PSAV, NAEC, PepsiCo and CARE launched Phase II. (Image credit: NhanDan)

PepsiCo Foundation, the Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture in Vietnam (PSAV), the National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC), and CARE have officially launched Phase II of the “I am happy to sow” project, now known as the New Crop: Sustainable Agriculture Initiative, in Vietnam.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the Vietnam–US bilateral trade mission in Washington DC from 10–14 November 2025, formalising the continuation of a successful public–private partnership (PPP) model designed to support smallholder farmers.

Running from January 2026 to December 2028, the New Crop project will operate in Dak Lak, Gia Lai, and Thanh Hoa provinces, with a strategic focus on regenerative agriculture and inclusive value chains to tackle climate change. It is expected to directly benefit 13,600 smallholder farmers, including 8,160 women and 5,440 men, and indirectly impact more than 73,400 people across the region. The initiative forms part of the global She Feeds the World programme, which empowers women and smallholder farmers to improve productivity, nutrition, and overall community well-being.

C.D. Glin, President of PepsiCo Foundation, said, “The New Crops project demonstrates our unwavering commitment to equality in the global supply chain. By supporting women farmers and smallholder farmers, we not only help increase productivity but also empower women, promote financial independence, and build a more sustainable future for their communities. This is how the company realizes its pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) Strategy.”

The project’s success relies on a strong PPP model linking ministries, research institutes, local partners, and private-sector actors. PSAV and NAEC provide technical support, develop policies, and coordinate with local authorities, while the Western Highlands Agriculture and Forestry Science Institute (WASI) contributes scientific expertise. Deputy Minister Hoang Trung, said, “The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is pleased that PSAV and NAEC are meaningfully accompanying the project in the role of connecting and promoting the public-private partnership (PPP) model… PepsiCo Foundation, CARE and the business community will continue to play a pioneering role – not only in finance, but also in technological innovation, value chain management and shaping sustainable consumption trends.”

The New Crop project focuses on three interconnected objectives: building climate-resilient food systems, empowering smallholders—especially women and ethnic minorities—to adopt regenerative agriculture, and establishing inclusive value chains by improving access to inputs, finance, technology, and markets. Successful practices will be documented, scaled, and disseminated through the Food Innovation Hub Vietnam (FIH-V) for long-term impact.

Crystal Lander, Vice President of Global Advocacy at CARE, added, “The New Crops project not only helps smallholder farmers increase productivity, but also regenerates soils and protects livelihoods in the face of increasingly complex climate change. This is an important step towards long-term sustainability.”

BKCC aims to transform this reality by rethinking the vertical farming structure from the ground up.

Farmers Lab Ltd. of Korea has unveiled a groundbreaking advancement in controlled-environment agriculture with the launch of its BK Conveyor Culture (BKCC) system — a horizontally revolving vertical farming technology designed to address one of agriculture’s most urgent challenges: labour shortages.

As farming communities age and younger generations increasingly avoid work that involves harsh weather, long hours or inconsistent income, both traditional and indoor farms are struggling to find workers. Even modern vertical farms continue to depend heavily on manual labour, with fixed-rack systems requiring operators to climb ladders, stretch to reach upper trays and move repeatedly between narrow aisles.

BKCC aims to transform this reality by rethinking the vertical farming structure from the ground up. Instead of having workers move around the farm, the BKCC system rotates the trays horizontally, bringing crops directly to the operator. Planting, irrigation, harvesting and cleaning can all be carried out comfortably from a standing or seated position, reducing physical strain and improving overall safety. This human-centred approach allows farmers of all ages to work more efficiently, more comfortably and with far less risk.

The system has demonstrated the potential to reduce labour requirements by up to 70%, while also achieving 80% water savings compared to traditional fixed-rack vertical farming operations. BKCC’s simplified workflow reduces fatigue, increases output stability and produces more uniform crops thanks to consistent environmental control.

Operating within a carefully managed indoor environment, the BKCC system uses hydroponic precise irrigation, energy-efficient LED lighting, fully clean and soilless production and an intuitive IT dashboard for monitoring. Optional AI-driven growth analysis provides further insight for farmers looking to optimise yield and resource efficiency. These features make BKCC suitable for a wide variety of crops, including microgreens, leafy vegetables, sprouts, animal fodder and virus-free nursery plants destined for greenhouses or open-field transplanting.

The system has already proven its performance through successful trials and commercial operation in both Korea and Singapore, carried out through collaborative research and development partnerships. With consistent output and reliability demonstrated in real-world settings, new installations are now underway in Australia and additional international markets, signalling BKCC’s growing global presence.

Created with a strong social mission in mind, BKCC reflects the company’s philosophy: “Pride for Farmers, Future for Youth.” The technology supports older farmers by making agricultural work physically manageable, while offering younger generations a compelling entry point into clean, high-tech, sustainable farming. As many fixed-rack vertical farms struggle with complexity and rising operational costs, BKCC provides a simpler, safer and more accessible solution tailored to practical farming realities.

HIC Launches World’s First Hub for Greenhouse Innovation.

