St. Louis, Missouri, USA, February 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – St. Louis, Missouri (February 7, 2024) – Some of the most innovative thinkers in agriculture are coming together in St. Louis to showcase their vision for tomorrow's agriculture at the opening ceremony ReACH Innovation Summitorganized by BioSTL and Bayer.
Behind the event is the Renewable Agri-Food Alliance of the Heartland (ReACH), comprised of innovative food and agriculture companies and farmers, who are actively collaborating on regenerative agriculture technologies to address shrinking supplies of arable land, water, and energy. These members are AB Inbev, ADM, Bayer, Bunge, Burger King, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Growmark, ICL, Illinois Farm Bureau, Missouri Farm Bureau, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), Nestle Purina, Post, United Soybean Board ( USB).
“Prospering this planet in the coming decades will require tremendous innovation,” said Don Rubin, CEO and founder of BioSTL, a bioscience innovation nonprofit in St. Louis. “We are confident that transformative innovation will come from bright minds and collaboration between scientists, entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs and farmers – and St. Louis has the opportunity to be at the heart of that.”
Already a hub for leading global agricultural companies, St. Louis is also within a day's drive of 80 percent of U.S. corn and soybean crops, which dominate U.S. agricultural exports. The region also hosts the headquarters of national organizations for farmers who grow these crops, including: NkgaAnd USB.
At the inaugural Summit, 13 exciting startups – from North, South and Central America, the UK and the Middle East – will showcase their innovations to ReACH members, responding to specific real-time challenges that companies seek to address. As on the ABC-TV reality show “Shark Tank,” the best innovations will receive feedback, support and perhaps even investment from existing ReACH companies.
“Agriculture and food companies are looking for more ways to leverage AI and other breakthroughs to help farmers keep their soil healthy and reduce their use of water, energy and chemical inputs,” said Phil Taylor, director of open innovation at Bayer. “This coalition plans to grow not only the future of regenerative agriculture and the food we eat, but the future of our region as well.”
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Innovators participating in the summit:
We were tempted It scales the transition to sustainable agriculture at the farm level through a technology-enabled platform that generates and monetizes verified climate outcomes and connects farmers to the agricultural value chain to bridge the financial gap farmers face in transitioning to sustainable agriculture. (Denmark)
Andes Mountains It generates carbon credits by partnering with farmers who use microorganisms in agricultural fields that convert carbon dioxide into stable minerals. The result is highly durable, low-cost, verifiable carbon credits used for stabilization or offset purposes. (Chilean)
chrysalabs Located at the intersection of Ag, sustainability and innovation. The ChrysaLabs Probe uses three combined sensor technologies, cloud computing and artificial intelligence, to extract real-time data from its patented spectroscopy technology. This provides soil insights within seconds, allowing a carbon project to get started faster and for field managers to take the best action minutes after sampling, making the right calls immediately. (Canada)
SIBO Technologies It is a scalable SaaS platform that promotes the transition to sustainable and regenerative agriculture. CIBO achieves its partners' goals through a broad software platform to deploy, manage and report on sustainability programs that pay farmers to adopt new regenerative practices or continue existing regenerative practices. Their platform combines advanced science-based ecosystem models, AI-based computer vision, MMRV capabilities, and the most complete software engine on the market. (United State)
Debagro It is a scientific company based on artificial intelligence applied in agriculture. Their first product is a weed identification device for selective herbicide application that allows a reduction in agrochemicals and water used by the farmer by up to 70%. It also provides an accurate map of how much and where to apply the chemical in order to obtain a certificate of application quality. (Argentina)
EarthOptics is a growing data and technology company working to make soil mapping faster, cheaper and more accurate than current soil measurement methods. The EarthOptics technology platform combines soil data with proprietary sensors, machine learning, and data partnerships to produce mapping solutions that enable farmers, ranchers, and land managers to make more profitable and sustainable soil management decisions. (United State)
nine Vault is a cloud platform designed to make Ag companies AI and Machine Learning ready. They have built the first and most advanced agri-ecosystem data cloud that mobilizes agricultural knowledge across multiple players in the value chain, from R&D programs to commercial and MRV programs. (Argentina)
BioAg foundation: Mycorrhizal fungi, the main pathway for carbon into soil, are key to permanently sequestering carbon. They produce mycorrhizal products in large quantities and are cost-effective, but their impact goes beyond climate change. Its products help farmers boost crop yields, improve soil fertility, relieve plant stress, and reduce fertilizer use – all without changing agricultural practices. Their premium carbon program, Rootella Carbon, ensures sustainable and permanent carbon removal. (Israel)
Habiter I developed a new system of systems approach to agroecological modeling to address the challenge of accurately measuring environmental outcomes in agriculture from field to global scale. With unparalleled scientific rigor, they can support measurement, monitoring, verification and reporting needs from field-verified intervention claims to large-scale supply depot accounting for resource planning and greenhouse gas inventory accounting. (United State)
Paper specifications, winner of the 2021 Davidson Award, is an accurate, affordable and portable hyperspectral crop leaf imager. It only takes 10 seconds for LeafSpec to non-destructively scan the paper. It can measure plant physiological traits such as leaf moisture content, chlorophyll content, nitrogen content, pathogens and insect diseases, stresses from chemical spraying, etc. LeafSpec is the first of its kind in the world, which can be easily deployed anywhere. (United State)
Ostara Passionate and focused on making a tangible difference in crop nutrition for all soil types and all crops. They are committed to supplying the agriculture market with sustainable, highly efficient and innovative fertilizers. Ostara products perform better than traditional alternatives through increased efficiency, increased nutrient availability, reduced inputs, and a significant reduction in environmental impact. (United State)
Pace Technologies It is the future of measuring soil health. Their unique sensor product provides the biological, chemical and physical indicators needed to perform a comprehensive soil health assessment in 5 minutes. They can make affordable the comprehensive soil health testing that industry needs to improve understanding of soil health and the impact of regenerative and sustainable agricultural practices. (United kingdom)
Solina Ag Pioneering agricultural transformation with Prometheus, their AI platform that enables agricultural soil microbiome engineering. Harnessing advanced technology and soil microbiome data, they design agronomic plans for each farmer, optimizing inputs. This innovation boosts yields and sustainability at the same time, redefining the future of sustainable and productive agriculture. (Mexico)
About BioSTL
Founded in 2001, BioSTL has been a cornerstone of St. Louis' innovation scene, fostering a dynamic economy by bringing together stakeholders, engaging in public policy, and delivering targeted programs. Our mission is to strengthen the city's position as a hub for global challenges in agriculture, food, biopharmaceuticals and healthcare. BioSTL leads nationally acclaimed initiatives in three key areas:
Creating and investing in startups — Biogenerator It has been a launching pad for more than 125 startups, providing them with the capital, resources and mentoring needed to succeed.
Strategic business attraction — GlobalSTL Positions St. Louis as a center for international innovation. Our efforts attract cutting-edge companies and entrepreneurs from around the world, enhancing the region's visibility and reputation.
Equitable workforce development – Our king Talent and workforce The programs are dedicated to developing a diverse and inclusive workforce, ensuring companies' growth is supported by talented individuals from all backgrounds.
BioSTL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by charitable contributions and grants aimed at the future of St. Louis. Learn more about us at BioSTL.org.
Media Instructions
Initial interviews and on-site interviews with Donn Rubin (CEO, BioSTL), Vijay Chauhan (ReACH/BioSTL), and other consortium members are available, as schedules allow. Please contact Amy Gwin — 314-397-8544, agwin@biostl.org
