Precision ag and data management solutions company Farmers Edge announced a $6.1 million investment secured from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and an additional $12.2 million committed from internal sources and consortium partners.

With the support of the funding, Farmers Edge will advance the development of its next generation hardware and software, while also strengthening its agronomic decision support systems, with particular focus on system abilities that address environmental sustainability.

“At Farmers Edge, we believe that sustainability in agriculture plays an essential role in improving the bottom line and spurring economic growth, while safeguarding future soil, water, and climate health,” said Wade Barnes, President and CEO of Farmers Edge.

Together with its partners, Farmers Edge will use the funding to grow its comprehensive data management platform, which will have the ability to capture, and analyze zone-specific data that accounts for weather, soil processes, and disease and pest impacts on crops, as well as the connectivity to shifting crop, input, and equipment prices. Using this data, Farmers Edge is targeting a 10 percent reduction in nitrous oxide emissions and a 20 percent improvement in water use efficiency, while also markedly reducing the levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in water resources.

“This project will create green jobs for the local economy, increase efficiency in the agricultural sector and provide economic and environmental benefits for all Canadians,” said Leah Lawrence, president and CEO, SDTC.

A Year in Review

This announcement regarding the latest investment in Farmers Edge and its coming plans, is the latest in a string of developments signaling a pivotal year for Farmers Edge.

In January, Farmers Edge announced it has closed on a C$58 million (US$41.2 million) investment round led by Mitsui and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers’ Green Growth Fund, and including Osmington Inc.

Then in March, the company announced the establishment of a regional headquarters in Campinas, São Paulo and the appointment of former Monsanto executive, Lucas Trindade to head up the expansion of Farmers Edge’s presence in Brazil by ten-fold by the end of the year.

This was quickly followed by the announcement in April that the company agreed to partner with Eastern Colorado Seeds as part of a strategic plan to expand across the U.S. Plains states. At the time, Wade Barnes, president and CEO of Farmers Edge, stated, “Right now, we are rapidly expanding and bringing our field-centric approach to regions primed for more productive agriculture.”

In May, as the wave of expansion continued, Farmers Edge announced it had received a $3.2 million investment from Toronto-based commercial real estate firm, Osmington Inc.

This year also saw the company open an Iowa headquarters in Ames, and forge a new partnership with Delta Agribusiness in New South Wales, Australia. These moves by Farmers Edge have been successful in giving the company a foot in each of the world’s top agricultural production regions including Canada, the U.S., South America, Russia, and Australia.

Commenting on the role that Farmers Edge has so far achieved in the global initiative toward sustainability and food security, Wade Barnes notes, “Working alongside our world-class partners, we’re bringing innovative solutions that will assist in addressing global food security, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and support Climate Smart Agriculture to the benefit of the world’s large and small holder farmers. We’re proud to have a role in such a meaningful goal and give SDTC our sincere thanks for their support.”

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Lynda Kiernan