Technology is assuming an increasingly significant role in agriculture and food systems. Yet, the current group of Indiana technology companies driving notable progress in these areas may come as a surprise, as they are not the traditional farming products and services one typically associates with agriculture.
“I’m observing companies emerging from areas such as seed genomes, bovine in vitro fertilization, crop protection, and a range of innovations relevant both statewide and globally,” said Doug Applegate, program director for gener8tor, a Wisconsin-based accelerator that is deeply involved in Indiana agriculture through its gBeta program.
“Agriculture is increasingly becoming a platform for delivering solutions,” said Mitch Frazier, president and CEO of AgriNovus, a nonprofit dedicated to driving growth in Indiana’s agbioscience economy. “When we witnessed supply chains break down during the pandemic, it truly revealed where food originates, how resources are sourced, and that we have a chance to create meaningful change. You’re seeing a catalytic effect from investors and major corporations, as this is now what they demand.”
This expansion affects Indiana, the United States, and the world at large. The innovations and concepts cultivated in the Hoosier state could leave a lasting mark not only on how food reaches our tables, but also on how we perceive our food systems from both sweeping and highly localized perspectives.
The Influence of Data in Agriculture
One of the foremost growth drivers in the ag- and food-tech landscape is the vast array of possibilities unlocked by data analytics and the strategic application of big data.
InsightTRAC, a Syracuse, Ind.-based company, leverages data—along with their innovative, tank-like rovers—to support the almond industry by eliminating pests from trees with remarkable effectiveness. Founder and CEO Anna Haldewang views data analytics as a means for large-scale producers to adopt a more granular perspective.
“Currently, growers operate on an acre-by-acre basis; with technology we have the chance to shift their thinking to the individual tree level,” Anna explained. “When you can compare the performance of one tree against another, you gain the capability – the data – to demonstrate that an underperforming tree should be removed and replaced. That is going to enhance overall yields.”
Boosting yields is a widely discussed priority. Populations keep climbing, and food demand rises alongside them. One of the fundamental requirements for growing any crop is pollination, and when we consider pollination, our thoughts naturally turn to our favorite winged allies—bees.
Entrepreneur Ellie Symes had a personal passion for beekeeping and chose to incorporate bees into her professional life through The Bee Corp, which she co-founded in 2016. Ellie and her team harness data via thermal imaging of bee hives to track health and productivity, and her work proved so compelling that she earned the “Best of Tech” Rising Star Mira Award in 2018.
“Our goal is to collaborate with growers over time to determine the actual number of hives they need to rent, thereby lowering hive counts and overall costs while also decreasing the number of hives transported across the country and alleviating stress on the bees,” Ellie explained. “This enables beekeepers to concentrate on the strength and well-being of their hives.”
Rian Mc Donnell recognizes the value of leveraging data from an alternative angle—once food has already reached consumers’ plates. The company he founded and leads, South Bend-based FloVision AI (formerly FloWaste), assists businesses in reducing food waste by deploying imaging devices near disposal bins in kitchens, cafeterias, and restaurants.
“Technology is penetrating food systems because there are numerous distinct problems, diverse stakeholders, complex supply chains, and more,” Rian said. “It is finally gaining traction in the food sector, largely because people are beginning to grasp the severity of food waste’s impact on the world. I’ve been working in this space since 2018, and in the past 12-18 months there has been a substantial increase in awareness of the consequences of food waste.”
"Food as a whole contributes to about a third of the world’s greenhouse gas footprint, with growing and transportation. Any optimization in those areas to cut down those emissions can make a huge impact.”
Rian Mc Donnell, CEO AT FLOVISION AI
Expansion Among Small-Scale Producers
Big data has additionally created new avenues for innovation in how farmers bring their food to market and how consumers purchase it.
Market Wagon, an online ordering and delivery platform for sourcing produce, meat, dairy, and prepared foods from local farmers and artisan food producers, commenced operations in 2016 with the mission of “democratizing the food supply”.
When asked to elaborate, Market Wagon Co-Founder and CEO Nick Carter explained that it comes down to “making the food supply as accessible as possible. We reference farmers markets, and that’s what people envision when they think of local food. They’re not as convenient as Walmart—they’re open just four hours a week rather than 24 hours a day. Consequently, the number of people who can adopt a local food diet is constrained. With Market Wagon we can deliver everywhere, and we deliver twice per week.”
Doug Applegate of gener8tor underscored the critical role technology plays in bridging the gap between smaller producers and consumers. “Last mile service is enormous and is already significant for smaller family-run farms managing deliveries. Linking into larger supply chains beyond what you currently have access to is transformative. Technology is influencing small and local farmers just as much as large-scale agriculture. You now even have virtual farmers markets, moving them out of parking lots and onto digital platforms for safety purposes.”
