Efita Newsletter 1082, dated November 13, 2023

Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), November 13, 2023


EFITA newsletter / 1082 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


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Voir Loucrup 13/11/2023

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FutureFarming.com

> Agritechnica 2023: more convenience and insight through precision
At the upcoming Agritechnica in Hanover, automation, smart farming, and robotics are more prominent than ever.

> Weed control: Kuhn enters the field of mechanical weed control

> Electric tractor: New electric tractor from German start-up Tadus

> Ethanol engine: John Deere presents ethanol engine at Agritechnica

> Field robot: VTE field robot can be towed by a tractor

> Expert opinion: ‘Precision technology as a tool against nitrogen leaching’
In the green transition of agriculture, optimal nitrogen utilization is a crucial focal point. Read the expert opinion of Jesper Riber Nielsen, Director, Digital Crops, SEGES Innovation.

> Market information: Nearly 11 percent increase in revenue for AGCO

> Pest control: M3 Agriculture Technologies: $ 1 million to use X-Ray innovation in pest control

> quaSpy: Maximizing Yield, Minimizing Costs in AgTech
Dive into the world of AquaSpy, where technology meets agriculture to optimize water usage and increase yields.

> Watch spotlight: Voices of Women in Ag Tech: Ambassador Profile on ICIT's Joyce Hunter
We bring you exclusive insights from our inspirational ambassadors and other women leading the way forward in ag tech.

> Spot Spray Solutions Gain Market Share in North America
The interest in spot spray solutions coupled with a growing number of providers is resulting in faster adoption throughout North America.

> AquaSpy: Maximizing Yield, Minimizing Costs in AgTech
Dive into the world of AquaSpy, where technology meets agriculture to optimize water usage and increase yields. With innovative soil moisture monitoring and data-driven insights, farmers can achieve maximum results while minimizing input expenses. AquaSpy is reshaping the future of irrigation.

> Women in Ag Tech: Join the Community!
Women in Ag Tech aims to provide a platform for women in ag tech to connect, engage, and build a community. Complete our online interest form and join the community of empowered women in ag tech! Submit Interest Form.

> Why a Farmer Adopts – or Doesn’t Adopt – Precision Technology
A new study gives farmers’ viewpoints on the most influential factor behind adopting new technologies and practices: profitability.

> Adaviv: How We Can Empower the Next Generation of Ag Leaders and Workers Through Technology
If we are to truly empower the ag sector with technology, it must be made to engage a new generation of workers.

> Sustainability in Agriculture: How the Industry Is Answering the Call to Produce More with Less
Producing more with less will be a key goal in the new era of agriculture.

> Estonian AgTech Company eAgronom Expands to Czechia, Romania, and Ukraine
The company’s soil monitoring technology and carbon credit program will be introduced to the region with the help of local partners.

> The power of precision farming
More than 90 % of Denmark’s agricultural land is managed using digital tools for crop and cultivation planning – and 76 % is, to some extent, cultivated with the use of precision technology. Want to know why? With precision farming, farmers can not only reduce their environmental footprint, they can also maximise their profits by making decisions based on data-driven insights. Meet us at Agritechnica and get started.

> AGCO Crushes Q3 Earnings Expectations with Growth in Precision Ag
.../...
AGCO Corp. on Tuesday posted third quarter results that surpassed analyst expectations and pushed up share prices, fueled by strong demand for tractor and precision agriculture equipment, reports Agriculture Dive.
See globalagtechinitiative.com

> LINTTAS: world’s first electric combine with innovative linear threshing system
Australian company LINTTAS aims to develop the world’s first electric combine harvester.

> Become a CHCNAV Precision Agriculture Dealer in Your Area
Take farmers' hands off the wheel and reduce operator fatigue with affordable GNSS autosteering and guidance systems. CHCNAV autosteering kits are powered by field proven RTK positioning technologies and are compatible with all tractor brands, providing an all-in-one solution with sub-inch accuracy to ensure high precision in today's farming operations. Read our latest case study to learn more about the value of autosteering in intercropping.

> 5G Onion Swedish telecom provider Telia presents the 5G onion
The 5G onion is the next step in the EKOBOT pilot project which was started in 2021 by Telia, Ekobot, RISE and Axis Communications.

