The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.
Fotenix, a University of Manchester spinout dedicated to supporting farmers with smarter, sustainable farming solutions, has announced a major investment from River Capital’s Fund:AI. This funding will accelerate Fotenix’s mission to help growers protect their profits while adopting more sustainable practices.
At the heart of Fotenix’s innovation is its spectral imaging technology, combined with AI-powered insights. These cameras allow farmers to detect early signs of crop stress, such as pests and disease, giving them the ability to take targeted action before problems escalate.
For horticultural growers, this means reducing costly crop losses, optimising resource use, and maintaining consistent quality to meet market demands.
“Farmers are at the core of everything we do,” said Charles Veys, CEO of Fotenix. “We understand the immense pressure they face to deliver high-quality produce while dealing with rising costs and environmental challenges. This investment enables us to bring accessible, practical solutions to their operations—helping them maximise yields, cut waste, and farm more sustainably.”
Fotenix’s technology supports growers in reducing their reliance on chemical inputs, such as fertilisers and pesticides, contributing to a lower environmental footprint. By making data-driven decisions, farmers can also improve water and energy efficiency, critical in regions affected by resource scarcity.
This investment from River Capital’s Fund:AI will allow Fotenix to expand its team, scale its operations, and reach more farmers in high-value horticultural markets, including the glasshouse sector. With a farmer-first approach, Fotenix is committed to empowering growers to protect their profits while meeting the demands of a more sustainable and competitive agricultural industry.
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Cambridge Business Park is set to contribute to a new innovation ecosystem in Northeast Cambridge, providing a variety of office and lab spaces for start-ups and established businesses, alongside a residential, leisure and cultural offer for the wider community. It will greatly support the UK’s science, innovation, and technology ambitions.
Led by The Crown Estate, the mixed-use regeneration project worth £1.5bn will support the Government’s focus on keeping the UK at the forefront of global innovation. This builds further on The Crown Estate’s recent partnerships with Great British Energy to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, and with Pioneer Group and Oxford Science Enterprise to deliver a new 100,000sq ft life sciences, technology and innovation space in the heart of Oxford.
As a major national landowner, The Crown Estate has a proven track record of enabling innovation and generating long-term social value, and is driven by its remit to create economic, social, and environmental value for the nation. Through redeveloping Cambridge Business Park, it intends to create an inclusive destination; connecting ideas, people, and industries that facilitate important science innovations with tangible social impact.
This is part of The Crown Estate’s wider long-term ambition to invest up to £1.5 billion in the science, technology, and innovation sectors nationally over the next 15 years. Supported by the creation of a globally significant Innovation District in Northeast Cambridge, the proposals will nurture homegrown skills and enable businesses to scale up in the UK and attract investment.
Cambridge is well-positioned to capitalise on this growth and support investment in innovation. Today it is firmly established as Europe’s largest technology cluster, with more than 60,000 people employed by around 5,300 knowledge intensive businesses in the area. With a raft of science and R&D-focused spaces within Cambridge, the curation of a national, innovation focused ecosystem will help to contribute to this growth and create further opportunities for Cambridge, the wider region, and the UK. The Crown Estate aims to deliver a scheme that will fulfil a wider mission-led purpose, fuelling meaningful social, environmental and economic change for the public good that connects top talent, research and funding to address urgent global challenges. The Crown Estate is well-positioned to play a key role in UK innovation through its unique combination of assets, customers, and partners which it intends to leverage for the benefit of the sector.
Initial proposals for the transformation of Cambridge Business Park will be shared as part of public consultation, due to commence later this month.
Dan Labbad, CEO at The Crown Estate, comments: “The Crown Estate is investing where it can have the most meaningful impact in addressing areas of national need, meeting local challenges and realising opportunities. Our vision for Cambridge Business Park is to create an inclusive and connected place that is industry leading in terms of sustainable and innovative workspace.
“Working with government and our partners, we intend to contribute to the UK’s science, technology and innovation sectors’ success on the global stage, acting as a catalyst for innovation and economic growth, while delivering a community of socially-conscious and environmentally-focused business leaders.
“We are confident Cambridge Business Park will play a pivotal role not only in enabling SMEs to scale up, but also in connecting and convening the brightest minds and organisations to innovate with impact, and support our wider aims of improving planetary health.”
The Crown Estate has a diverse national footprint, proven ability to bring together the public and private sectors, and a unique structure compelling it to act in the long-term national interest. It has identified science, technology and innovation as key sectors where it can have a meaningful impact to support regional economic growth.
