It’s been another action-packed week in agrifoodtech with a merger between indoor ag heavyweights 80 Acres Farm and Soli Organic and sizable funding rounds from mycoprotein co The Better Meat Co and AI-powered CPG manufacturing platform Keychain.

On the policy front, Jenn Marston caught up with The Rockefeller Foundation on food is medicine programs, leaked versions of the MAHA report frustrated food policy experts, new details emerged on the US/EU trade deal, and US soybean farmers warned they “cannot survive” a prolonged trade dispute with China.

Elsewhere, if CEA has its detractors, the case for a super-high value crop such as vanilla is much more compelling says Israeli startup Vanilla Vida, which is establishing an indoor cultivation and curing facility in Uganda.

Finally, does corporate venture capital bring credibility and customers or conflicts and constraints? And what role does it play in an investment landscape that looks markedly different than it did a few years ago? We caught up with Dinsh Guzdar at Rich Products Ventures to get his take.

Have a great weekend! Louisa, Elaine, and Jenn

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​Indoor ag heavyweights 80 Acres Farms and Soli Organic to merge: ‘I hope this is the start of a new era’​

The merger is first and foremost about offering “superior product at scale,” says 80 Acres cofounder and CEO Mike Zelkind. Jennifer Marston

​Leaked MAHA report frustrates food policy experts: ‘Everything is vague and voluntary’​

The first MAHA report issued a “devastating critique of what American society has done to its kids," says Prof. Marion Nestle. The follow-up, which was supposed to offer concrete solutions, misses the mark, she claims. Elaine Watson

​Keychain raises $30m Series B, launches AI-powered operating system for CPG​

“We’ve grown quickly because the demand is clear,” said cofounder and CEO Oisin Hanrahan. “Applying AI allows KeychainOS to give manufacturers a smarter, faster way to run their facilities.” Elaine Watson

​Better Meat Co raises $31m Series A: ‘Some days, building a startup in our sector can feel like being a player in Squid Game’​

The capital injection will enable BMC—which has “executed five signed LOIs for future orders from some of the biggest meat companies on the planet”—to boost production of its patented tech tenfold from 9,000 liters to 90,000 liters. Elaine Watson

​Soybean farmers urge Trump to cut a deal with China: ‘We cannot survive a prolonged trade dispute’​

China "currently has zero new crop export orders for US soybeans on the books for marketing year 2025/26," claims the American Soybean Association. Elaine Watson

​Singrow will take its seed breeding and vertical farming business beyond Asia after new funding - AgFunder portfolio co!

Singapore-based Singrow plans to take its seed breeding and vertical farming business beyond Asia after the new funding. Jennifer Marston

​Exclusive: Vanilla Vida to establish full-scale integrated growing and curing facility in Uganda​

Vanilla Vida's indoor farming system halves the time from planting to bloom and delivers higher yields of vanillin, the primary flavoring component in vanilla beans. Elaine Watson

​Americans want more ‘food is medicine’ programs to fight chronic disease. Cost and access still bar the way​

Food is medicine programs provide patients with access to healthy foods, education on cooking and nutrition, and support for adopting healthy habits. Jennifer Marston

​Meatable acquires Uncommon Bio’s cultivated meat platform as latter pivots to therapeutics​

“For us, the major attraction is a diversification across possible GMO and non-GMO product lines,' says Meatable. Elaine Watson

​Halter will equip more US ranchers with virtual fencing tech via new partnership with federal land manager.

Halter and the US Bureau of Land Management will provide financial and technical support for adopting the technology. Jennifer Marston

​The Week in AgriFoodTech: John Deere + The Reservoir, AI-powered regen ag, ‘Zipotle’ delivery​

Plus... Cropin secures funding for an AI-powered regen ag program and Chipotle unveils a new zip-drone delivery method. Jennifer Marston

​Rich Products Ventures MD: ‘We have to get results, but we don’t have to answer to Wall Street’​

Do corporate venture arms bring credibility and customers—or conflicts and constraints? And what role do they play in an investment landscape that looks markedly different than it did a few years ago? Elaine Watson

​Navigating a ‘perfect storm’ in ag: new AgriNovus Indiana chief sees disruption as catalyst for innovation​

"Companies of all sizes, across the value chain, from startups to multinationals, are rethinking things,” says the new president and CEO at AgriNovus Indiana. Sponsored post

​Guest article: A deep dive into the investment thesis for ag biologicals​

Why hasn’t a clear investment thesis for ag biologicals fully emerged? What would it take to define one that truly reflects today’s opportunity? By guest contributor Gustavo Mamao

​The planet’s most abundant protein is ready for prime time, says Leaft Foods​

Right now, says Leaft Foods CEO Ross Milne, most people do not know anything about Rubisco. But that is all about to change. "People will refer to Rubisco just like we refer to whey protein today.” Elaine Watson

​At Atkins Ranch, raising lambs with regenerative tactics puts more cash back into farmers' pockets​

CEO Pat Maher discusses the role of technology in regen ag, current challenges, and what's next for the New Zealand company. Jennifer Marston

​Meatly CEO on cultivated petfood: ‘We want to prove this can be mass market”​

While investor sentiment has soured on cultivated meat, Meatly has set out to prove—on a shoestring—that the unit economics can add up. Elaine Watson

​‘Climateflation’ could push up UK food prices by more than a third by 2050, report says​

The Guardian

​A tale of two food futures​

The Future Market substack

​A storm is gathering in American agriculture​

LinkedIn

​Should regenerative farmers pin hopes on RFK Jr.’s MAHA?​

Civil Eats

​No, Beyond Meat has not filed for bankruptcy​

Green Queen

​When Trump tariffs hit French barrels and corks, California’s winemakers feel the squeeze​

The Guardian

​There’s money to be made in ‘MAHA.’ Food companies want in ​

The New York Times

​The Guardian view on food and farming: climate chaos hits crops hard – and that should worry everyone ​

The Guardian

​Geraldo Mattioli joins Kula Bio as chief commercial officer - Featuring Kula Bio!

Fox40

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