Rice is a fundamental crop for over half of the global population, especially in South and Southeast Asia where demand is on the rise. However, traditional rice farming methods contribute significantly to methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas that worsens climate change. Additionally, rice cultivation consumes a large amount of freshwater. Mitti Labs, co-founded by Xavier Laguarta and Devdut Dalal, aims to address these issues by leveraging technology solutions to reduce methane emissions by 50% and water consumption by 30%.
The startup, headquartered in New York City with a subsidiary in Bengaluru, India, launched last year and is focusing on the Indian market, the world’s second-largest rice producer. By implementing sustainable farming techniques and innovative solutions, Mitti Labs aims to help smallholder farmers reduce their environmental impact while increasing their incomes.
With the assistance of various partners, Mitti Labs has initiated projects across India to promote sustainable rice farming, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance water management. By empowering farmers to adopt new practices and selling carbon credits on their behalf, the startup aims to create a profitable and environmentally friendly model for rice cultivation.
Utilizing advanced technology such as remote sensing platforms and greenhouse gas chambers, Mitti Labs measures climate impact and calculates emissions to ensure transparency and accuracy in the carbon credit market. The startup’s success in its initial projects has positioned it for expansion into new markets like Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam.
While there are other startups in the sustainable farming sector in India, Mitti Labs differentiates itself by specializing in rice farming and focusing on becoming a leader in the field. The startup’s first funding round was co-led by Lightspeed and Voyager, with early support from Harvard Innovation Labs.
