A Swiss start-up developing an edible barrier to help crops withstand drought has won the early-stage category of Tesco’s 2026 Agri-tech Challenge. The prize gives it a route to trials with UK growers in the retailer’s supply chain.
AgroSustain’s technology, called Tornado, coats plant surfaces with an invisible physical layer made from edible ingredients. According to the company, the layer strengthens crops against drought and salinity stress, with the aim of cutting losses and reducing reliance on conventional treatments while protecting yields.
AgroSustain chief executive Olga Dubey said the win “validates the strong need for it within the UK”.
What the win means in practice
Now in its ninth year, the challenge doesn’t hand out cash. Instead, winners get direct access to Tesco’s sustainable agriculture team, introductions through the innovation marketplace Leading Edge Only, mentoring from Tesco suppliers, and the chance to run commercial trials with a supply-chain partner. For a young technology, that real-world testing is often the hardest step.
The late-stage award went to Herd Advance for Stockman, an automated cattle monitoring system.
A company built on cutting waste
AgroSustain was founded in 2018 and is based in Renens, near Lausanne. Its first product, an edible coating that extends the shelf life of fresh produce, is already sold in Switzerland and parts of the EU. The company says it reduces waste by up to 50% during storage and transport.
It has also developed biofungicides and a biostimulant that its Swiss start-up profile lists as going through approvals for field use on grapes, strawberries and tomatoes. In 2021 it secured a €2.4 million EU innovation grant alongside a Series A round led by Swiss fruit importer Giovanelli.
Why drought protection is suddenly a UK priority
The timing is striking. The Met Office has confirmed that summer 2026 was the UK’s hottest on record, the second record summer in a row. Many areas received less than half their usual rainfall, and RHS Wisley went more than 60 days without rain.
For growers dealing with irrigation restrictions and heat-stressed crops this year, technologies that help plants cope with drought are no longer a future concern but a present one.
Tesco’s own research suggests appetite is there but adoption is hard. In a survey of farmers in its supply chain, 58% said they had introduced an innovation in the past year, but 76% reported significant barriers to adopting new technology. Schemes that put start-ups directly in front of growers are one way of closing that gap.
The key test will be how Tornado performs in British field conditions, and on which crops. AgroSustain has not yet said which UK growers or crops will take part in the trials.
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