The Netherlands has once again taken the global lead in agricultural innovation with the launch of the world’s first venture studio dedicated entirely to greenhouse horticulture

The HortiScience Innovation Center (HIC) has officially opened the HIC Venture Studio in Bleiswijk, marking a transformative step in how start-ups focused on sustainable greenhouse solutions are created and supported.

This groundbreaking initiative introduces a new model for systematically building start-ups in a sector under growing pressure to address sustainability, labour shortages, and productivity challenges. According to Loet Rummenie, Director of HIC, the goal is both ambitious and strategic. “We aim to create three new start-ups per year,” he said. “We’ll track the journey from entrepreneur to idea, proposition, and venture – and measure survival rates, funding raised, and speed to commercialisation.”

Over the next three years, HIC will invest €1.15 million into this venture studio, which includes the opening of a cutting-edge demonstration greenhouse. This facility serves as a launchpad where researchers and entrepreneurs can test, showcase, and scale ideas into viable businesses. “What makes this studio unique,” Rummenie added, “is that entrepreneurs retain ownership of their companies and collectively participate in each new business. This gives them a direct incentive to share knowledge, networks, and expertise, while benefiting from shared infrastructure and guidance. In this way, we ensure that innovations reach practice faster and truly create value for the sector.”

The HIC Venture Studio will focus its efforts on six critical themes that define the future of greenhouse horticulture — from energy transition and resilient cultivation systems to circular horticulture, automation, autonomous growing, and future-proof work. These focus areas reflect the most urgent needs of the sector and aim to produce scalable solutions that improve sustainability and efficiency within greenhouses.

Partnerships play a central role in this venture. The studio has already brought on board two strategic partners: Catalyze Group, which helps attract non-dilutive funding, and EP&C, which supports intellectual property strategy and protection. As Rummenie explained, collaboration is at the heart of the studio’s philosophy. “We can only build these startups successfully if we combine knowledge and networks,” he said. “That’s why these partnerships are so important.”

The HIC Venture Studio is supported by some of the Netherlands’ most influential innovation and research institutions, including Wageningen University & Research, Delphy Improvement Center, YES!Delft, StartLife, and the Municipality of Lansingerland. This ecosystem ensures that new ventures have access to scientific expertise, mentorship, and a network of investors and agribusiness leaders. Regional partners like the Metropolitan Region Rotterdam The Hague (MRDH) have also played a crucial role. “The HIC Venture Studio strengthens our region’s innovative capacity,” said Lennart Onvlee of MRDH. “It connects entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, governments, and companies to accelerate sustainable solutions and boost international visibility.”

Venture studios have long been used to drive progress in industries such as AI, healthcare, and climate technology. Well-known examples include Idealabs, Rocket Internet, Entrepreneur First, and Antler. However, the concept remains relatively new to agriculture. “There are over 1,000 venture studios globally,” Rummenie noted. “Most focus on IT, pharma, or high-tech. There are very few yet dedicated to food and ag.”

By establishing the first of its kind, the Netherlands has set a bold example of how innovation can be systematically nurtured in agriculture. The HIC Venture Studio is more than just a hub for start-ups — it is a growing ecosystem that brings together science, entrepreneurship, and sustainability to cultivate the next generation of greenhouse technologies that will feed the world more efficiently and responsibly.

Optimised moisture management also lowers environmental impact. (Image credit: Hydronix)

Grain is a natural product, and its moisture content varies due to growing conditions, weather during harvest, threshing, and storage.

Once harvested, grain is processed in mills where it is flaked, rolled, or ground into flour.

Moisture affects every stage of milling influencing machinery performance, material flow, and product consistency. Achieving the right moisture content prevents spoilage, ensures stable storage, and extends shelf life. By accurately measuring and controlling moisture throughout the process, mills can optimise performance, reduce energy use, and cut costs. Consistent control leads to higher yields, improved quality, and less waste.

Where to Measure

Installing sensors at key points maximises return on investment:

1. Raw material intake
2. Raw material drying
3. Transfer points
4. Conditioning
5. Milling
6. Post-milling stages

Why Measure Moisture?

Traditional laboratory testing involves sampling material from the process flow. While accurate for that moment, it is slow and cannot reflect real-time variations.

Continuous, online measurement provides instant feedback, enabling automatic process adjustments. Continuously measuring the moisture content maintains optimal conditions, ensures consistent product quality, and prevents material losses during processing or storage.

Case Study

Manual control can be inconsistent and slow, often achieving moisture accuracy only within ±1%.

By installing sensors directly into the dryer, mills can achieve precision control of ±0.5% of the target moisture. This accuracy is primarily limited by the laboratory reference method used to verify readings rather than the sensor technology itself.

In one Hydronix customer’s rice mill, integrating moisture sensors into the dryer reduced broken rice by 2.5%, producing an additional 400 kg of usable product per 16-tonne batch - a significant gain in yield and profitability.

Conclusion

Online moisture measurement enables immediate, automatic adjustment to process conditions. Real-time control improves yield, reduces energy consumption, and ensures consistent quality. Optimised moisture management also lowers environmental impact.

Adding Hydronix sensors to existing systems is straightforward and offers a fast, measurable return on investment.

Speak to a Hydronix expert to learn how accurate moisture control can transform your milling process.