Mitti Labs, the start-up working to clean up rice cultivation

© Unsplash.com/Doan Tuan

Rice is an essential food for more than half of the world's population, but its cultivation has a detrimental impact on the planet. By using cutting-edge technologies and supporting farmers, Mitti Labs aims to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of rice growing.

The environmental impact of rice cultivation

In addition to high water consumption, rice cultivation produces a lot of methane, a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming. Traditional farming methods, such as flooding rice fields and burning rice straw, contribute about 10% of human-caused methane emissions worldwide.< /p>

For their part, farmers are very attached to these practices and are reluctant to change. With its solutions, Mitti Labs wants to support them towards more sustainable rice cultivation. Co-founded by Harvard graduates Xavier Laguarta, Devdut Dalal and Nathan Torbick, the start-up is based in New York and has a branch in Bangalore, India.

Mitti Labs technology

Its objective: reduce methane emissions by 50% % and water consumption by 30% in rice cultivation, thanks to techniques like high-resolution satellite imagery and gas chambers on the ground. The young company operates a sophisticated remote sensing platform that uses high-resolution satellite images, captured by synthetic aperture radars. This technology makes it possible to penetrate the earth's surface and accurately analyze water levels, soil moisture and plant growth.

At the same time, Mitti Labs uses gas chambers installed in the field to measure methane and nitrous oxide emissions. This data is then processed by an advanced software model, providing a comprehensive, real-time view of agricultural practices. With this information, the company can guide farmers toward more sustainable techniques, such as alternating between wetting and drying fields.

Financially encourage farmers to take the plunge

A concept that appeals. Mitti Labs recently raised $3 million in investment. For now, it is specifically targeting the Indian market, the second largest rice producer in the world. 5 projects are currently underway, covering a total of 30,000 hectares. 10 others are in preparation. The start-up aims to collaborate with more than 40,000 small farmers, and hopes to expand to Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam before the end of next year.

The objective of Mitti Labs is to distribute at least 70% of the profits generated via carbon credits to farmers who have adopted sustainable practices. The rest is divided between the company and its partners. In this way, she hopes to increase by 30% the annual income of the farmers with whom she collaborates.

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