The redevelopment of Cambridge Business Park is still in its infancy, with the new masterplan in very early stages of design and a wider public consultation planned for later this month to inform proposals. The site currently comprises 12 buildings across 20 acres, providing in the region of 325,000 sq ft of commercial office space only. The developing masterplan intends to create a thriving and biodiverse innovation-led destination comprising a mix of retail and leisure spaces, a brand-new high street, ‘science on show’ focused lab buildings and office space and homes. Central to proposals will be a ‘no borders’ ethos through the opening up of the site, creating improved accessibility and connectivity to Cambridge North station and surrounding science parks, as well as opportunities for young people and the local community to enjoy the facilities and access STEM focused educational opportunities.
Subject to planning, construction at Cambridge Business Park is anticipated to begin in 2026 through a phased approach, with the new destination open and operational by 2030.
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The Crown Estate is partnering with a range of expert bodies across the UK to launch five new projects that will support with accelerating the nation’s path towards a net-zero and energy-secure future, whilst enabling our marine and coastal ecosystems to thrive.
These initiatives, backed by a £7.3 million investment through the Offshore Wind Evidence and Change Programme (OWEC), are led by the Offshore Wind Industry Council, Scottish Government Marine Directorate, Historic England, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult with support from numerous public, private and charitable organisations.
The projects will aim to fill critical evidence gaps around the impacts of offshore wind farms on marine ecosystems, advance solutions to reduce those impacts, enhance access to marine data and explore the opportunity for co-location of fisheries and offshore wind farms.
Subject to contracts, the projects are part of The Crown Estate’s £50 million investment in the OWEC programme, delivered in partnership with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Defra. Through a mix of targeted studies, research projects, and comprehensive evidence-gathering, the programme aims to accelerate the deployment of offshore wind while supporting nature restoration. By building a robust evidence base, OWEC is helping to speed up the consenting process, enhance biodiversity, and provide a better understanding of the spatial needs of seabed user groups.
The five projects are:
1. Disco Scallops
Scientists found that scallops love ‘disco’ lights. They were successful in developing a new low-impact fishing technique that led to a 500% increase in scallop catch, and want to roll this out at a regional scale. This project will provide the evidence base to demonstrate that static fishing methods can be used in areas where mobile methods might be restricted – like in offshore wind farms and marine protected areas.
Led by the Offshore Wind Industry Council.
2. ECOCHANGE
Ecosystem Consequences of Changes to Habitats and implications for a Net Gain Energy approach.
Building new offshore wind farms creates changes in biodiversity – both in new sealife communities that attach to the infrastructure and in the sandy, soft-bottom habitats around developments. This project aims to determine how much these changes influence the wider ecosystem and our marine food webs.
Led by Scottish Government Marine Directorate.
3. MDE Heritage Accelerator
This project will improve access to marine heritage data which is gathered when offshore wind farms are developed to enable faster, informed decision making by regulators, developers and their advisors.
By integrating data from the Marine Data Exchange (MDE), into Historic England’s National Marine Heritage Record, the project aims to enhance planning and strengthen how heritage is represented.
Led by Historic England.
4. Piloting of Offshore Wind Environmental Mitigation
This collaborative project between Government and the offshore wind industry will pilot two proposed innovative mitigation measures that could further reduce the impact of offshore wind farms on the marine environment. The Piloting of Offshore Wind Environmental Mitigation (POWEM) project will consist of two pilots:
turbine blade painting to reduce bird collisions, and
an offshore wind piling noise limit to reduce the impact of construction noise on marine species.
Led by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in collaboration with the offshore wind industry.
5. S3 (Subsea Soundscape)
This project will pioneer a new regional framework in the Celtic Sea to provide valuable insights into existing underwater noise conditions and marine mammal presence – understanding these baseline conditions will support with future environmental assessments for new floating offshore wind in the region.
Led by Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult.
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The Crown Estate has published a new ambition for Nature Recovery that will drive a consistent approach across its diverse assets on land and seabed, following a 12-month engagement process with a wide range of nature experts and organisations.
To ensure cohesive action across a diverse array of habitats and interconnected ecosystems, The Crown Estate sets out company-wide nature goals and commitments that will raise the bar on its ambitions for Nature Recovery. These goals set the focus of its delivery plan and there will be a further update published in 2025 with public targets and KPIs.
