A EUROPE-wide project designed to validate and verify the impact of regenerative practices in potato production is to be piloted in the UK.
The project is being led by agricultural AI pioneer Cropin, which is based in Bangladore in India, and is being funded by a €700,000 (£605,000) grant from the EU’s EIT Food innovation agency.
Real-time field data, computer models and predictive analytics will be used to secure objective data points that can be used to verify the effects of regenerative methods without compromising potato crop yield or quality, including the dry matter content sought by processors.
Cropin’s AI-powered initiative, which is called FIRST Potato, is designed to encourage adoption of regenerative practices across Europe. It brings together a consortium of food processors, research institutions and sustainability leaders to accelerate the transition from conventional to regenerative practice.
Cropin’s CEO and Founder Krishna Kumar (pictured) said: “As regenerative agriculture gains momentum, the absence of verifiable, measurable outcomes poses a real challenge to meaningful, scalable impact. Without robust digital systems, farmers struggle to consistently uphold regenerative principles.
“Through AI, data intelligence, and real-time decision-support, we are bridging this critical gap, bringing precision, accountability, and scale to regenerative agriculture. With FIRST Potato, our goal is to help farmers adopt climate-smart practices that are both profitable and scientifically validated.”
The project will collate data from sensors, satellite imagery, weather stations and IoT devices to deliver plot-specific daily advisories to growers, tailored to soil profile and microclimatic conditions. By enabling optimised irrigation, input usage and residue management, Cropin’s precision and predictive technology will help potato growers manage the three issues of optimal yield, reduced inputs and quality consistency demanded by potato processors producing crisps and chips.
Scientific validation will initially be carried out on farms in Denmark, where Cropin has partnered with Aarhus University, a globally-recognised leader in sustainable agriculture research. However, the first commercial pilots will involve a UK potato processor, with a second to follow in Germany.
“This deployment will deliver collective benefits,” said Krishna. “Growers enhance their profitability, brands meet their sustainability targets, and regenerative practices benefit the planet.”
Cropin is actively engaging in strategic commercial partnerships and pilot deployments across Europe and the UK. The company is in advanced discussions with several leading UK and Europe-based agri-food brands and expects to close multiple regenerative agriculture pilots in the region before the end of the current financial year.
Source: Cropin
