Chipotle Mexican Grill is making bold moves to create a more sustainable food system. They are investing in two cutting-edge companies: Greenfield Robotics and Nitricity, through their $50 million Cultivate Next venture fund. This fund focuses on supporting early-stage businesses that share Chipotle’s commitment to “Cultivate a Better World.”
Chipotle believes in supporting businesses that improve the lives of their employees, suppliers, and customers. They are actively seeking opportunities to make their food more accessible, convenient, and ethically sourced.
Transforming Agriculture with Robots
Conventional farming practices are causing significant environmental damage, including soil erosion, chemical pollution, and the emergence of herbicide-resistant weeds. Greenfield Robotics is revolutionizing agriculture with their fleet of autonomous robots. These robots are designed to replace harmful herbicides, minimizing reliance on chemicals and promoting regenerative farming practices.
Greenfield Robotics’ lightweight robots can operate day and night, weeding between rows of crops, reducing labor costs and improving efficiency. Chipotle’s investment will help Greenfield Robotics expand their fleet and develop new features for their robots, such as micro-spraying, cover crop planting, and soil testing.
“The work of Greenfield Robotics to build out a tech-forward alternative to herbicides plays an important role in ensuring a more sustainable future for the agricultural industry,” said Curt Garner, Chief Customer and Technology Officer at Chipotle. “We will help Greenfield Robotics scale their robotic offerings and explore how their robots can be deployed on farms within our supply chain.”
A Spark for Sustainable Fertilizer
Nitricity is tackling the environmental impact of nitrogen fertilizer production, which currently relies heavily on fossil fuels and releases significant amounts of greenhouse gases. Inspired by natural lightning, Nitricity has created a process to generate artificial lightning, harnessing air, water, and renewable energy to produce a cleaner and more sustainable fertilizer.
Nitricity’s fertilizer has 5 to 10 times less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional methods, thanks to its electrified production and application process. They are also building their production facilities near their customers, minimizing transportation emissions and costs.
“We’re proud to support Nitricity’s pursuit of a product innovation whose environmental benefits are complimentary to Chipotle’s approach to Food With Integrity,” said Jack Hartung, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at Chipotle. “Nitricity’s fertilizer offering not only has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of the fertilizer industry, but it can be a cost-effective solution for growers in our supply chain.”
A Collective Effort for a Brighter Future
Cultivate Next is more than just a venture fund; it’s a commitment to a more sustainable and equitable future. Chipotle is actively collaborating with innovative companies like Greenfield Robotics and Nitricity to address the challenges facing the food system. Their investments are driving progress towards a future where food is grown responsibly, ethically sourced, and accessible to everyone.
“We believe in the future of real, responsibly and sustainably raised food,” said Clint Brauer, founder of Greenfield Robotics. “In partnership with Chipotle, we can continue to explore creative solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing farmers across the United States.”
“Nitricity is committed to producing fertilizer that is optimized for farmers, not factory production or freight distribution,” said Nico Pinkowski, co-founder and CEO of Nitricity. “Partnering with Chipotle will unquestionably accelerate our path toward disrupting the industry with climate-smart technology.”
Chipotle is committed to keeping the public informed about the progress of Cultivate Next. They are encouraging companies interested in collaborating to apply through their website. Together, they are working to cultivate a better world, one bite at a time.