The ambition brings together The Crown Estate’s work on nature recovery from across its portfolio, integrating the approach with addressing other national needs including the development of offshore wind to enable secure and affordable energy; building homes; developing places; supporting food production; and creating economic opportunity.
This requires a joined-up, systemic and partnership-led approach that maximises its contribution to not just nature recovery, but also efforts to reach net zero and an energy secure future, while supporting thriving communities.
The Crown Estate has set three new goals to drive holistic delivery on nature recovery and building on activities where The Crown Estate is already delivering an impact, including;
Best practice in conservation across its Windsor Estate, rapid action on tree and hedgerow planting across its rural estate with its £10m environment fund, and more systemic approaches to embed nature across leases with new Environmental Farm Based Tenancy agreements.
Existing activities in its Marine business to prioritise nature’s nature recovery by leveraging its best-in-class data and mapping capabilities, supporting the development of high-integrity marine natural capital markets and funding essential research through its world-leading Offshore Wind Evidence & Change (OWEC) programme.
Our approach to increasing nature and biodiversity in urban environments, from the Park-to-Park initiative with Westminster Council, to create a permanent green corridor in the heart of London’s West End; to enhance nature, wellbeing and climate change resilience, to regional initiatives such as reintroducing Beavers to Rushen Lakes Retail Park happening in October.
To help set its ambition The Crown Estate consulted over 40 nature experts from leading ENGOs, public bodies, SMEs, corporates, academics and trade unions across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, gathering insights and testing and validating its approach over a 12-month consultation period.
The goals underpinning The Crown Estate’s approach are aligned with domestic and global ambitions for nature recovery, helping to halt nature’s decline by 2030 and contributing to nature’s recovery by 2050:
Goal 1: Deliver increased biodiversity – deliver a measurable increase in biodiversity for The Crown Estate’s holdings across land and sea by 2030, supporting climate adaptation and resilience.
Goal 2: Protect and restore freshwater, marine & coastal systems – identify and tackle causes of water degradation and water stress in areas within The Crown Estate’s influence by 2030.
Goal 3: Increase social and well-being benefits from nature – reconnect people with nature, delivering measurable health and well-being benefits by 2030, including community engagement with nature across our projects and developments.
To deliver these goals The Crown Estate has set out four key commitments to embed nature recovery across its business:
Understand Nature: Identify high quality data to inform decision-making
Design for Nature: Embed nature as a core priority in its management of land and seabed
Fund Nature: Unlock capital at scale to protect and restore nature
Partner for Nature: Collaborate at scale to accelerate nature recovery
Anna Swaithes, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Crown Estate, said: “We are setting nature goals and commitments that raise our ambition to deliver joined up action across land and sea. This approach to nature will interconnect with our approaches to net zero, placemaking and communities,ensuring we create lasting and shared prosperity for the nation.”
“Consulting with a wide range of expert stakeholders has enabled us to understand how our activities fit within a systems context, including ecosystems and economic systems. It’s crucial we create space for collaboration and engagement at a national and local level as we know that nature recovery cannot be delivered in isolation.”
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Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have received a share of £14.5 million in funding to support projects that seek to revolutionise agricultural practices, land use change and soil health in the pursuit of a more sustainable future.
Five projects have received the funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and government partners, under phase two of the Transforming Land Use for Net Zero, Nature and People programme (LUNZ), which aims to boost the UK’s efforts to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The three-year, £4 million UEA project – OpenLAND – will see researchers carry out an evaluation of climate-resilient interventions for land management and soil health that could benefit net zero targets, biodiversity and agriculture.
The work will be led by Professor Rachel Warren of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change at UEA, and Professor Brian Reid from the School of Environmental Sciences. It will create a validated, UK-wide, spatially explicit integrated modelling framework to evaluate potential net zero pathways.
The project will extend the capability of the OpenCLIM modelling framework, which was developed with previous UKRI funding. This will be achieved by ground-truthing soil carbon and soil health using empirical data and by developing and trialling robotic monitoring for measuring and verifying soil carbon and health.
“OpenLAND will use computer models to look at how the way land is managed in the UK can contribute to net zero,” explained Prof Warren. “It will map out plans for land use management that combine carbon storage, restoration of biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.
“We will use the computer models to quantify and map the relative merits and effectiveness of alternative land management plans with stakeholders to assist them with their decision making. A unique aspect of the project is that we will calibrate the computer models with measurements of carbon stored in the soil at a number of field sites in Norfolk and beyond.”
