27 days
The Cacta Case: Luciano Sambataro Explains How This App Works to Measure Environmental Impact (Not Just the Carbon Footprint) to Reach New Markets
The 'boom' of Agtechs, the new tech companies linked to agriculture, is largely driven by the generational shift occurring in the sector. Luciano Sambataro is a young civil engineer who, while drinking beer in Germany with a friend who is a lemon producer, realized there was an untapped opportunity: Measuring environmental impact in agricultural production. José Luis Cebe, from a citrus family, was excited about the project, and thus Cacta was born—the app that today allows producers to measure how sustainable their practices are, correct imbalances, and seize the opportunities offered by new markets. Most importantly, it doesn't just focus on the well-known carbon footprint. What’s interesting about this Agtech is that it considers environmental care as a way to optimize the production process and achieve economic benefits. 'Being sustainable isn’t just about philanthropy; it’s also about doing business that lasts,' Luciano explained to Bichos de Campo. The ISO Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, the set of standards that underpins Cacta, is already used by large companies worldwide to evaluate where the greatest ecological impact occurs in the production chain. If a producer can report their impact through indicators, they will likely have more access to these markets. Since this is a relatively new phenomenon in agriculture, environmental care is often associated with the carbon footprint and green bonds. A serious mistake, according to the civil engineer, who explained that measuring the footprint 'not only is insufficient' but 'can even be harmful' if management decisions are made solely based on that popular variable. Rather than just measuring greenhouse gas emissions, Sambataro emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach. 'So, what other variables should be measured?' we asked, and he referred to two key areas: Water footprint and substance toxicity. The good news is that producers have been recording many key aspects of their production, such as inputs used, technology employed, or energy consumption, making the algorithmic processing by the system easier to generate indicators. Additionally, the co-founder noted that they offer manual data entry for producers who are not tech-savvy. The result is the reports producers receive periodically, which help identify where adjustments are needed and which processes can justify higher prices. 'All of this is designed for action. Both to correct what’s wrong and to add more value to what’s done right,' he explained. To ensure the measurements are as accurate as possible, the system takes into account the producer’s location, soil studies, and additional weather information. For a company that was founded just 3 years ago, the growth potential is tied not only to the proposal itself but, fundamentally, to the users they can attract. And since the app is not free but requires an annual subscription, they must convince producers that measuring their environmental impact will be profitable. The truth is that Sambataro had traveled to Frankfurt to pursue a Ph.D. in life cycle analysis, a measurement methodology gaining momentum in the First World. His idea was to apply it with a system agile and simple enough for any producer to get a comprehensive environmental impact analysis without needing to consult other experts. 'With the benefits they can access just by starting to measure, it pays for itself,' Sambataro assured. Furthermore, they have built strategic partnerships to boost usage, with both private banks offering discounts on rates to Cacta users and other growing Agtechs. The most recent partnership, announced during Expoagro, was with Bipolos, an agricultural commerce platform where they integrated the ability to assess the environmental impact of what is about to be purchased.