> Indoor Farming: New technologies and the latest research in new book vertical farming
A new book provides a review of the latest research in the development and application of plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs).

> TRINAMIX highlights mobile solution for crop analysis
- trinamiX highlights mobile solution for crop analysis
- trinamiX, a provider of mobile spectroscopy solutions and subsidiary of BASF SE, will present its innovative technology for on-the-spot nutritional analysis of crops at this year’s Agritechnica,

> Weed Control: Carré Klinea hoe with electric angle and depth adjustment
Carré Klinea hoe with electric angle and depth adjustment
French machinery manufacturer Carré is offering an extended version of the Klinea hoe with electronically controlled hoeing elements.

> Fertilizer: ‘Precision technology as a tool against nitrogen leaching’
In the green transition of agriculture, optimal nitrogen utilization is a crucial focal point. Read the expert opinion of Jesper Riber Nielsen, Director, Digital Crops, SEGES Innovation.

> Agritechnica 2023: more convenience and insight through precision
At the upcoming Agritechnica in Hanover, automation, smart farming, and robotics are more prominent than ever.

> Weed control: Kuhn enters the field of mechanical weed control
The French machinery manufacturer Kuhn will showcase its first machines for mechanical weed control at the Agritechnica trade fair.

> German farmers: ‘Not yet autonomous enough for us to manage weeds’
Three German farmers tried combatting weeds using automation and robotics. With varying degrees of success.

> Gatton Agtech Show: Robots are conquering Australia, first Gatton AgTech Showcase
The Gatton AgTech Showcase is the first demonstration event in Australia for the latest advances in AgTech.

> Electric tractor: New electric tractor from German start-up Tadus
German start-up Tadus has introduced an electric tractor with a lithium-ion battery and a maximum power of 160 hp.

> Autonomous vehicles: The autonomous tractor is a reality, but what about legal liability?
Autonomous tractors are driving across the fields. Liability issues related to safety are making large manufacturers particularly cautious.

> Pest control: M3 Agriculture Technologies: $ 1 million to use X-Ray innovation in pest control
M3 Agriculture Technologies announced the receipt of a $1 million grant from the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Radiological Security (ORS).

> Cooperation: Nexat and EW-group collaborate
Agricultural machinery manufacturer Nexat has announced a collaboration with EW-group.

> Ethanol engine: John Deere presents ethanol engine at Agritechnica
Machine manufacturer John Deere has developed a 9.0-liter concept ethanol engine and will present it at the Agritechnica trade fair.

> Field robots: Take a look at FIRA USA 2023 in pictures part 2
The second edition of FIRA USA took place a couple of weeks ago in Salinas, California.

> Indoor farming: Optimism about the growth of indoor farming
Future Farming gathered some news items from the world of indoor farming.

> Turbulent times for indoor farming, but experts remain bullish
The indoor farming industry has seen a series of closures and financial struggles among some of its heavyweights and early movers.

> New technologies: New technologies for cultivation in closed systems

> Building indoor farms: Stacked Farm to build indoor farms in each capital city of Australia

> Vertical farming: New crops and higher yields in indoor vertical farming

> Indoor food production: Artisan Green and Siemens accelerate indoor food production in Singapore

> Market information: Optimism about the growth of indoor farming

> Innovations indoor farming: Five pioneers innovate agricultural and food systems

See futurefarming.com


Misery, 1919, by Nikolay Bogdanov-Belsky (1868-1945)

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Global High Tech Initiative

> How We Can Empower the Next Generation of Ag Leaders and Workers Through Technology
If we are to truly empower the ag sector with technology, it must be made to engage a new generation of workers.

> Sustainability in Agriculture: How the Industry Is Answering the Call to Produce More with Less
Producing more with less will be a key goal in the new era of agriculture.

> Intelinair Revolutionizes Crop Intelligence: A Game-Changer in AgTech
Intelinair is reshaping the future of agriculture through its cutting-edge technology. By providing real-time and actionable insights into crop health, nutrient levels, and growth patterns, Intelinair is empowering farmers to make informed decisions and optimize their yields like never before.

> Estonian AgTech Company eAgronom Expands to Czechia, Romania, and Ukraine
The company’s soil monitoring technology and carbon credit program will be introduced to the region with the help of local partners.

