“Everybody wants the platform, but nobody wants the process.”

— John Gray

🚜 New in AgTech

Leading the AI Transition in European AgTech

There's definitely a lot of excitement about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture these days. AI has the potential to really change the game when it comes to how food systems work in Europe and even further afield. For a lot of farmers and agribusiness leaders, this shift seems more like a tricky, risky jump into something uncertain rather than a chance to grow. The unpredictability of agriculture and its tight profit margins often leads to a healthy dose of scepticism when it comes to embracing new technologies. As AI shifts from just a buzzword to something essential, European AgTech leaders need to approach this change carefully—staying curious, adaptable, and focused on their goals.

AI as a Strategic Shift
First off, it's important to change how we see AI. AI isn't just some extra software or a simple tool you can plug in and use right away. It brings about a significant transformation in decision-making, operations, and value creation within the agriculture sector. The European Commission’s strategic frameworks highlight how AI can really help with sustainable agriculture, boost resource efficiency, and achieve environmental goals. However, they also point out that success isn’t just about the technology; it relies on good governance, trust, and the right skills too.

Leadership in AgTech really needs to focus on the bigger picture. Using AI isn’t just about checking off a tech requirement—it’s really about changing how businesses operate, how teams work together, and what roles people play. Leaders must understand that making this transition requires a clear vision and strong strategic intent. What issues is AI helping you tackle on your farm or in your business? How's it going to fit in with our sustainability and economic goals? Who in your team is going to tap into AI insights to make smarter decisions? Leaders can steer clear of the pitfall of change just for the sake of it by grounding AI adoption in a solid strategic context.

Upskilling and Culture

Recent studies from the European Parliament point out that the shift towards digital and AI is mainly a challenge for leaders. They stress the importance of enhancing digital literacy and AI skills within teams. For farmers and AgTech firms, this cultural shift is all about encouraging curiosity and a growth mindset beyond IT teams. We should promote the same mindset among agronomists, farm managers, and operational staff. Upskilling is a must. To keep up in an AI-driven future, you must learn what AI can and can't do. This process is all about helping every employee feel comfortable interpreting AI-driven insights and using them in their everyday decisions. Leaders really need to take the lead on this upskilling journey, showing how to be adaptable and open-minded. At the end of the day, AI isn't going to take the place of farmers or agronomists. However, those who effectively utilise AI tools will undoubtedly outperform those who do not.

Responsible Adoption is Key

While the potential benefits of AI are vast, responsible adoption must be a guiding principle. It's critical to build trust with farmers, workers, and communities. AgTech leaders really need to make sure that AI systems are clear, fair, and built with everyone in mind. The European Digital Strategy highlights the importance of having clear governance and ethical guidelines for AI implementations. Such clarity is crucial to prevent worsening inequalities or relying too much on proprietary technologies.

Agriculture always comes with its share of risks, and now with AI, we're seeing some fresh layers of uncertainty and change pop up. Leaders really need to take their time with AI initiatives, look at the results closely, and think carefully about how to expand them. Engaging teams early, gathering feedback, and aligning technology choices with core values help build confidence and reduce resistance.

Conclusion

The shift to AI in European agriculture isn't just about new technology. It takes vision, courage, and a real commitment to changing our culture in a way that gets people ready—not just machines—for what’s coming next. AgTech leaders really need to embrace curiosity and keep learning. It's all about making sure their teams pick up the skills to use AI in a meaningful way.

Just a reminder: AI isn't here to take over from humans. People who get the hang of AI will take over from those who don’t.

Making this transition in a responsible way is all about building trust, ensuring fairness, and having a clear plan as we move ahead. In reality, a successful AI implementation will combine the two goals: first, knowing how to run ambitious enough pilots to reap AI's full benefits; and second, being cognisant of the application context.

