In recent years, the world has witnessed growing concerns over two critical global issues: food waste and climate change. Both issues have significant implications for the environment, economy, and society at large, so addressing them will require innovative solutions. This is why technology has emerged as such a powerful tool in the agricultural sector.
The World Resources Institute estimates that by 2050, we need to grow over 56% more food while using drastically fewer resources per crop. 30% of food is wasted, largely due to pathogens, toxins, pests, and climatic stress.
Our food systems are responsible for over a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions. So it’s clear that food is a big contributor to rising temperatures, which, in turn, is also one of the biggest threats to food production.
Daniel White is the Co-Founder and CEO of Clean Crop Technologies, a company on a mission to get more food onto people’s plates with fewer resources. He was a recent guest on the Hardware to Save a Planet podcast hosted by Dylan Garrett and brought to you by Synapse.
Clean Crop Technologies is addressing the challenge head-on. As the first commercial plasma seed treatment company in the US, they combine food-grade gases and electricity to eliminate pathogens at the seed stage, thereby increasing agricultural yields and creating preservative-free food. This also helps reduce waste across the food supply chain and addresses climate concerns by using fewer resources. A triple win!
On the podcast, Daniel unpacks how Clean Crop Technologies’ innovative plasma technology can improve crop yields and reduce food waste. We also discuss the challenges of contamination in the food supply chain and the importance of confronting climate change in agriculture. If you’re interested in learning about cutting-edge solutions to food waste and climate change in agriculture, you can listen to the full podcast with the link at the end of the blog.
Meanwhile, here are some highlights from the episode to pique your curiosity!
The Global Impact of Climate Change
Daniel discusses the very real, very visible impacts of climate change that are taking place right now. Changing temperatures and rainfall patterns in countries like Kenya and Tanzania impact food security as farmers often don’t have access to electricity and irrigation facilities. While there are voices that say rising temperatures make it possible to grow crops in colder regions where this wasn’t possible before, this is only half the story. At a macro level, the increased frequency of extreme conditions outweighs a lot of the potential benefits of warmer temperatures in the growing zones.
“Different regions are experiencing unique challenges. Some are facing more extreme weather events like droughts or floods, while others are dealing with changing pest and disease pressures. It’s really important to focus on building resilience in the face of these climate risks rather than just mitigating the impact of agriculture on climate change.”
Over 30% of Agricultural Output is Lost Between the Farm and the End Consumer
The general estimate is that around 30% of all food is lost somewhere between the farm and the end consumer. That’s the macro food waste number. For some high-value crop categories, like vegetables and fruits, that 30% number is just in the farmer’s field, and the total supply chain loss on those can be upwards of 50/60%. The production loss in the fields is on account of different molds that enter the field through the seeds. Hence, treating the seeds to cut the production losses lies at the heart of Clean Crop Technologies solution.
“The contaminants enter the supply chain normally at the farm, and then they are then manifested across the supply chain. So, the high leverage point to bend the curve on those total waste numbers starts at the farm, and that’s where we want to begin.”
The Nuts and Bolts of the Solution
At a high level, the solution uses a cold plasma system; think of it as a reactor that generates a really intensive energy field. The seeds are exposed to electric energy and a cocktail of reactive gasses that all serve to ionize the seeds and break down the pathogens without affecting the germination of the seed.
“The idea is to consistently deploy those gases to seeds in a way that you can tune them to preferentially break down those seed-borne pathogens that are responsible for a lot of that waste, as well as other human safety risks like E. Coli, salmonella, listeria without harming the germination of the seed in the process.”
A Few Words About Daniel White
Daniel is an Agtech Entrepreneur with 16+ years of experience across horticulture, nut, and grain value chains in the US, Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. As the first commercial plasma seed treatment company in the US, they combine food-grade gases and electricity to create preservative-free food. Their novel, highly customizable technology treats seeds and food surfaces in minutes, does not compromise food and seed quality, and leaves no residue behind.
Join us on Hardware to Save a Planet
The Hardware to Save a Planet podcast explores the technical innovations that give us hope in the fight against climate change. Each episode focuses on a specific climate challenge and explores an emerging physical technology solution along with the person bringing it into reality.
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- To learn more about how a company is revolutionizing agriculture to increase yields and cut wastage, all while using fewer planet-polluting resources, tune in to the latest episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, brought to you by Synapse.
Find the episode here!
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3HGe4tF
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3SFCGsR