Evolving consumer demand. Advanced science. New innovations. The future of agriculture is now. And the most successful businesses will be the ones on the forefront of the change. Dig into these five food and agriculture standout companies to discover how they’re ushering in a new way to ag.

1. EnviroKure

If you’re in the poultry business, just what in the world do you do with all that chicken poo? Well, if you’re an entrepreneurial company like EnviroKure, you turn it into high-quality, organic fertilizer. Yes, ORGANIC fertilizer from conventional chicken production. Their patented process removes pathogens and offensive odors (a unique benefit in this marketplace), delivering a nutrient-rich product ideal for growing crops used for feed, fuel and/or fiber. EnviroKure gives large-scale poultry operations the opportunity to turn an ongoing challenge into a profitable product.

2. Impossible Foods

Think it’s impossible to make a veggie burger that tastes just like the real thing? Impossible Foods might have something to say about that. Using a combination of plant-based products like wheat, coconut oil and potatoes, Impossible Foods has made a burger that they claim recreates the appearance, texture and taste of a typical beef patty. We haven’t had the pleasure of trying it yet, so we neither confirm nor deny their claims. But if more tasty meat alternatives continue to hit the market, it could have a tremendous impact on the world of ag. Are companies like this real? Well, Impossible has almost a quarter billion dollars in funding.

3. Chirps

Looking for a nutritious lean protein with a little bit of crunch? Chirps^® has just what you need. Chirps offers a variety of chips and other food products, all made with a most unlikely source of protein—crickets. They claim that using crickets is a more sustainable solution for your protein fix, as producing cricket-based foods requires fewer natural resources. Hey, don’t knock it ’til you try it.  They taste like … chips!

4. Full Harvest

Approximately 20 billion pounds of produce go to waste every year in the United States simply because they don’t meet the demanding visual standards of retailers. But produce has many valuable uses beyond retail. Full Harvest^® is a web-based platform that connects farmers to produce buyers who are less concerned with the physical appearance of the product. These new distribution channels help reduce food waste at the farm level while also adding new revenues to farmers’ bottom lines.

5. Blue River Technology

Recently acquired by John Deere, Blue River Technology has developed the next generation of smart agriculture equipment. Blue River’s See & Spray^™ Technology addresses the need to treat each plant individually using cameras, computers and artificial intelligence. When the technology detects a weed, it uses its massive library of images to identify the type and assess the correct amount of herbicide to apply. Pre-set specifications ensure that only the weed is sprayed and the areas around it are not affected. Growers are able to reduce chemical usage, address herbicide resistance in weeds and do the work of 8 – 10 people with just one person.

C|O Insight

Technology is changing the way the world works, and agriculture is at the forefront in many areas. One thing we know for sure is that the face of agriculture will continue to evolve. For those up to the challenge, there has never been a better time to be part of agriculture and the food industry overall.

Interested in learning more about how your business can thrive in the changing agriculture landscape? Contact Mark Gale at mgale@co-nxt.com or call 262.563.5100.