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Flipping Europe's Wastewater Into Farming Gold

In a world grappling with environmental degradation and global supply vulnerabilities, a Finnish startup named NP harvest emerges as a beacon of hope. The company is turning a problem into a powerful solution and rewriting the narrative of nutrient recovery from wastewater. For decades, nitrogen and phosphorus – the bread and butter of agriculture – have been going down the drain, slipping through the cracks into our wastewater systems, lost in the shuffle forever. This loss of nutrients puts the environment at risk by causing ecosystem harm and waterway eutrophication. The need to replace these essential commodities with imports from geopolitically unstable sources creates an economic tragedy. In Europe, fertiliser costs are skyrocketing, with projections warning of a potential doubling by 2028 amid new EU tariffs on Russian imports that jumped from 17% to 30% in 2024 alone, raking in some €1.75 billion. The stakes are colossal, and so is the opportunity that NP Harvest has grasped with cerebral innovation and unyielding passion.

The adventure began over ten years ago at Finland's famous Aalto University. NP Harvest initially started as a research project. But the project was not just an academic interest; it was a disruptive vision to turn wastewater from a dangerous waste product into a source of high-purity nutrients that are needed for the future of farming. NP Harvest’s invention is technically advanced yet stunningly simple. Their nutrient catcher uses a special process to adjust pH levels with acid and alkaline without needing heat, air, pressure, or extra chemicals. This makes it more cost-effective, easier to implement, and environmentally friendly than alternatives. It also blends seamlessly into current wastewater management systems. How? This process involves distilling ammonia salts from scattered nitrogen and extracting amorphous calcium phosphates from phosphorus using complex hydrophobic membrane stripping. Both of these byproducts are first-rate ingredients for fertiliser manufacturing.

Imagine those murky wastewater streams-inky black water gurgling from households, sloppy liquid digestate sloshing out of biogas plants, and farm-fresh manure meandering along like uninvited guests at a picnic-as a chaotic river rushing nutrients straight toward environmental doom. To prevent these nutrients from polluting groundwater and rivers, NP Harvest uses its catcher, which functions like a finely woven net, to selectively draw them and clean them before reintroducing them to the agricultural cycle.

The Finnish startup’s innovation recently stepped out of the lab and onto the global stage with the launch of its first industrial-scale demonstration unit in Ankara, Turkey. This ambitious pilot, in collaboration with the Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration, is designed to recover an impressive 93 tonnes of ammonium sulphate and 73 tonnes of phosphorus product annually. The full-scale potential is even more staggering, with projections of over 3,200 tonnes and 2,500 tonnes of these nutrients respectively. The advantages extend beyond the natural world. NPHarvest's solution is a strategic asset for municipalities like Ankara's ASKI that are struggling with nitrogen overload issues and limited freshwater resources. By reintroducing organomineral fertilisers into the nutrient cycle, it protects groundwater, lowers waste treatment expenses, and promotes sustainable agriculture.

From a commercial standpoint, NPHarvest's concept is a compelling example of the circular economy: provide clients with treatment equipment, then help them sell the recovered nutrients to fertiliser manufacturers or independently. This lowers operating costs and generates new revenue streams. Key investor Mika Kukkurainen from Nordic Foodtech VC highlights the technology's scalability, energy efficiency, and dependability, stating that it benefits all parties involved.

At the core of this invention, however, is something more profound – a philosophy that pushes us to reconsider garbage as a resource that is just waiting to be reclaimed rather than as a means to an end. The discovery of NP Harvest is nothing short of revolutionary at a time when the globe and Europe are at a crossroads due to insecure supply chains and growing climate challenges. By weaving wastewater into a rich, earthy tapestry of nutrients, NPHarvest doesn’t just recycle lifeless chemicals – it breathes new life into our faith, nurturing a future where agriculture dances in step with the environment’s natural rhythm. For environmentalists, AgTech enthusiasts, and policymakers alike, this Finnish startup unfurls a visionary green blueprint; a rooted, hands-in-the-soil stride toward a sustainable, secure, and hopeful tomorrow.

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*The Mega-PULSAR™ by Orbia Netafim. Image provided by Orbia by Netafim.*

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