HOMESTEAD â Synthetic dyes are taking a back seat as consumers and manufacturers are driving increased demand for natural dyes with agriculture at the wheel.
Take the indigo blue color, for instance. It has been an international icon for centuries that captivated the textile, fashion and agriculture industries. Where would blue jeans be were it not for indigo, for example? For the last century, however, synthetic dyes stepped into the market, reducing the demand for growing the plant transitioning its agricultural demand into the back seat â until now.
Scientists at University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have just completed a two-year series of field trials in Homestead that were sponsored by Tennessee-based company Stony Creek Colors. Their tests could make growing the indigo plant, which produces the iconic natural blue dye, a profitable and environmentally sound crop in the Sunshine State.
Arlington, Va., March 9, 2021 /3BL Media/
– As investor interest coalesces around the potential of emerging agricultural technology (‘agri-tech’) to boost the sustainability of global food systems, a pioneering initiative from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) aims to encourage cross-sector commitment to innovations that target the specific issue of soil health.
TNC has commenced investments in a series of emerging agri-tech solutions that have the potential to accelerate adoption of regenerative agriculture management practices for the benefit of farmers, soil health, climate and biodiversity. TNC works with iSelect to identify companies developing innovative solutions and invests via the iSelect Fund.
Commenting on the significance of the effort, TNC’s Director of Agricultural Innovation Renée Vassilos said: “Deteriorating soil health underpins many of the agricultural challenges facing us this century - from climate and biodiversity, to food security and freshwater.
The Nature Conservancy invests in five agtech companies agriculture.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from agriculture.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.