MENA’s agrifoodtech promise, new drone players to watch, fibermaxxing with one.bio, Barnwell Bio’s raise, unpacking the dietary guidelines

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This week… a convergence of capital, regulatory innovation, and food security concerns is creating a unique opportunity for agrifoodtech in the Middle East and North Africa, say Jenn Marston and Louisa Burwood-Taylor.

Elsewhere, with the US ag spray drone landscape set for a shakeup as DJI is pushed out, Elaine Watson catches up with two new players hoping to fill the vacuum.

- Fibermaxxing: one.bio debuts "invisible" fiber

- Bio-surveillance for poultry barns? Barnwell Bio’s microbiome intelligence

- Baya Solara: Behind the scenes of Bayer’s new strawberry

And finally… The new US dietary guidelines aim for simplicity, but is the messaging muddying the science? We convene a panel of experts.

Have a fantastic week! Louisa, Jenn, and Elaine.

MENA signals point to global innovation powerhouse agrifoodtech is waiting for

A convergence of capital abundance, regulatory innovation, and high environmental stakes are transforming the region. Jennifer Marston

Revolution Drones and Exedy Drones target US ag spray drone market as FCC rewrites the rules

With the US ag spray drone landscape set for a major shakeup, we caught up with two new players hoping to fill the vacuum. Elaine Watson

As ‘fibermaxxing’ gains traction, one.bio launches invisible oat fiber: ‘We could add 50g and you still wouldn’t notice it’

The message that we need diverse fibers for optimal health is often lost on consumers who still see fiber as “roughage,” says one.bio. Elaine Watson

Barnwell Bio raises $6m to bring COVID-era bio-surveillance playbook to poultry barns

Early microbiome intelligence can help producers move from reactive firefighting to proactive flock management, claims Barnwell Bio. Elaine Watson

Behind the scenes of Bayer’s strawberry strategy

As Northern European growers face plant disease and tightening regulations, Bayer launches a new strawberry to meet those challenges. Jennifer Marston

🎥 A 10-page reset? Nutrition experts unpack the new US dietary guidelines

The new US dietary guidelines aim for simplicity—but is the messaging muddying the science? Elaine Watson

🎥 Taste, price, or bust: Bruce Friedrich’s roadmap for alt meat

If alt-meat is the future, why does the present look so shaky? Elaine Watson

Planetary explores collaboration to unlock low-cost mycoprotein production in India

Market applications in India could include "myco-tikka masala" says sugar producer DBO. Elaine Watson

Guest article: How the state’s ‘visible hand’ is driving China’s new agrifood investment playbook

Global agrifoodtech investment may have hit the breaks, but a walk through China tells a different story. By guest contributor Matilda Ho

AgriFood Signals: Syngenta inks clean energy deal, SemCap closes $125m food fund, McDonald’s nixes veggie items

Plus: Cropin launches "AI-first" agrifood system. Jennifer Marston

Made in America: FCC decision sparks scramble to localize ag spray drone production

What happens when a market built on foreign tech is told it must go domestic—almost overnight? Elaine Watson

The most impactful AI in farming 'will not feel revolutionary,' says Phospholutions boss. It will feel 'dependable'

AI can shift agriculture "from assumption-driven decisions to outcome-driven ones," says CEO Hunter Swisher. Jennifer Marston

Exclusive: UPSIDE Foods looks beyond cultivated meat to life sciences with cell culture media spin-off Lucius Labs

"The legacy approach to cell culture media is outdated, inefficient, and expensive," says the firm. Elaine Watson

Guest article: Agriculture’s great repricing: beyond the downcycle

The irony is that what frustrates short-term capital is what makes agriculture one of the most resilient and mispriced systems in the global economy. Guest contributor Mark Brooks