Rice is a staple crop for greater than half the world’s inhabitants, with demand rising as populations in South and Southeast Asia develop. Nevertheless, a lot of rice farming nonetheless depends on conventional farming strategies that produce vital methane emissions, a significant contributor to local weather change—methane accounts for practically 30 instances extra highly effective than carbon dioxide on the subject of atmospheric warming, though it dissipates sooner. Rice cultivation additionally requires vital quantities of contemporary water, about 3,000 liters for each kilogram of rice, or 20 million liters for each hectare of rice farm.
Mitti Labs goals to restrict methane emissions and water loss in rice farming with its expertise options. The corporate, based by Harvard Enterprise College alumni Xavier Laguarta and Devdut Dalal, has already raised $3 million in fairness funding because it seeks to cut back methane emissions by 50% and water consumption by 30% utilizing applied sciences comparable to high-resolution satellite tv for pc imagery and ground-based gasoline chambers.
The startup, headquartered in New York and with a subsidiary in Bangalore, India, launched in Could final 12 months and has chosen India as its main market. India is the world’s second-largest rice producer, however the livelihoods of its rice farmers are beneath imminent menace from local weather change, which has led to vital declines in water ranges and elevated methane within the ambiance.
Laguarta and Dalal got here up with the idea for Mitti Labs final 12 months after assembly whereas pursuing an MBA at Harvard Enterprise College. Earlier than engaged on the startup, Laguarta had a background in sustainability consulting, whereas Dalal labored in meals and agricultural provide chains. A 3rd co-founder, CTO Nathan Torbick, additionally signed on.
“For those who have a look at agriculture, there’s a lot being completed, and regenerative agriculture is one thing that’s being talked about all around the world. However should you have a look at the variety of folks making an attempt to do rice particularly, it’s far fewer than most different crops,” Laguarta stated in an interview.
Measuring emissions, promoting carbon credit
Rice produces about half of greenhouse gasoline emissions from arable land, together with 30% of agricultural methane emissions. Nevertheless, farms could cut back methane emissions from rice cultivation largely by way of improved water administration or alternating wetting and drying.
Working with non-profits Syngenta Basis and Dr. Reddy’s Basis, in addition to Spanish meals processing firm Ebro Meals, Mitti Labs has launched 5 tasks throughout India to assist farmers undertake and implement sustainable farming practices, keep away from stubble burning and use restricted quantities of water. These rice farming tasks cowl 30,000 hectares and can assist cut back CO2e emissions by 120,000 tonnes, the startup stated.
Mitti Labs goals to work with over 40,000 smallholder farmers to implement and consider sustainable farming practices that won’t solely enhance the environmental facet of rice cultivation however may also assist farmers enhance their annual revenue by as much as 30% because the startup will permit them to earn cash from the carbon credit it can promote on their behalf available in the market.
Convincing smallholder farmers to undertake new strategies generally is a problem, as they’re typically hesitant to maneuver away from their conventional strategies. Nevertheless, Dalal informed TechCrunch that Mitti Labs supplies farmers with assist and recommendation, and gives them common factors of contact by way of its implementation companions on the bottom.
“Our crew works with implementation companions to repeatedly refine the providing to farmers; what works in a single village could not work in one other. So the behaviour change ingredient must be very focused and tailor-made to the wants of native communities,” he stated.
On the technical facet, Mitti Labs makes use of a distant sensing platform that helps measure local weather impacts utilizing satellite tv for pc imagery. The startup buys high-resolution artificial aperture radar imagery from SAOCOM and Umbra and combines it with publicly accessible satellite tv for pc imagery to grasp farming practices. The high-resolution imagery comes from SAR, which penetrates objects on the Earth’s floor utilizing completely different wavelengths to measure traits like water ranges, soil moisture, and plant development.
Together with satellite tv for pc imagery, Mitti Labs makes use of greenhouse gasoline cameras on the bottom to seize methane and nitrous oxide emissions escaping into the sphere. The information from these cameras is fed right into a software program mannequin and processed by third-party labs to calculate emissions.
On carbon credit, Mitti Labs labored with Cornell College, the Worldwide Rice Analysis Institute, and the U.S. Division of Agriculture for about 12 months, experimenting with satellite tv for pc imagery and gasoline chamber knowledge to check and refine its measurement strategies. This, in flip, is meant to assist patrons in Europe and the U.S. buy carbon credit with confidence.
Mitti Labs is presently working with Gold Normal to concern carbon credit. Nevertheless, Laguarta informed TechCrunch that the startup could develop to Verra because it scales its enterprise.
Changing carbon credit into actual cash takes time. Laguarta stated Mitti Labs is presently within the due diligence section of its tasks. Nevertheless, the corporate goals to have farmers earn a minimum of 70% of their farm revenue by way of sustainable farming practices. The remaining will likely be break up between Mitti Labs companions and the startup itself.
The success of the primary 5 tasks will assist Mitti Labs scale its presence. The startup is already engaged on 10 new tasks and plans to develop its geography and enter the markets of Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam.
Laguarta informed TechCrunch that Mitti Labs has already discovered the “proper native companions” in new markets and is in discussions with venture buyers and carbon offset patrons to fund native tasks. The plan is to launch them by the tip of 2024 or someday in 2025. Nevertheless, the startup believes that India will stay its goal market.
“India is our first market and we expect India is a market we actually need to influence,” Laguarta stated.
Mitti Labs shouldn’t be the one startup selling sustainable agriculture in India. RTP World – helps Varaha is among the many present gamers within the house. Nevertheless, Laguarta stated most of those startups don’t focus particularly on one crop.
“For those who’re making an attempt to do 5 various things, I believe that is a superb technique for some folks. For us, it is necessary to be one of the best at rice farming, and we expect there must be somebody who’s one of the best at agroforestry, and somebody who’s one of the best at biochar and different issues,” he stated.
Mitti Labs’ first funding was led collectively by Lightspeed and Voyager, with preliminary assist from Harvard Innovation Labs.