Digital agriculture in LMICs - 1 May #85
Boomitra issues India’s first verified soil organic carbon removal credits
24/04/25
Boomitra and Social Carbon issue carbon credit from Indian smallholders
Carbon removal company Boomitra, in partnership with the Social Carbon Foundation, an organisation working on international Greenhouse Gas (GHG) standards and methodologies, has issued India’s first verified soil organic carbon (SOC) removal credits. The initiative dubbed URVARA Project marks the first use of the Social Carbon methodology for regenerative land management in India, which includes both environmental and social co-benefits. The URVARA project covers 25,000 acres and involves over 6,000 smallholder farmers, with another 6,000 enrolled for future phases. So far, 47,311 credits have been verified, with a projected total of over 315,000 credits over 20 years, making it the largest project by volume on the Social Carbon Registry.
Photo credit: Boomitra
Boomitra operates an international soil carbon marketplace where farmers are rewarded for the adoption of improved, regenerative agriculture practices through the incentive of carbon credits. Practices adopted include cover cropping, residue reincorporation, reduced tillage, and improved irrigation. The credits are sold in international voluntary carbon markets, generating a new income stream for farmers and linking improved agricultural practices to verified climate outcomes.
Boomitra’s AI and satellite-based MRV (Measurement, Reporting & Verification) system reduces the cost and complexity of monitoring carbon sequestration, allowing smallholders, including those with one-acre plots to participate.
25/04/25
DeHaat completes $23.4M debt funding to fuel expansion beyond India
Agritech DeHaat has raised INR 2 billion (USD 23.6 million) in venture debt from investor Trifecta Capital, an Indian financing platform specialised in venture debt and growth equity. The startup plans to use the funds to expand internationally and support its ambition to grow the business by 40% in this financial year. Founded in 2012, DeHaat is India’s largest digital agri-food marketplace. It operates through a “phygital” model, supported by its network of DeHaat Centers and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
In January this year, the agritech acquired AgriCentral, a farm advisory platform owned by agribusiness company Olam Agri. With the acquisition, DeHaat expanded its farmer network with +12 million farmers across the country. To date, DeHaat has raised over USD 270 million in funding, and has reached an evaluation if USD 700 to 800 million, making it a so called “soonicorn” among India’s agritech startups.
29/04/25
Odisha and Gates partner for agritech, climate smart agriculture
The Government of the state of Odisha in India has partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support digital agriculture innovations and climate-smart practices.
Formalised via a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the collaboration, which is being led by Odisha’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment (DAFE) and the Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Department (FARDD), will support the deployment of AI-driven tools and precision agriculture solutions to enhance productivity across agriculture, fisheries, and livestock sectors. A core component of the partnership is the launch of the Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance Odisha, an initiative that aims to bring together startups, research institutions, and government agencies to accelerate the adoption of digital solutions for climate risk management.
As part of the initiative, which aims to support science-based interventions, the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) and The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) released new publications. The CSTEP study is a district-level assessment of climate risks, resource use patterns, and emissions from agriculture, while IFPRI’s study is an impact evaluation of the Comprehensive Rice Fallow Management (CRFM) Program in Odisha, focusing on the conversion of fallow lands and its effects on the acreage and yields of pulses and oilseeds.
28/04/25
Good reads: Ignitia highlights impact of SMS-based weather forecasts for Benin farmers
Ina LinkedIn Post tropical weather forecasting start-up Ignitia, a provider of weather and climate advisory for farmers, shared insights from a recent impact study evaluation. The study published in the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences highlights the positive impact of SMS-based weather forecasts on crop yields among smallholder farmers in Dassa-Zoumè, Benin. The researchers valuated the experiences of 180 farmers, of which 120 were using Ignitia's SMS weather service and 60 were non-users. They found that Ignitia users achieved higher yields, 30% for peppers, 22% for maize, 20% for soybeans, 17% for peanuts and 13% for cassava. These farmers received daily or near-daily forecasts, enabling timely decisions on sowing, fertilisation, and harvesting.
Photo credit: Ignitia
Despite the benefits, challenges persist. The study finds that some farmers struggle with understanding SMS content due to literacy barriers, and limited mobile network coverage affects information access. Nonetheless, the study underscores the potential of digital climate services in enhancing agricultural resilience. Founded in 2015, Ignitia has developed a proprietary forecasting model that delivers hyper-local, GPS-specific weather predictions. The company claims that its model has 84% accuracy, outperforming traditional global models in tropical climates.