> FieldView and Combyne Platform Integration Helps Farmers Better Manage Grain Marketing and Build Profitability Insights
Bayer improves farm marketing outcomes with new connectivity option between the platforms.

> Corteva, Alveo Technologies Form Collaboration to Advance Molecular Crop Disease Diagnostics
Companies aim to develop point-of-need diagnostic to help protect farmers’ fields.

> Mississippi State Opens Nation’s First Agricultural Autonomy Institute
The interdisciplinary research center is focused on autonomous technologies to enhance on-farm precision and efficiency.

> Intelinair Revolutionizes Crop Intelligence: A Game-Changer in AgTech
Intelinair is reshaping the future of agriculture through its cutting-edge technology.

> How We Can Empower the Next Generation of Ag Leaders and Workers Through Technology
If we are to truly empower the ag sector with technology, it must be made to engage a new generation of workers.

> Sustainability in Agriculture: How the Industry Is Answering the Call to Produce More with Less
Producing more with less will be a key goal in the new era of agriculture.

> Intelinair Revolutionizes Crop Intelligence: A Game-Changer in AgTech
Intelinair is reshaping the future of agriculture through its cutting-edge technology. By providing real-time and actionable insights into crop health, nutrient levels, and growth patterns, Intelinair is empowering farmers to make informed decisions and optimize their yields like never before.

> Estonian AgTech Company eAgronom Expands to Czechia, Romania, and Ukraine
The company’s soil monitoring technology and carbon credit program will be introduced to the region with the help of local partners.

> FieldView and Combyne Platform Integration Helps Farmers Better Manage Grain Marketing and Build Profitability Insights
Bayer improves farm marketing outcomes with new connectivity option between the platforms.

> Corteva, Alveo Technologies Form Collaboration to Advance Molecular Crop Disease Diagnostics
Companies aim to develop point-of-need diagnostic to help protect farmers’ fields.

> Mississippi State Opens Nation’s First Agricultural Autonomy Institute
The interdisciplinary research center is focused on autonomous technologies to enhance on-farm precision and efficiency.

See globalagtechinitiative.com


In the village, Girl with a bucket, 1989, by Andrei Ryabushkin (1861-1904)

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Millenials prefer bonds / Les milléniums achètent des obligations

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agfundersnews.com

Rantizo raises $6m series A expansion for spray drone services; enjoys ‘exponential growth’, October 2, 2023, by Elaine Watson

> Spray drone services provider Rantizo has raised a $6 million expansion of its series A round (adding to the $7.5 million announced in 2020) led by Leaps by Bayer, and supported by Fulcrum Global Capital and Innova Memphis.
The capital injection will help the Iowa-based company expand its nationwide operator network, which now works across 30 states with more than 20% of the nation’s top 50 ag retailers.

We’ve seen demand for the service outstrip supply quite significantly’
Right now, CEO Mariah Scott tells AgFunderNews, drones account for “a tiny fraction” of crop spraying, but that fraction “is growing exponentially.”

“So if you look at ground plus aerial applications, that’s probably around a $10-11 billion market opportunity, and drones are a tiny fraction of that today, but that’s a big market to go after.”

In many cases, says Scott, drones are used to compliment traditional ground spraying systems for difficult-to-reach areas, soggy ground, or areas where greater precision is required than can be delivered by manned aerial spraying vehicles such as planes and helicopters.

“We’ve seen demand for the service outstrip supply quite significantly, and we’ve had exponential growth in the number of acres sprayed year-on-year for the last three years, because what ag retailers and growers are seeing is that the drone is a timely and versatile tool.

“So on the timely front, it’s about being a local service provider, if you have an issue they can get drones out there right away, which isn’t always true with helicopters or crop dusters, which can be harder to schedule.

“As for versatility, if you have acreage with a lot of trees or waterways or buildings or that is awkwardly shaped, the drone is a great tool because you can fly very precisely. You’re also flying much closer to the crop, so you don’t have the problems with drift or overspray. In cases where you’ve had a lot of rain and you can’t get a ground rig in there, or you have a crop that needs to remain irrigated, you don’t have to turn the irrigation off.”
.../...
See agfundernews.com


Can Web3-enabled tokens drive more smallholders in Kenya to adopt regenerative ag practices? By Timothy Asiimwe, October 2, 2023

Timothy Asiimwe is the innovation project manager at Mercy Corps Ventures, an active seed- and early-stage investor in emerging markets. The views expressed in this guest commentary are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of AgFunderNews.

