Can smarter materials help us transition away from harmful chemical pesticides while keeping our global food systems productive and resilient? In Episode 28 of The Carbon Circle, host Roshan Rai sits down with Gilad Yarkoni, CEO & Co-founder of Israeli AgTech startup Platypus. With over 15 years of experience in materials engineering and industrial chemistry, Gilad shares how Platypus is solving one of agriculture’s biggest challenges: the field durability gap of biological pest control. Learn how their innovative water-free gel platform, PlatyForm, extends the active life of natural compounds (like essential oils and pheromones) from days or weeks to over 200 days—slashing reapplication labor, lowering toxicity, and paving the way for low-toxin food systems. 💡 Key Takeaways in This EpisodeThe Broken Innovation Cycle: Why bringing a synthetic pesticide to market takes $300M+ and 12 years, and why biopesticides are taking over. The Field Stability Gap: Why natural bioactives fail quickly under heat, UV, and weather, and how ecological chemistry fixes it. Inside PlatyForm: How a water-free, slow-release gel matrix controls the volatility of bio-organic compounds. Economics for Farmers & Brands: How extended-release solutions save labor, reduce application frequency, and command premium market value. India 2047 Vision: Strategic Indo-Israeli AgTech collaboration for IPM adoption, Scope 3 reduction, and resilient food systems. ⏱️ Chapter Timestamps00:00 - Introduction: Ecological Chemistry in Pest Control 01:53 - Subtopic 1: From Factory Floor to Ecological Chemist 10:42 - Subtopic 2: The Pesticide Dilemma: Synthetics vs. Biopesticides 27:48 - Why Natural Compounds Evaporate & Fail in the Field 49:07 - Subtopic 3: The Solution: How PlatyForm Works at a Microscopic Level 01:01:06 - The Economics of Extended-Release Pest Control for Growers 01:11:02 - Subtopic 4: India 2047: Building Low-Toxin Food Systems via Israel-India Collaboration 01:13:40 - A 10-Year Roadmap for Sustainable Crop Protection 01:17:30 - Outro & Closing Remarks 👤About the Guest Gilad Yarkoni is the CEO & Co-founder of Platypus, an Israeli materials innovation startup transforming pest management with ecological chemistry. Holding a B.Sc. in Polymer/Plastics Engineering and a Master of Design from Shenkar, Gilad combines over 15 years of chemical industry experience with design thinking to build scalable, climate-relevant material solutions. 🌐 Platypus Website: https://www.platypus-materials.com/ 🔗 Gilad Yarkoni on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilad-yarkoni 🎙️ Carbon Mandal provides sustainability consultancy, ESG strategy, carbon accounting, and climate-risk execution to help organizations build resilient, low-carbon food and industrial supply chains. 🌐 Website: https://www.carbonmandal.com 📧 Contact: connect@carbonmandal.com🏷️ Relevant Hashtags #agtech #sustainableagriculture #PestControl #EcologicalChemistry #Biopesticides #IPM #CarbonMandal #TheCarbonCircle #ClimateTech #India2047 #GreenChemistry

Why do generic ESG tools fail Global South supply chains? Discover how 180Pi builds localized climate data infrastructure to help Indian and African SMEs navigate CSRD and IFRS mandates.0:00 - Introduction 2:12 - How did managing a €100M climate portfolio reveal the SME data gap? 5:32 - Why should climate startups build data infrastructure instead of generic consulting? 9:05 - How do you calculate carbon emissions for supply chains using firewood and motorbikes? 11:44 - How do you deploy regional emission factors and proxy datasets to fill data gaps? 13:54 - Where do typical African and Indian businesses currently archive operational logs? 17:12 - How does the EU CSRD mandate impact exporters serving European markets? 20:18 - What does day-to-day data look like for an agricultural exporter without an ERP? 24:36 - How are Kenya and Nigeria mandating sustainability reporting for businesses? 27:01 - What are the technical building blocks of localized climate data infrastructure? 31:38 - How do you turn scattered operational metrics into investor-ready ESG reports? 36:46 - How much of Africa’s $277B climate finance gap is a pure data problem? 39:11 - Who should pay for climate intelligence in thin-margin SME value chains? 43:16 - How can India and Africa leverage South-South collaboration on carbon accounting? 45:52 - How do we make climate reporting as vital as commercial financial reporting? 49:56 - How can Carbon Mandal support your practical enterprise transition roadmap? Overcoming Data Scarcity: A technical deep-dive into establishing a verifiable data layer using raw utility receipts, WhatsApp dispatches, and regional benchmarks when an ERP system is absent. Localized Carbon Accounting: Why generic off-the-shelf Western templates fail on the ground and how to replace them with university-backed proxy methodologies. Proportionate Compliance Strategies: Utilizing the VSME standard as a practical stepping stone for mid-sized suppliers to meet aggressive CSRD and value chain requirements. Unlocking Green Capital: Structuring data outputs to align with emerging local currency financial products and development finance institution (DFI) parameters. Maha Chairi specializes in sustainable finance architecture and capital mobilization in emerging markets. Having engineered large-scale climate clusters for GIZ, she established 180Pi to standardize SME data for IFRS compliance frameworksPlatform: https://180pi.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maha-chairiCarbon Mandal designs custom carbon accounting pipelines, strict regulatory alignment frameworks, and data-driven ESG transition strategies for Global South enterprises.Email us : connect@carbonmandal.comVisit our website - https://www.carbonmandal.com#SMEClimateData #ESGReporting #CarbonAccounting #CSRDCompliance #IFRSS2 #VSMEStandard #SupplyChainDecarbonization

