\n<\/p>\n
MBA Student Presents Innovative Startup at U.N. Forum<\/strong><\/p>\n UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.<\/strong> \u2014 Jashvinu Yeshwanth Raj, an MBA student at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, recently shared his startup, wrkFarm, at the U.N. Technology Science Innovation Forum in New York City. Developed partly at the College of Agricultural Sciences\u2019s Youth Food Lab, wrkFarm focuses on crop modeling, tracking everything from planting to harvest.<\/p>\n The primary aim of wrkFarm is to map out a crop\u2019s growth on a week-by-week basis. This helps farmers identify any problems that may prevent them from achieving their expected yields. Raj highlighted the importance of using advanced tools such as remote sensing and artificial intelligence to help small farmers in countries like Thailand, India, and the U.S.<\/p>\n Raj’s interest in agriculture stems from his personal background and the challenges farmers face due to climate change. \u201cFarmers are directly impacted by climate change; what worked years ago often doesn\u2019t apply now,” he noted. He emphasized that unpredictable weather now disrupts planting schedules and affects how much water crops need.<\/p>\n With wrkFarm, farmers can spot issues like disease or stress in their crops early on, target treatments precisely, and minimize pesticide and fertilizer use by relying on data rather than guesswork.<\/p>\n Reflecting on the opportunity to speak at the forum, Raj said it was a significant moment for him. \u201cBeing the youngest speaker among leaders in food systems at the U.N. Forum was amazing. I was able to present wrkFarm\u2019s mission on a global platform and connect with people dedicated to improving food systems worldwide,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n The forum unites governments, researchers, and innovators to advance the U.N.\u2019s Sustainable Development Goals. Raj emphasized the need for a shift in farmers’ focus from merely maximizing outputs to optimizing what they can achieve on their own land.<\/p>\n Yeshwanth Raj credited the Youth Food Lab for playing a crucial role in making wrkFarm a reality. The lab connected the team with vital partners and provided access to experts, funding, and resources to enhance their product’s usability.<\/p>\n Maria Spencer, director of Penn State\u2019s Youth Food Lab, praised Raj\u2019s work as a vital part of addressing global food security issues. \u201cJash’s journey has been remarkable, and I\u2019m incredibly proud of what he has accomplished. Young innovators are key to solving today\u2019s challenges. When given the proper tools and guidance, they can profoundly change the system,\u201d Spencer stated.<\/p>\n Most importantly, Raj noted that the lab helped him engage with around 4,500 farming families. \u201cThe Youth Food Lab was essential to expanding wrkFarm. While I’m a computer science major, we needed industry experts to guide us on making this technology effective and beneficial,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Transparency throughout the supply chain is crucial for Raj. He believes that both farmers and consumers should see how food is produced, with a focus on fewer artificial inputs and reliable data supporting claims of organic and sustainable practices.<\/p>\n \u201cBy working closely with farmers, we want to accurately document the growing process and share this information with buyers. Everyone benefits when they understand how sustainably food is grown, and maintaining this digital record helps farmers improve their practices,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MBA Student Presents Innovative Startup at U.N. Forum UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. \u2014 Jashvinu Yeshwanth Raj, an MBA student at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, recently shared his startup, wrkFarm, at the U.N. Technology Science Innovation Forum in New York City. Developed partly at the College of Agricultural Sciences\u2019s Youth Food Lab, wrkFarm focuses on<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35831,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}