Smallholder farmers in Kenya produce up to 80% of locally produced food. But that number masks the rapidly declining yields that many of these farmers are experiencing because of diminishing soil health.

Several studies have shown that decades of conventional agriculture practices such as synthetic input use, monocropping, and deep tillage have led to a deterioration in the fertility of soils in Kenya. Though many are aware of the benefits, smallholders are hesitant to transition to regenerative practices because the payoff is not immediate and many have limited access to regenerative inputs and services.

>>> The pilot
Mercy Corps Ventures has partnered with Farm Star to launch a new pilot to test the use of Web3-enabled rewards that are interoperable and usable with other ecosystem platforms to drive adoption of regenerative agricultural practices amongst smallholder farmers in Kenya.

Farm Star is a leading distributor of organic fertilizer in Kenya with a customer base of more than 10,000 smallholder farmers and a country-wide network spanning over 1,000 resellers. Farm Star’s flagship product, Evergrow, is a nutrient-rich, fully decomposed fertilizer made of 100% organic materials. The company is a subsidiary of Sanergy (housed within the Regen Organics division) and was recently recognized as a finalist of the Zayed Sustainability Prize.

Farm Star is launching a customer loyalty program to encourage repeat purchase behavior. Most loyalty programs only allow participants to “spend” their points in pre-defined ways, but this design choice often limits the attractiveness of reward points.

In this pilot, Web3 reward tokens, interoperable with third-party services, give farmers flexible and additional ways in which they can use reward points. Farmers who purchase Evergrow fertilizer will receive reward tokens which can be redeemed for additional fertilizer or services/products from other ecosystem partners, or even cashed out to fiat via M-PESA. For instance, a farmer could eventually use their Farm Star rewards to purchase insurance from ACRE Africa or even purchase products on Nuzo.

The loyalty platform will be available on both USSD menu as well as a downloadable smartphone app. Each Evergrow bag will be labeled with a unique identifier, which participating farmers and agrovets can input into the app/USSD menu to redeem reward points.

By making the reward points interoperable, this pilot aims to increase their value to the end users and augment the attractiveness of regenerative agricultural products.
.../...
See agfundernews.com


Farm robotics startups face a talent shortage. Academia and tech are working together to change that, by Jennifer Marston

Startups have made strides in the last few years turning the theoretical benefits of ag robotics and automation into actual realities for farmers. But there’s still a ton of work to be done when it comes to making tools that are complex enough for smart spraying and laser weeding, but don’t also require a PhD to operate.

Ergo, startups will have a lot of new hires to make in the coming years, many of them from the growing pool of talent coming out of college, said many at the FIRA USA 2023 farm robotics show in Salinas, California.

Enter the annual Farm Robotics Challenge organized by the AI Institute for Next Gen Food Systems (AIFS), University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) initiative the VINE, the Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) coalition, and robotics company farm-ng.
.../...
See agfundernews.com

Gazette de vitisphere.com, portail vitivinicole

Verqor lands $7.5m from Yara, Accion and others to offer farmers ‘the fastest credit for agriculture in Mexico’, by Jennifer Marston

- Agrifintech startup Verqor has raised $7.5 million in funding to connect more farmers with credit via its alternative underwriting process.
- Funding includes a $4 million pre-Series A led by Yara Growth Ventures. Accion Venture Lab, SP Ventures, GLOCAL, and Amplifica Capital also participated.
- The remainder of the new capital comes via a $3.5 million debt round from Co_Capital and Addem Capital.
- Verqor will use the capital to expand in Mexico as well as become a direct financial lender to farmers and approve loan applications in “48 hours or less.”
See agfundernews.com


Ag Biotechnology investment surges in Asia-Pacific as funding swims upstream, November 1, 2023, by Jennifer Marston

Despite an overall decline in funding to the region last year, some Asia-Pacific startups are seeing an increase in new VC capital (venture capital).