How much money is your business throwing away in food waste? In Episode 27 of The Carbon Circle, host Roshan Rai sits down with Philippe Schuler—author of 'The Wise Man & The Story of Plenty', sustainability consultant at Quest Impact Design Studio, and former Global Impact Manager at Too Good To Go.Philippe breaks down why food waste is not just an environmental crisis, but a massive supply chain flaw and a major bottom-line leak for hospitality, retail, and FMCG sectors. From inspecting potato supply chains in Denmark to auditing luxury resort buffets in Thailand and the Maldives, Philippe shares data-driven strategies and AI technologies that turn waste into measurable corporate savings.🌿 About Carbon Mandal:We help organizations build resilient supply chains, implement credible ESG strategies, and achieve net-zero goals without carbon tunnel vision. Our mission: Sustainable Bharat by 2047.👉 Explore our services: https://www.carbonmandal.com---------------------------------------------------📌 IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER:• Why food waste sits at the heart of climate, nature, and social challenges.• How supermarkets unintentionally push food loss onto farmers.• The economic reality of hotel buffet waste in Thailand and the Maldives.• How AI, smart bins, dynamic pricing, and forecasting reduce waste across the value chain.• Why technology fails without human-centric change management and culture.• Building a Nature Strategy: Moving beyond carbon-only thinking to biodiversity and circular economy.• Supply chain lessons for India’s growing retail and quick-commerce sectors.---------------------------------------------------⏱️ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Introduction

0:27 Who is Philippe Schuler and how does his background shape his work in supply chains?

1:17 What are the systemic issues hidden within fresh produce supply chains like potatoes?

7:34 Why does a gap exist between supermarket standards and actual farmer waste?

10:16 What does food waste look like in luxury hotels and resorts?

13:40 How can we summarize the complex journey of supply chain sustainability for C-suite executives?

14:40 Why is addressing food waste a primary lever for climate action?

17:18 How can companies translate food waste reduction into actual financial margins?

22:11 How does the concept of 'plenty' influence our modern planetary crisis?

25:17 What are the top three organizational blind spots regarding sustainability?

28:53 How should Indian hospitality and retail leaders approach the challenge of waste?

33:06 How can AI and smart technology practically reduce waste in food systems?

38:58 Why is human-centric culture and change management more critical than technology alone?

46:01 How can household habits and behavioral nudges fight food waste?

51:21 How should companies structure financial models and data ownership for tech implementation?

54:12 What questions should quick-commerce platforms ask before integrating AI solutions?

57:02 What is the economic case for nature-positive business models?

1:01:53 How do you build a scientific nature strategy and biodiversity assessment?

1:05:28 What supply chain lessons can be learned from global logistics examples like the Uganda case?

1:17:28 How does Carbon Mandal drive value towards a Sustainable Bharat by 2047?---------------------------------------------------🔗 GUEST RESOURCES & LINKS:• Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philippeschuler• Book: 'The Wise Man & The Story of Plenty'---------------------------------------------------💡 CONNECT WITH CARBON MANDAL:• Website: https://www.carbonmandal.com• Email: connect@carbonmandal.com#FoodWaste #ArtificialIntelligence #SupplyChain #CircularEconomy #ESG #Sustainability #CarbonMandal #TheCarbonCircle #NaturePositive #FoodSystems #ViksitBharat2047