Fertilizer giant OCP has teamed up with Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) to provide a 200mln dollar funding to the San Francisco-based venture capital firm Bidra Innovation Ventures, in an effort to increase crop yields while simultaneously reducing environmental impact.
This initiative is designed to expand Bidra’s investment scope to include innovations in energy, water, mining, and agriculture, in order to combat climate change.
With respect to the agricultural component of the project, the objective is to reduce the carbon footprint of the industry in hopes of achieving full carbon neutrality by 2040.
This project is being undertaken with the intent of benefitting farmers in emerging markets that currently rely on outdated methods and manual labor, and it is anticipated that the undertaking will eventually benefit rural communities around the world with comprehensive macro and micronutrient analysis.
Bidra has delegated a robotics enterprise to implement “agricultural roots” that spray pesticides utilizing real-time computer vision in order to selectively spray chemicals on plants, with a resulting target of up to 60% chemical savings through reduction of excess. (Phosphate is a key nutrient in mineral and organic fertilizers, but is also a major agricultural pollutant).
Morocco has 70% of the world’s phosphate reserves, and OCP is responsible for mining, processing, manufacturing, exporting, and maximizing its value.
UM6P is a hub of education, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aspiring to become a solid bridge of knowledge between Morocco, Africa, and the world. It systematically applies a “hands-on” approach and develops effective partnerships with world-class universities on a global scale to provide leadership and training in focused research areas.