Agriculture: Facing the Demand of the Times
Amid climate change, the problem of food shortage is rising. According to statistics, by 2050 the world's population will reach 9.7 billion. This means that a greater food supply than now will be needed. Along with the gradual increase of the world's population, agricultural systems are under pressure to produce more food than ever. Sustainable agriculture is a strong demand of the times, and building a sustainable food-production system is also an important matter at the level of global food-security concerns. Pivot Bio (hereafter "Pivot Bio") is a climate-tech brand that builds a sustainable food system with new agricultural technology harnessing the power of nature, contributing to sustainable development.
["Pivot Bio," located in Berkeley, California © Pivot Bio]
Innovation in Agricultural Technology Achieved Through Microbes and New Technology
Unlike existing farming methods, Pivot Bio is a climate-tech brand that reduces the use of chemical fertilizers and utilizes microbial technology. They developed an innovative technology that uses certain types of microbes to help plants absorb nitrogen directly from the air, greatly reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers. With this technology, crop growth can be promoted while the negative impact on the environment is minimized. The microbe-enhancement technology Pivot Bio developed is proving its effectiveness through collaboration with actual farms. A corn farm in Michigan that used Pivot Bio's product reduced synthetic-fertilizer use by 30% and increased yield by 10%. A California grape farm also achieved quality improvement while reducing synthetic-fertilizer use by 20%.
[This product, called Pivot Bio PROVEN® 40, uses microbes that absorb nitrogen from the air to produce the ammonia plants need to grow and thrive, helping to supply plants throughout their most important growth stages © Pivot Bio]
The second technology Pivot Bio unveiled is a data-based customized farm-management solution. Using big data and artificial intelligence, it analyzes each farm's soil characteristics, climate conditions, crop types, and more, to provide a farming solution tailored to the farm. An Iowa soybean farm used Pivot Bio's technology to reduce water use by 15% and cut the incidence of pests and disease by 10%, and a Nebraska wheat farm reduced carbon emissions by 20% while improving soil health.
In addition, Pivot Bio produces sustainable products that use materials extracted from nature rather than chemicals harmful to the environment. It is also contributing to environmental protection and preventing soil pollution through the development of biodegradable bio-fertilizers that decompose naturally in the soil. It is also increasing the proportion of renewable energy used in the product-production process. These innovations of Pivot Bio are expected to play an important role in climate-crisis-response issues related to agriculture — a primary industry with a complexly intertwined value chain.
Pivot Bio's Approach to a Global Problem
[Using a "Pivot Bio" product © Pivot Bio]
Pivot Bio contributes to a sustainable food-production system with agricultural technology that harnesses the power of nature. As a result, in 2021 it succeeded in attracting a $500 million Series E investment. As continuous R&D investment and success cases have come to light, thousands of farms across the US currently use their technology. Farms using Pivot Bio's technology saw productivity increase by an average of 15% and synthetic-fertilizer use decrease by an average of 20%, confirming the effect of strengthening the economic stability of farming communities. Food-production methods applying Pivot Bio's technology are improving not only the environment but also the health of agricultural society.
Agriculture is the most basic industry, directly linked to humanity's survival. We gain energy through the food we consume every day, and we are active. The same is true of all economic activity. Today, as it is confirmed that agriculture, beyond a simple food-production function, is the foundation of global environmental protection and socioeconomic stability, practicing sustainable agriculture is no longer a choice but an essential task. Now, when companies like Pivot Bio are changing the paradigm of agriculture with new technology, let us watch how such changes in production technology will contribute to the global climate-crisis response and to strengthening food security.