Bengaluru (India) based AI Platform for food and agriculture, Cropin Technology has secured a €700K (US$763,000) contract under EIT Food’s Impact Funding Framework. The funds will be used to scale its artificial intelligence powered initiative titled FIRST Potato – Field Intelligence for Regenerative Agriculture and Sustainability in Potato Farming. This strategic deployment is aimed at accelerating the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices within the European potato farming ecosystem.
AI Powered Decision Support
The FIRST Potato initiative is designed to support a shift from conventional potato farming to regenerative methods by providing data driven, real time, and site specific agronomic recommendations. At the core of this initiative lies Cropin’s AI powered Decision Support System (DSS), which integrates multiple data sources, including crop specific intelligence, field level data from sensors, satellite imagery, weather stations, IoT devices, and proprietary data models, to generate predictive analytics. These analytics power plot-level advisories tailored to each farm’s unique soil profile and microclimatic conditions.
These advisories aim to help growers optimize irrigation, input usage, and residue management. By doing so, the initiative seeks to drive measurable outcomes that balance environmental goals with commercial viability. According to projections by Cropin, the platform is expected to result in a 5% increase in crop yield, a 15% reduction in pesticide use, a 5% decrease in water usage, and a 1.5% increase in solid content of potatoes. These outcomes are expected to deliver an estimated net economic benefit of €410 per hectare, combining both revenue enhancement and cost savings for growers and agri food businesses.
Scientific Validation and Commercial Pilots
To demonstrate efficacy and build credibility in the ecosystem, the FIRST Potato deployment will be validated through scientific trials on pilot farms in Denmark. These trials will be conducted in collaboration with Aarhus University, a globally acknowledged institution in sustainable agriculture research. In parallel, Cropin will initiate its first commercial pilots with two potato processors located in Germany and the United Kingdom. These deployments are intended to test the technology at scale and evaluate both agronomic and commercial outcomes in real world settings.
The initiative also addresses a well documented challenge in regenerative potato farming, early stage yield reduction. While regenerative practices improve soil health and increase the solid content of tubers, they may initially result in lower yields. Solid content is a critical metric for processors producing chips and fries. Cropin’s AI enabled system is positioned as a solution that allows farmers to uphold regenerative practices without compromising on yield or quality. Through precision agriculture and predictive insights, the system enables growers to navigate this transitional phase more efficiently and economically.
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Strategic Expansion into European & UK Agri Food Sector
As the movement toward regenerative agriculture continues to gain momentum across the United Kingdom and Europe, Cropin is actively engaging with stakeholders in the agri food value chain to support commercial deployments. The company is currently in advanced-stage discussions with several agri food brands operating in the region and anticipates launching multiple regenerative agriculture pilots before the close of the current financial year. These partnerships are expected to support both growers and food businesses in meeting their sustainability goals while maintaining profitability.
“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.”
Driving Climate Smart Farming Across the Ecosystem
The FIRST Potato initiative seeks to deliver a set of collective benefits that extend beyond the farm gate. For growers, the platform enables better resource efficiency, improved yields, and enhanced profitability. For processors and food brands, it supports sustainable sourcing commitments and quality consistency. For the broader environment, it contributes to climate resilience and reduced environmental footprint.
By aligning economic incentives with environmental stewardship, Cropin’s AI led approach is positioned as a model for scaling regenerative agriculture within specialized crop segments like potatoes. The project’s design, combining scientific validation, commercial deployment, and platform driven decision support, offers a replicable framework for other crops and geographies as well.
With this new funding and regional focus, Cropin is further embedding itself into the evolving landscape of digital agriculture in Europe. The company’s targeted initiatives and growing network of institutional and commercial partners suggest an increased commitment to enabling regenerative agriculture as a scalable, data backed model for sustainable food systems.