The agriculture sector and by extension, the food production system, is already a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which contribute to the greenhouse effect and climate change.

However, the changing climate spells greater doom for agricultural production as its effects impact food systems and threaten food security.

From low crop yield due to extreme weather events like floods and drought to carbon emissions from plants and farm vehicles to food waste, the sector struggles to stay afloat. The good news is that some startups have developed solutions aimed at ensuring agricultural productivity and sustainable livelihood.

Want to know what solutions these startups have created? Find out below:

Irrigation optimization

Thanks to new agriculture technologies, the land use ratio to crop yield in the sector is witnessing a significant increase. There is just one challenge — machines used in the industry, as well as inefficient usage of irrigation systems, contribute to the sector’s high emissions.

To solve this challenge, a startup like Spowdi has developed a solution that optimizes land and water usage to promote zero-emission farming.

Spowdi delivers agricultural water optimization solutions via its product, Spowdi Mobile Pro. The product directly gives the right amount of water to plants at the right time, thereby improving yield. It runs on solar power and with high and stable pressure, it delivers up to 1500 liters of water per hour.

This solution will enable farmers to save both water and energy bills.

Probiotic soil supplements

As we already established, farming results in a significant amount of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions. When the roots of plants are fortified, they will be able to sequester greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

A startup like Locus Agricultural Solutions offers probiotic soil supplements that improve root nutrition and root mass and enable farmers to improve yields while reducing nitrous oxide emissions.

In addition, the product improves the soil microbiome and enables carbon capture, thereby reducing the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

E-Tractors

Farming machines are necessary for optimizing agricultural tasks and saving time. However, most of these machines run on fossil fuels which emit GHG emissions.

A startup like Cellestial E-Mobility has developed electric tractors that help farmers meet their farming needs at no environmental cost.

These electric tractors are built with drive-by-wire technology, replacing steering columns and universal guide rods with a wireless steering system, and an electric braking system that prevents mechanical friction between the brake shoe and contacting face.

Organic products for improving shelf-life

Sustainability in the food system is dependent on reducing food waste because food waste contributes to secondary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Because of this, farmers tend to use preservatives to prolong the shelf-life of these farm produce. The problem is that some of these artificial preservatives affect the crop and environment, leaving farmers at a loss.

Bio Natural Solutions is one startup that has developed organic shelf-life extension products for fruits that do not impact consumers or the environment.

Through its fully circular product, Life Cover, the startup delivers preservatives that comprise active compounds from tropical residues. All farmers have to do to extend the shelf life of fruits is either sprinkle or immerse crops into the product.