Australia, Colombia, Egypt, India, Iraq, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom.

“We can’t motivate systemic change on our own, and our PAO Accelerator continues to provide a forum for farming communities to bring forth ideas and opportunities, and receive the funding needed to get promising innovation off the ground,” said Margaret Henry, Vice President, Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture at PepsiCo. “With this latest round of projects, we’re not only fostering this powerful network of innovators across global farmland, but growing closer to achieving a more regenerative future, with farmers’ insight at the forefront.”

Among the roster of 2023 projects, will be a project with Australian grain growers to test and validate soil health management practices to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions on-farm. In Colombia, funding will support increasing potato crop quality and yield by installing sprinkler irrigation systems that will also reduce water use. And, in collaboration with 3Keel, a UK-based landscape innovation firm, funding will help connect Europe-based organizations interested in supporting regenerative solutions with local farmland managers who can deliver measurable, sustainable outcomes.

“Investing in pioneering agriculture projects is a key action in combatting the evolving climate crisis and setting farmers around the world, up for long-term success,” shared Tom Curtis, Director, 3Keel Group Ltd. “Support from PepsiCo’s PAO Accelerator will powerfully enable our team to work with local farmers across Europe to further broker the partnerships needed to accelerate climate action on the ground to strengthen agricultural supply chains for the long-term.”

Since its launch in 2021, the PAO Accelerator has supported diverse projects – from adopting efficient irrigation systems in response to increased drought, developing kilns to turn agricultural waste into fertilizer, improving soil health, and more.

“Speaking from experience, prioritizing and investing in climate-smart innovation can uncover solutions for our entire global agricultural supply chain,” said Chris Seymour, Seymour Farms, Canada, and 2022 PAO Accelerator funding recipient. “With support from PepsiCo’s PAO Accelerator, my team gained new insights that helped improved soil health and profitability for my business, even as weather conditions became more unpredictable over time.”

The Positive Agriculture Outcomes Accelerator will now