The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.
Since being introduced in July 2015, the Arusha protocol for the protection of novel plant varieties in Africa has finally entered into force on the 24th November 2024, after ratification by a fourth member state. The states currently to have ratified the protocol are Cape Verde, Ghana, Rwanda, and São Tomé e Príncipe.
The protocol aims to provide a central harmonised system in Africa for protecting plant variety rights, sitting within the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO). Applications can be filed through ARIPO, examination follows the usual DUS testing, and once granted the rights should have a uniform effect across the designated states, much like a community plant variety right in Europe. Provision is made in the Protocol for the claiming of priority from an application in any country that is a party to an “international agreement for the protection of new plant varieties” (including the UPOV Convention). It is hoped that more of the 22 African ARIPO states will sign up in future such that the protection offered to users by the protocol will become more extensive.
There has been historic resistance to the protocol given that some feel it would only benefit large multinational breeders, not the local famer, and threatens traditional farmer’s rights to save seed and exchange seed for future harvests which are common practices in Africa. The protocol follows that of UPOV 1991, in that it only contains limited exceptions for farm saved seed, subject to payments to the PVR owner. To attempt to combat this, ARIPO have implanted a provision which states that the PVR will have effect in the designated state, provided that the designated state has not refused the grant of the PVR. Therefore giving a get-out clause for states to refuse the grant of the PVR within 6 months of receiving the application, as long as they have good reason to do so. Perhaps if it were to threaten a key staple crop in that state.
There is some speculation this could hamper the use of the new system which has already proven to be fairly limited in its introduction. Furthermore the Arusha protocol joins a patchwork of different rights that are available in Africa for plant varieties including national rights, the OAPI system, and the SADC protocol, adding to the complexity in the region. However, it is still viewed as a crucial development towards easier access to improved varieties in Africa, with the potential to help food security, environmental issues, and encourage the development of new varieties adapted for this market. Craig Kahn, Head of Patents at South African firm Spoor and Fisher feels the overall benefit is positive: “For multinational breeders, it is an extremely important development for Africa and will encourage investment and job creation in the ARIPO member countries that ratify the Arusha protocol. It is a pity that only four ARIPO member counties have so far ratified the Protocol and, of these four countries, only two have Plant Breeders’ Rights legislation, namely Ghana and Rwanda. However, since the announcement of the Arusha protocol coming into force, we have been contacted by a number of multinational breeder clients interested in filing applications at ARIPO. We expect more ARIPO member countries to ratify the Protocol such that it becomes a cost effective option to protect new varieties of plants in the ARIPO member countries”.
A Slido poll quickly showed that George was in the right room.
53% of the delegates described themselves as ‘early adopters’, ready to be within the first wave. A further 29% were ‘innovators’, keen to try anything new at the first opportunity, and the remainder were ‘followers’, happy to let others try it first.
Messium’s satellite technology uses hyperspectral imaging to deliver improved yields with lower nitrogen inputs. Farmers contributing £300 to take part in the Messium trial will receive regular reports on the status of their crop, recommendations of when and how much nitrogen to apply, a discount on the service in the future, and a money back guarantee if not suitably impressed.
Trials on commercial farms in the UK and Australia have demonstrated that yield performance can increase with accurate knowledge of the plant health and weather forecasts. The pilot next summer is to further train the AI models, ground-truthing the satellite information against lab tests.
“Please have a look at the website and answer four questions while you are there,” George appealed to the room. “Investment is a massive issue; I need to show I have your support.”
The need for digital technologies to manage the challenges facing the industry was further supported by a Communagator survey commissioned by Hutchinsons. It gave a snapshot of the views of 200 growers on arable or mixed farms of over 100 hectares across the country.
The survey revealed significant penetration of digital technologies.
Half of respondents said digital technology is of increasing importance, rising to two thirds among the largest farms, with potential cost savings being a major driver, followed by yield improvement and efficiency. Three quarters were using autosteer technologies, whilst 40% were using variable rate fertiliser and seed applications.
John Deere’s platform GreenStar was the most widely used digital precision agricultural tool by some margin, with weather apps and What3Words also being used by the majority of farmers.
The desire to increase the accuracy and targeting for nutritional inputs, particularly nitrogen, was supported by the popularity of the AHDB Nutrient Management Guide and Hutchinsons’ Fieldwise Pro, both of which featured highly. 37% of respondents were using variable nitrogen applications.