As our environment continues to evolve, innovation in how we cultivate our food is of paramount importance. AgriNovus’ Mitch Frazier highlighted Pure Green Farms based in South Bend and GroPod©, a Heliponix LLC brand headquartered in Evansville, as outstanding examples of technology functioning at a smaller scale.
Pure Green Farms cultivates, packages, and distributes leafy greens from a climate-controlled hydroponic facility, and earlier this year secured an investment from the major California-based Taylor Farms.
Gropod empowers individuals to cultivate vegetables, herbs, and specialty plants at home using a smart garden EcoSystem. View Gropod Founder and CEO Scott Massey’s TED Talk on how CEA—controlled environment agriculture—is helping transform the way we produce healthy food locally and sustainably.
“Through Gropod we are approaching the boundaries of what current production models can deliver, amid ever-rising demand,” Scott said. “We are striving to make clean, nutritious, flavorful food more accessible to everyone while simultaneously consuming fewer resources and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions.”
Heliponix earned the Mira Award for Best New Tech Product in 2018 for its GroPod appliance and subscription model for nonperishable seed pods.
“This will create opportunities for smaller growers and smaller grocers and suppliers to source produce locally, and at every point in between,” Mitch said. “There is a tremendous amount of opportunity to drive that innovation and growth. As part of the broader picture, it’s not an ‘OR’ but an ‘AND’ with both approaches—we do everything possible to fuel innovation and harness the power of data science while simultaneously supporting emerging companies.”
Nourishing The World & Combating Insecurity
Through advances in data utilization and a commitment to making food readily available to growing populations, technology has a genuine opportunity to diminish food insecurity in Indiana and across the globe.
The emphasis on last mile access to fresh produce and locally sourced food that Nick Carter is pursuing with Market Wagon represents one avenue through which Indiana companies are generating an impact. “It’s more efficient to deliver fresh food directly to the doorstep than to open a grocery store in locations where other stores have previously closed,” Nick explained. “The grocery market differs from one community to the next. So, the key is bringing last-mile delivery to every community.”
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Market Wagon has risen to the challenge of ensuring that shoppers who may not feel at ease visiting a grocery store have viable alternatives. In just nine months, Market Wagon expanded into 29 new locations, delivering farm-fresh food to customers in cities ranging from Minneapolis to Birmingham, Ala., and from Buffalo, N.Y., to Kansas City, Mo.
Looking not only at food production, but how we consume food overall, FloVision AI’ Rian Mc Donnell feels that tech can help fight food insecurity in a variety of ways. “We’re focusing on food waste, but this technology can have that impact. We see ourselves as optimizing the food chain, showing companies when they need to produce less or put food in other places, leaving it to manufacturers to make their own choices.”
Although not a technology company per se, AgriNovus operates extensively within the ag tech sphere. This year they are launching an ambitious initiative called “HungerTech” to fortify our food systems and combat food insecurity.
Mitch Frazier of AgriNovus explained that through HungerTech they are “aiming to address challenges related to food stamps, or SNAP, as an area where we intend to direct funds for improvement. We believe there is a distinctive approach to leveraging SNAP for online grocery purchases; there are hurdles around delivery and connectivity since SNAP cannot currently be applied toward delivery fees.”
Technology’s Indiana Harvest
The world is evolving, and Indiana is evolving with it. People are shifting, the economy is transforming, marketplaces are adapting, and the climate is in flux. Collectively, the needs of not just our nation but of humanity as a whole are changing at an accelerating pace, and Indiana technology companies are working tirelessly to meet these demands.
Rian Mc Donnell views the work FloVision AI performs to curb food waste as not merely a way to help companies reduce costs, but as a contribution toward securing the future of our species. “If the world temperature rises by approximately five to six degrees, the human race faces extinction, so this is one solution that forms part of a broader strategy to preserve humanity. This represents a 100-year perspective, with all of these approaches, steadily reducing that carbon footprint.”
“With all the innovation present here, and all the investment and expertise concentrated here, Indiana should be the epicenter for this work,” said Mitch Frazier. “We can unite all of these efforts to make a positive difference, getting food into the hands of those who need it while harnessing this groundswell of activity to tackle these challenges.”
In Indiana, agriculture is woven into the very identity of our state, alongside a resilient determination and an unwavering spirit of overcoming obstacles. We possess the capacity to create remarkable things, to resolve intricate challenges, and to help forge a promising future for generations ahead.
SOURCE TechPoint
View original content: https://techpoint.org/2021/10/techs-growing-yield-in-agriculture-food-systems/