Agriculture: Asia's agri-tech startups offer answers to Iran war supply chain crunch

Companies enhance photosynthesis, use pineapple leaves in synthetic leather

21. Mai 2026 um 14:30 Uhr / Koji Nozawa, Nikkei Asia

Aerial view taken using a drone at the end of the day on the rice fields of Tomikura in the Osaka province in Sakai, Japan on July 29, 2025 Bild: Antoine Boureau / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images

TOKYO -- Agriculture startups in Southeast Asia and India are using locally available materials to reduce fertilizer consumption and produce alternatives to plastic, partly in response to the supply chain disruptions caused by the ongoing Iran conflict.

Agriculture plays a substantial role in many Southeast and South Asian economies. As of 2023, agriculture, forestry and fisheries accounted for 12.5% of Indonesia's gross domestic product and 16.2% for India, the World Bank reports, compared with 0.9% for Japan.