Also apparent was the extent of the challenges facing farmers, with 72% citing concerns around climate change and a significant proportion anxious about profitability, with issues around end market prices, high cost of input, labour and economic uncertainty.
Three quarters of the farmers felt confident in using technology, but many said they were insufficiently aware of what is available, citing time needed for research and training as a major limitation.
Dr Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-TechE , addressed this, describing how its Farmer First programme provides a useful introduction to the emerging technologies.
For the field view, farmers Richard, Will and Tom expanded on their use of precision agriculture – describing the smartphone as a ‘digital toolbox’.
Of increasing value is the ability of tools to calculate the ‘cost to grow’, which provides information needed to know when it might be more preferential to release land from food production to SFI or indeed to diversify (one of the farmers had set up a profitable dog park and started an olive grove).
Managing green energy was another rich source of income generation/cost reduction, with digital technologies enabling a fine degree of control over how and when to use the grid to access cheaper energy.
With environmental legislation deluging the industry, a switch to renewables to reduce GHG emissions is becoming attractive on many levels – both to retailers and brands wanting to reduce their Scope 3 exposure by selecting suppliers with lower carbon footprint, and also, more recently, for farmers wanting to access a lower rate of interest on finance.
HSBC has introduced a new initiative that rewards companies reducing their environmental impacts with preferential interest rates.
The speakers accurately reflected the views of the delegates, with 38% of those at the event saying the prospect of better phone signal was getting them excited, followed by 22% who were anticipating driverless tractors and robots for planting and weeding.
David Hutchinson, Chair of the Hutchinson Group, concluded the event talking about how farmers don’t need complexity – the ability to enter data once and link it to an animal, crop, or field is in itself a major breakthrough. He accepted there are still real concerns over data ownership and sharing, but these are being resolved, and he looked forward to the next era of the digital journey.
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This year has been a series of milestones for the SugaROx team.
Following our wins at the CorporateLiveWire Innovation & Excellence Awards and being named Agriculture Chemical Manufacturer of the Year, we are thrilled to announce our third accolade of 2024: the Innovation Prize at the Biostimulants World Congress in Miami.
This recognition celebrates our cutting-edge approach to crop stimulation, built on 25 years of research into trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a natural sugar critical for plant carbon allocation. Leveraging breakthroughs from Rothamsted Research and Oxford University, we’ve developed a plant-absorbable version of T6P.
The Biostimulants World Congress highlighted key industry trends, including the growing demand for differentiated, science-backed solutions like ours. With this award, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing sustainable farming in collaboration with industry partners.
Stay updated on our progress or explore partnership opportunities by connecting with our Business Development Director, Bianca Forte, or following us on LinkedIn.
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In case you missed it…
Dr Belinda Clarke OBE (Director of Agri-TechE ) joined ‘Agriculture 2050: The Regenerative Agriculture Podcast’ to discuss the emerging role technology has to play in achieving net zero, recent exciting technological advances, as well as the work that Belinda and her team get involved with at Agri-TechE .
The views expressed in this Member News article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent those of Agri-TechE.
Founded in 2023, Morrow is revolutionising the coffee industry by creating a sustainable alternative to traditional coffee – without using coffee beans.
Their innovative approach upcycles ingredients like fruit pips, peels, and seeds, transforming them into a beverage that “smells, tastes, and feels like coffee,” according to co-founder Anna Sophie Deetjen. The company addresses the environmental impact of coffee production by replicating the flavour and aroma of a traditional brew using domestic sustainably-grown crops.
With 3 billion cups of coffee consumed daily and demand skyrocketing, supply for traditional coffee is under pressure due to growers in the equatorial ‘coffee belt’ struggling to maintain yields amongst soaring costs and increasing climate impacts..
Coffee bean farming is resource-intensive, requiring vast amounts of water, fertilisers, and pesticides, contributing to environmental degradation. Moreover, the vulnerability of coffee crops to climate change and pests threatens the livelihoods of millions of farmers. Morrow aims to alleviate this pressure by providing a locally sourced, resilient alternative that is both sustainable and scalable.
Working with Dr Ian Fisk as technical director, the team applies world-leading flavour chemistry, data-driven research and biotransformation to address the environmental challenges of traditional coffee production.
By leveraging advances in food science, Morrow has recreated the complex flavour profile of coffee using their upcycled, more locally sourced ingredients. This innovation helps reduce the environmental footprint of coffee production and supports regenerative agriculture practices.