See agfundernews.com 13/11/2023

 

The Efita newsletter is sponsored by:

See nature.com 13/11/2023

A peasant wedding in the Tambov Region (Russia), 1880, by Andrei Ryabushkin (1861-1904)

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Podcast: How ChatGPT will change research

Generative artificial intelligence (AI), such as the chatbot ChatGPT, is already transforming research and scientific publishing — for better and for worse. Nature editor-in-chief Magdalena Skipper, journalist and features editor Richard Van Noorden and Yann Sweeney, the editor responsible for AI-related manuscript submissions at Nature, join host Nick Petrić Howe to discuss how these AIs are affecting science and what the future might hold.
See nature.com


Plan to breed domestication out of wildcats

Researchers trying to rebuild the Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris) population are gaining insights from ancient genomics. At a remote wildlife park in the Scottish Highlands, a captive-breeding programme is considering an audacious breeding strategy to eliminate the house-cat DNA that has infiltrated the wildcat genome.

To help them to unpick the problem, researchers analysed the genomes of dozens of ancient and modern cats, including the 2,000-year-old remains of a domestic cat found at a Roman palace in West Sussex and those of a wildcat that died 600 years ago, uncovered at a now-ruined castle in the north of England.

See nature.com 13/11/2023

Ryanair profitable (business as usual) / Ryanair rentable

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Study: A controllable variable has key impact on sweet corn yields, August 25, 2023

A new analysis from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Agricultural Research Service has identified the top factors accounting for yield variability in processing sweet corn, including one within the control of processors — seed source.

“We used a very robust approach to account for sweet corn yield with field-level data across some 16,000 fields and 27 years. Year and production region were the two most important variables, which makes logical sense. But the third was seed source: the company that developed the hybrids. That’s interesting because it’s actually something the industry has a choice over,” said senior study author Marty Williams, ARS ecologist and affiliate professor in the Department of Crop Sciences.

The analysis drew from confidential industry data on 67 variables relating to crop genetics, management, weather, and soil factors from fields in the Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest, where most of the nation’s processing sweet corn is grown. Williams and co-author Daljeet Dhaliwal, who completed his doctorate in the Department of Crop Sciences, used machine learning techniques to narrow down which of the dozens of factors correlated most strongly to yield across nearly 30 years.
.../...
See Agdaily.Com


5 of the coolest innovations I saw in Senegal, by Bill Gates, November 02, 2023, 5 minute read

I got to meet with amazing scientists working on the next big breakthrough while I was in Dakar.

I had an amazing trip to Senegal last month. I always love getting the chance to travel and see the remarkable work the foundation’s partners are doing firsthand. These visits leave me more energized than ever to go to work every day—and my time in Senegal was no exception.

Senegal is a particularly interesting country to visit, because it has made exemplary progress improving the health of its people thanks to a focus on community-led care and many years of smart policymaking. Some of the statistics are mind-blowing: Since 1992, the country has cut its stunting rate in half. Since 2000, the number of Senegalese children who die before their 5th birthday has dropped by 70 percent. And since 2005, the number of women giving birth in health facilities has increased from 62 percent to 80 percent. It’s the perfect place to talk about progress.

One of the highlights of my visit was a trip to the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, or IPD—a research center that has been pushing the frontiers of global health for nearly a century. The facility does it all: IPD plays a key role in monitoring for disease outbreaks in the region; produces millions of diagnostics every year; serves as an educational hub for the next generation of health workers and biomanufacturing workers; and will soon resume manufacturing vaccines.
.../...
See gatesnotes.com


In the village, 1902, by Andrei Ryabushkin (1861-1904)

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Need for a 'humanitarian truce' in Gaza... and need for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas / Besoin d’une trêve humanitaire à Gaza et besoin de libération par le Hamas de ses otages israéliens

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Better late than never: Bangladesh finally introduces Bt cotton after years of dilly-dallying, by Reaz Ahmad, October 12, 2023
.../...
Scientists involved in agro-biotech product development in Bangladesh find it painful that regulators sit on their decisions for years without assigning much of a reason. Biotech regulators at different tiers don’t hold their scheduled meetings. As a result, scientists miss out on seasons and have to wait for the next season, next year, to go for field tests and other necessary trials.

