Author: Suchetana Choudhuri

From Punjab to Paraná, aquifers are silently collapsing under the weight of modern agriculture. Yet the world’s food systems remain dangerously dependent on groundwater—a resource long considered infinite, now revealing its limits. As irrigation expands, rainfall becomes erratic, and global trade scrutinizes embedded water footprints, a radical rethink is underway. To unpack this inflection point, Agrospectrum spoke to Bernhard L. Kiep, Managing Director at Bermad Brazil and a key board member across pioneering platforms like Pessl Instruments, MAIZALL+ Abramilho, InLida and InstaAgro. A Business Administrator by training and an agri-innovator by conviction, Kiep offers a panoramic yet grounded take on the future…

India’s clean energy ambitions hinge on scalable, accountable, and commercially viable biofuel adoption—and Buyofuel is fast emerging as the digital infrastructure powering that shift. In an exclusive conversation with AgroSpectrum, CEO Kishan Karunakaran outlines how the platform is catalyzing India’s decarbonization goals by transforming agri-residues, used cooking oil, and waste streams into certified, traceable low-carbon fuels for industry. More than a marketplace, Buyofuel digitizes and de-risks a fragmented biofuel sector, offering real-time pricing, quality assurance, and logistics support across biomass, biodiesel, and bio-CNG. The platform is already enabling 30–60 per cent emissions reductions for industrial clients and is gearing up…

In an era of deepening groundwater crises across Asia and Africa, Israel’s desert-honed innovations offer a compelling blueprint for sustainable farming. At the heart of this transformation is precision irrigation—pioneered by Netafim—which has redefined how crops can thrive with minimal water. But beyond drip systems, Israel’s integrated approach now includes root-zone moisture sensing, AI-driven scheduling, and large-scale treated wastewater reuse. In this exclusive AgroSpectrum interview, Ram Lisaey, Head of Global Agronomy at Netafim, shares how these technologies are being adapted for high-evapotranspiration regions from Maharashtra to the Sahel. He explains why real-time soil data is more powerful than rainfall averages,…

Image Source: Canva Halfway into 2025, the global shrimp industry is entering a new phase of competitive realignment. Indonesia’s May export performance—a 27 per cent year-on-year (YoY) rise in volume and 33 per cent increase in value—signals a strategic shift that goes beyond opportunistic trade acceleration. With 89,224 metric tons exported from January through May valued at $756 million, Indonesia is not only consolidating its global presence but also diversifying its product portfolio and export destinations in a calculated bid to counterbalance potential U.S. trade actions. The export surge places Indonesia on a fresh growth trajectory, even as established powerhouses…

In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum & NUFFOODS Spectrum, Carlsberg Denmark’s Senior Sustainability Manager, Stig Schneider Johnsen, shared how the company is leading the brewing industry’s shift toward regenerative agriculture by committing to 100 per cent regeneratively grown barley malt by 2040. With raw materials accounting for nearly a quarter of Carlsberg’s total emissions, the move is a strategic step to cut CO₂ output and enhance soil health. The company’s regenerative framework—built around crop rotation, soil cover, low inputs, and biodiversity—was developed with agricultural advisors and industry collaborations. By working closely with farmers and maltsters, Carlsberg scaled up regenerative barley…

In an exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Dr. Ana Maria Loboguerrero, Director for Adaptive and Equitable Food Systems at the Gates Foundation, outlines the unique challenges and opportunities facing food systems in APAC. She emphasizes the need for holistic solutions that integrate climate adaptation, gender equity, and nutrition. Loboguerrero highlights the role of digital innovations—from India’s livestock traceability to AI-based weather forecasts—in boosting resilience. She also stresses the importance of regional cooperation and increased adaptation finance for smallholder farmers. Looking ahead, she remains optimistic about APAC’s potential to lead the world in building inclusive, climate-smart food systems. What makes the APAC…

Image Source: Canva Once dismissed as fantasy, desert farming is fast becoming a frontier solution to food insecurity in a climate-stressed world. Across the UAE, Israel, and India, arid lands are being transformed by AI, desalination, and solar-powered greenhouses into hubs of high-yield, water-efficient agriculture. However beneath this promise lies a critical dilemma: Can these energy- and input-intensive systems remain sustainable under mounting climate and ecological pressures? The success of desert farming hinges not just on innovation, but on integrating traditional knowledge, conserving biodiversity, and balancing output with long-term resilience. As food geopolitics heat up, the desert may yet hold…

In one of the largest soil-based carbon agreements ever signed, Agoro Carbon has inked a 12-year offtake deal to deliver 2.6 million carbon removal credits to Microsoft—a landmark commitment that reinforces agriculture’s emerging role in climate action. The credits will be sourced from Agoro’s regenerative agriculture projects across U.S. croplands and rangelands, applying practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and adaptive grazing. Developed under Verra’s VM0042 methodology, the initiative aims to sequester carbon while boosting farm productivity, water retention, and ecosystem resilience. “This is the strongest endorsement yet of our farmer-first, science-backed model,” said Elliot Formal, CEO, Agoro Carbon.…

Volatus Aerospace has clinched a national contract that could redefine how Canadian agriculture integrates drone-powered intelligence. The deal—inked with a leading North American crop intelligence provider—will see Volatus deploy multispectral drone surveys across 21 agricultural sites in Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, and Quebec, marking a major leap forward for data-driven farming at scale. Twice during the growing season, Volatus will capture high-resolution insights into plant health and crop performance—delivering actionable intelligence in real time. With flights already underway, this initiative firmly positions the aerospace tech firm at the cutting edge of precision agriculture, one of the fastest-rising applications of drone and…

In a move signaling the growing convergence of digital and green revolutions, Syensqo and Microsoft have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive innovation at the intersection of artificial intelligence and sustainable materials science. The partnership aims to blend Syensqo’s deep chemical and materials expertise with Microsoft’s prowess in AI and cloud computing—particularly through Microsoft’s newly launched “Discovery” platform, announced at the 2025 Build Conference. Syensqo, notably the platform’s main development partner for the chemical industry, will leverage this alliance to accelerate breakthroughs in bio-based polymers, circular composites, and materials for clean energy systems. “By integrating AI into everything…