Now in the final stages of product development, the company plans to launch this year across coffee shops, restaurants and other direct-to-consumer channels. They will focus on building relationships with speciality coffee shops, eco-conscious restaurants, and food producers.
Morrow is also expanding offerings to include decaf and instant blends and exploring applications in desserts such as ice cream. By creating versatile products, the team aims to lead the emerging market for bean-free coffee alternatives.
Beyond product development, the company is building a network of partners across the supply chain. By partnering with maltsters, growers, and distributors, Morrow is committed to diversifying the coffee market, offering a sustainable solution that complements or replaces traditional coffee.
The team values consumer education and transparency, aiming to provide transparent information about how their products are made and their environmental impact. By engaging with consumers through storytelling, Morrow hopes to raise awareness about the coffee industry’s challenges and encourage sustainable choices.
As the company prepares for its launch, it is investing in research and development to keep improving its products. The team is exploring additional upcycled ingredients and experimenting with different roasting techniques to enhance flavour. They aim to keep up with consumer trends by staying innovative and ensuring their products contribute to a more sustainable coffee industry.
The company hopes to create a more resilient and sustainable industry that benefits consumers and the environment by reimagining how coffee can be produced.
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Broccoli presents a unique harvesting challenge. With a harvest window of as little as 24 hours due to weather and reliance on large teams of casual labourers for multiple harvests, growers face both high costs and significant waste. Inconsistent weather conditions can further complicate this, making it difficult to achieve steady yields.
Despite broccoli’s high value per hectare, labour costs and operational inefficiencies often result in low margin returns for farmers.
UPP (Upcycled Plant Power) offers a two-fold solution to these issues. First, they’ve developed an automated, patent-protected harvester powered by machine learning. This harvester selectively picks broccoli at its optimal time, reducing the need for large labour teams and minimising waste. With this innovation, farmers can optimise costs and reduce reliance on casual labourers while ensuring timely harvests.
The harvester will be offered on a rental model, making it accessible without heavy upfront costs. This addresses significant pain points for many growers and helps improve profit margins.
UPP’s second innovation transforms what would usually be considered agricultural waste (the broccoli cores) into high-protein, hypoallergenic ingredients. While most broccoli harvesting discards the stalk and core, UPP utilises these to create a protein that can be incorporated into food products like burgers, sausages, and smoothies.
Broccoli protein is a sustainable alternative to common plant proteins like soy and wheat, and is hypoallergenic. It also has a lower greenhouse gas footprint, making it an appealing choice for consumers seeking nutritious, sustainable foods.
One of UPP’s key target markets for their broccoli protein ingredient is the beef burger sector. By incorporating broccoli protein into burger patties, supermarkets and other retailers can offer healthier, more sustainable burgers to their customers with the added opportunity to reduce their Scope 3 Emissions.
With rising demand for plant-based alternatives, UPP’s broccoli protein offers a nutritious, low-cost solution for food manufacturers eager to meet consumer preferences for healthier, more sustainable food products.
In addition to the food market, this protein-from-waste process brings additional income to farmers from selling what would otherwise go to waste.
As UPP scales, they plan to process larger quantities of broccoli protein, increasing batch sizes from 50kg to 1000kg, allowing them to serve a growing market and boost income for farmers.
In summary, UPP tackles key challenges in broccoli farming by cutting labour costs, improving harvest efficiency, and reducing waste with their automated harvester. At the same time, they transform plant waste into a valuable, hypoallergenic protein source, providing farmers with an additional income stream.
By offering a rental model for the harvester and creating a sustainable plant protein, UPP is helping farmers increase profitability and contributing to a healthier, greener food system.
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As part of our “Back to the Future” project, we’re asking Agri-TechE members to reflect on how the agri-tech industry has evolved over the past decade and to share their vision for the next ten years. By compiling these insights, we aim to create a powerful outlook on the future of agriculture, a compelling call to arms for the industry driven by the diverse perspectives of our community.
This submission is part of the collection of reflections and predictions from our members, offering unique perspectives on the industry’s past milestones and future directions. Each contribution adds to a broader dialogue about the innovations and challenges that will shape the next decade in agri-tech.
FOTENIX
The Crown Estate
University of East Anglia (UEA)
HGF Limited
Holdsworth Associates
SugaROx
Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited
Morrow
UPCYCLED PLANT POWER (UPP) LTD