These act as disincentives – a likely reason why hundreds of Bangladeshi agricultural scientists leave the country for better pro-science ecosystems. There appears to be no hesitance from the growers or consumers in appreciating biotech-derived agricultural products in Bangladesh. The rapid expansion of Bt brinjal over the past ten years and consumers’ acceptance of the crop is a testament. Even before any biotech crop approval in Bangladesh, consumers had already accepted GM soybean oil, one of the country’s most popular cooking oils.

There is a range of other biotech products in the approval queue or at different stages of development at various premier agricultural research stations, but regulatory inertia appears counterproductive. Bangladeshi scientists are still working on iron and zinc-rich rice, biotech potatoes, tomatoes, and blast-resistant wheat.
See allianceforscience.org


From potential to progress: Latest developments in Golden Rice deployment in the Philippines

In the Philippines, about two million children under five are at risk of vision issues and weak immune systems. These symptoms are consequences of diets lacking in Vitamin A. This number is equivalent to one out of five Filipino children from the less fortunate communities in the country with Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). This preventable nutritional problem impacts the Philippines and an estimated 190 million children globally.

Several initiatives have addressed this problem, including supplementation, diversified diet, and food fortification. Yet, many are still being missed. One of the complementary solutions to these initiatives is now in the hands of Filipino farmers—a healthier kind of rice known as Golden Rice. This effort was initiated in 1982 by Dr Ingo Potrykus of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Dr Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg, Germany, and aimed to address VAD by developing a kind of rice that can provide Vitamin A in the diet.
.../...
See allianceforscience.org


Perspective: IARC relishes stirring the pot with thin science, by Amanda Zaluckyj, July 21, 2023
.../...
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in a variety of foods and beverages, like diet sodas and chewing gum. It provides a sweet flavor without the calories associated with sugar. Although some people complain of side effects like headaches and dizziness, the Food and Drug Administration has concluded that aspartame is safe for most people to consume in moderation. Most importantly, it doesn’t cause cancer.
.../...
See agdaily.com


"Bad" Joke

See Reader Digest Jokes

Op-ed: Biofuels don't steal land from food producers, by AGDAILY contributors, September 06, 2023

Food insecurity continues to be a problem for the world — and it’s a problem that’s getting worse. According to the World Bank , the number of people facing moderate to severe food insecurity topped 2 billion in 2022. Logic tells us that we need to grow as much food as possible — but a good deal of arable land is used to grow crops that end up not as food, but as feedstock for biofuel production.

Globally, at least 8 percent of agricultural land is used to grow biofuel feedstock, mainly for biodiesel and ethanol; in the U.S., nearly half of corn production is used in ethanol production. On the other hand, biofuels help reduce greenhouse gas emissions — in some cases by over 80 percent, depending on the feedstock used. And according to studies, biofuel based gas and diesel could replace as much as half the amount of petroleum-based fuels now in use — a prospect that should be taken seriously as a path to reducing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions.

The world definitely needs more food — yet we can’t afford to increase pollution in order to produce it. Biofuel technology is a proven and effective way of doing that. But we don’t have to make a choice here; instead of using prime agricultural land, biofuel feedstock can be grown in vast swathes of “marginal” agricultural land that is currently used for food production.
See agdaily.com


Flooded and forgotten: How Europe's disused coal mines are successfully being used to heat our homes

Abandoned coal mines are providing a surprisingly potent source of zero-carbon energy in Europe.

An old coal mine has been providing an English town with green energy for the last six months.

The ground-breaking project in Gateshead is using the warm water that has filled the tunnels to heat hundreds of homes and businesses in the former coalfield community.

Hailed a success, the UK’s first large-scale network shows the huge potential to be found in the nation’s sprawling warren of old mining tunnels, which sit beneath roughly a quarter of homes.
.../...
See euronews.com


How did Uruguay cut carbon emissions? The answer is blowing in the wind, October 6, 20232, by Erika Beras, Amanda Aronczyk, Keith Romer, Willa Rubin

Ramón Méndez Galain was Uruguay's National Director of Energy from 2008 to 2015. His plan for the energy sector led to 98% of Uruguay's grid being powered by green energy. And a good deal of that comes from wind energy — from turbines.
See npr.org


Do voters like moderate messages more? Some new tests of a Slow Boring theory, by Matthew Yglesias, 30 oct. 2023

When the Biden administration decided to approve the Willow oil extraction project in Alaska, I defended their decision on the merits.

