[PitchBook]：2024年三季度技术景观：挖掘土壤健康（英）2024

Background: Industrial agriculture practices are highly effective in increasing productivity and yield but often compromise long-term soil health. Common practices like monoculture cropping and heavy chemical use deplete soil nutrients and increase erosion.
Regenerative Agriculture: This approach focuses on sustainable farming practices to enhance soil health, increase yield, and reduce environmental impact. Key practices include cover cropping, reduced tillage, and crop rotations.
Public and Private Sector Support: The 2023 Inflation Reduction Act allocated $11.7 billion for farmers adopting climate-smart agriculture, while major agricultural companies like Bayer, Cargill, and Farmers Business Network offer incentives for regenerative practices. Food producers like PepsiCo and General Mills are committed to regenerative agriculture.

Soil Additives:
- Biological Soil Additives: Include biofertilizers, biostimulants, and inoculants, which enhance nutrient recycling and uptake. They also increase soil carbon permanence.
- Biochar: Made by burning organic crop matter, it converts carbon into more stable forms, reducing natural decomposition.
- Enhanced Rock Weathering: An emerging technology that applies finely ground silicate to soil, converting impermanent carbon to stable carbonates while releasing nutrients.
Soil Monitoring:
- IoT Sensors: Provide real-time data on soil conditions.
- High-Resolution Aerial Imagery: Offers detailed insights into soil health indicators.
- Advanced Data Modeling: Enhances the accuracy of soil health assessments.
Regenerative Agriculture Enablement:
- Solutions: Companies are developing tools and services to help farmers transition to regenerative practices.
- Partnerships and Financing: Partnerships and cost-sharing initiatives are being offered to support farmers in adopting these practices.

Opportunities:
- Carbon Credits and Emission Tracking: New technologies enable the commercialization of emission offsets through carbon credits and Scope 3 emission tracking.
- Increased Revenue Streams: Improved soil health can lead to higher crop yields and lower resource costs, generating additional revenue for farmers.
Challenges:
- Initial Costs and Time: Transitioning to regenerative practices requires significant initial investment and time to see returns.
- Lack of Knowledge: Many farmers are unfamiliar with sustainable practices, necessitating more educational and training resources.

Recent Deals: Recent investments and acquisitions in soil health technologies indicate growing interest in the market.
Market Growth: As awareness and technology advance, the focus on soil health is expected to continue, driving further innovation and transformation in agricultural practices.

Pivot Bio: Develops microbes as an alternative fertilizer.
Trace Genomics: Uses AI and machine learning to analyze soil biodiversity.
NetZero: Provides sustainable fertilizers and sells carbon offsets derived from production processes.

Further Reading: "Soil Health Economic Case Study Methods and Toolkit" by the American Farmland Trust.
Key Takeaways: Soil health is critical for long-term agricultural sustainability and environmental benefit. Technological advancements and supportive policies are driving progress in this area.

This summary provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of soil health technologies and the emerging trends in regenerative agriculture.