Addressing climate change is important, but trying to address climate change through supply constriction has a very unfavorable cost-benefit profile. I’m all for demand-side policies (like a carbon tax) and efforts to facilitate clean energy deployment (like the IRA). But blocking Willow wouldn’t have made sense as climate policy, and the local environmental case against it wasn’t very strong either. Willow was supported by Alaska labor groups, by most Alaska indigenous groups, but Alaska’s Democratic House member, and by both of its Republican senators (including Lisa Murkowksi, who is a reasonable person). Under the circumstances, I thought Biden clearly did the right thing and could use some people saying so in the face of inevitable climate criticisms.

What’s interesting is that Biden did not defend this call on the merits. Instead, he said:

My strong inclination was to disapprove of it across the board but the advice I got from counsel was that if that were the case, I may very well lose that case in court to the oil company and then not be able to do what I really want to do beyond that.

This reflects a broader set of messaging decisions that I find somewhat odd. My sense is that traditionally, politicians try to make themselves sound more moderate than they are. Barack Obama often insisted that his policies were just common sense or based only on the evidence, untouched by ideology. Donald Trump would lie and say he cared passionately about clean air and water, even as his EPA eased up on these rules. Regardless of how the internal debate over Willow really went, once you decide you’re not going to block it, why not position yourself as moderate? When accused of strangling American oil production, the White House will mention that actually, output is at an all-time high, but it’s never something they brag about as part of Bidenomics. But why not put forward the most moderate possible face?

My tendency when talking about this stuff has been to assert that for any given policy, a more moderate frame is more popular. But is that true? I partnered with a public affairs group to conduct a few message tests and their data suggests that, yes, if you are going to build a wall and approve oil projects, you may as well claim credit for it.
.../...
See slowboring.com


Provectus Algae seeks to disrupt livestock methane reduction space with a change in 'the cost of goods’, by Jennifer Marston

Provectus Algae is entering the livestock methane reduction market with an indoor growing system it claims transforms the unit economics of growing Asparagopsis (red seaweed) for feed additives.

The Queensland-based startup has just opened a 30,000-liter demonstration plant for growing Asparagopsis, which can scale up to 160,000 liters, with construction of a larger-scale facility planned in 2024.

By 2025, Provectus aims to supply Asparagopsis extracts to over 250,000 animals, reducing enteric methane emissions by 500,000+ metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually.
…./…
See agfundernews.com


VCs bet on ag biotech & farmtech as the new stars of Asia-Pacific’s agrifoodtech ecosystem, October 26, 2023, by Jennifer Marston

Asia-Pacific has long been a hotbed for agrifoodtech innovation. That’s unlikely to change, despite the recent drop in agrifoodtech funding to the region.

Investment in Asia-Pacific agrifoodtech startups reached $6.5 billion in 2022, a 58% year-over-year decline on 2021’s record-breaking year, according to the new Asia-Pacific Agrifood Investment report from AgFunder in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Omnivore and AgriFutures Australia.

While funding levels in 2023 are down on 2022, the ecosystem is still very active with a similar number of deals closing during the first half of this year compared to H1 2022.

And though the decline is in keeping with broader macro trends, it’s only part of the story for Asia-Pacific agrifoodtech investment.

A far more interesting narrative is the emergence of upstream technologies — those close to the farm or lab — as the new star of the region’s agrifoodtech sector.
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... Farm Management Software, Sensing & IoT ($334m), Farm Robotics ($252m) and Novel Farming Systems startups ($254m), which include indoor farming and aquaculture and insect farming, brought in more funding across fewer deals.

See agfundernews.com

Domotkanovo, 1886, by Valentín Serov (1865-1911)

09 - 13/11/2023

10 - 13/11/2023

See theguardian.com 13/11/2023

China’s carbon emissions set for structural decline from next year, by Jillian Ambrose, Energy correspondent, 13 Nov 2023

Emissions by world’s most polluting country could peak this year after surge in clean energy investments.

See theguardian.com 13/11/2023

Better waste management is key to ending plastic pollution

Crucial to ending plastic pollution is improving waste management strategies.

It’s a solvable problem, and making a difference here would do much more to reduce plastic pollution than even considerably decreasing the production of plastic. Even if the world used half as much, we’d still have significant amounts of plastic flowing into our rivers and oceans.

To end plastic pollution, waste needs to be adequately managed. Around one-fifth of plastics are still mismanaged, meaning they are not recycled, incinerated, or kept in sealed landfills.

The amount of mismanaged plastic waste varies across the world, but tends to be much higher in low-to-middle-income countries. This is shown in the chart here in per capita terms.

Domestic policies to improve waste management will be crucial, but richer countries can also contribute through foreign investments in waste management infrastructure.

On our new topic page, you can find all of our data, visualizations, and writing on plastic pollution.

See ourworldindata.org OWID - 01 - 13/11/2023

The world has made substantial progress in increasing basic levels of education

Access to education is now seen as a fundamental right. In many cases, it’s the government’s duty to provide it.

But formal education is a very recent phenomenon. In the chart here, we see the share of the adult population — those older than 15 — that has received some basic education, and those who haven’t.

In the early 1800s, fewer than 1 in 5 adults had some basic education. Education was a luxury; in all places, it was only available to a small elite.

But you can see that this share has grown dramatically, such that this ratio is now reversed: fewer than 1 in 5 adults has not received any formal education.

This is reflected in literacy data, too: 200 years ago, very few people could read and write. Now, most adults have basic literacy skills.

Explore our data, visualizations, and writing about global education on our new topic page.

See ourworldindata.org OWID - 02 - 13/11/2023

The Human Development Index and related indices: what they are and what we can learn from them

Measuring human development helps us understand how people’s lives and livelihoods vary across the world and how they have changed over time.

Several prominent measures try to capture these changes, such as the Human Development Index (HDI) shown in the chart here.

All of the measures seek to broaden the scope of development beyond simply economic growth, and to capture other key metrics that track peoples’ standards of living.

However, measuring human development comes with many challenges. People do not always agree on what should be included. And even once defined, some features of human development are difficult to measure.

So, how do these indices track human development? And what can we learn from them?

In this article, we summarize the similarities and differences between the different approaches and how to decide on which one to use.

See ourworldindata.org OWID - 03 - 13/11/2023

People around the world have gained democratic rights, but some have many more rights than others

Two hundred years ago, everyone lacked democratic rights. Now, billions of people have them.

But there are still significant differences in the degree to which citizens enjoy political rights, most clearly between democracies and non-democracies, but also within these broad political regimes.

To understand the extent of people’s political rights, we shouldn’t look only at whether a country is classified as a democracy. We should also look at more minor differences in how democratic countries are.

In this article, we do just that: We use data on the extent of democracy to compare how democratic countries have been over the last two centuries.

See ourworldindata.org OWID - 04 - 13/11/2023

Rabbi fill in

A Catholic priest is called away by a family emergency one day, while on duty attending confession.

Not wanting to leave the confessional unattended, he asks his friend, a rabbi from the synagogue across the street, if he can fill in for him.

The rabbi says he wouldn't know what to do, so the priest agrees to stay with him for a few minutes and show him the ropes.

They enter their half of the confessional together and soon enough, a woman enters and says, "Father forgive me, for I have sinned."

"What did you do?" asks the priest.

"I have committed adultery," she replies.

"How many times?" continues the priest.

"Three times."

"Do three Hail Marys, put $5 in the poor-box, and sin no more," finishes the priest.

The woman leaves and not long after a man enters and says, "Father forgive me, for I have sinned."

"What did you do?"

"I have committed adultery."

"How many times?"

"Three times."

"Do three Hail Marys, put $5 in the poor-box, and sin no more." The man leaves.

The rabbi tells the priest he thinks he's got it figured out now, so the priest leaves, and the rabbi waits until another woman enters the confessional, who says, "Father forgive me, for I have sinned."

"What did you do," asks the rabbi.

"I have committed adultery," she replies.

"How many times?"

"Twice."

"I tell you what," says the rabbi. "Go do it one more time and come back. We got a special this week, three for $5!"