This guide (last update Mar 6, 2024) provides helpful tips on how to pitch your story to relevant AgriFoodTech, Food, Ag, Food Policy, and Generalist media outlets.
Below you’ll also find lists of:
Leading Global AgriFoodTech Media Outlets
Leading Global Ag, Food & Food Policy Media Outlets
Generalist Media Outlets That Cover FoodTech & AgTech News
Before you reach out to anyone, please read the below, as the tips may increase the likelihood of a journalist covering your story.
Practical Suggestions for Pitching Journalists and Other Content Creators
The most important part of PR strategy is: Who are you trying to reach? Why? Just like when pitching to investors, the better you understand how you fit into their strategy, the more efficient you can be with your time and the other party's time.
Journalists and editors are flooded with dozens, sometimes hundreds, of story pitches and press releases every day. You need to make sure your have a relevant story to tell, and that you tailor it based on your recipient. The easiest way for journalists to ignore your story is when you forward the press releases without showcasing the angle to your story that has a bigger context. No one is interested in doing a commercial for your company.
It often helps to show that you read the media outlet that you’re trying to secure coverage in (or at least make it sound like you do). Otherwise your pitch will sound off (wrong tone, angle, and target audience).
Example: ‘I know you covered Company X raise a month ago and shared how they can impact agribusiness professionals; I wanted to share Company Y’s news of initiating a partnership with XYZ company…’
If you’re pitching a big publication, first research who writes about what. And don’t contact several journalists at the same publication simultaneously.
At the very minimum, make sure the journalist you’re pitching to writes about the context in which your startup operates (e.g. FoodTech, or a sub-vertical of FoodTech), and/or the geography in which your startup operates.
What is typically considered newsworthy
A significant funding round (‘significant’ is relative to region and stage)
A big M&A (i.e. a company getting acquired, with a specified dollar amount)
New data that provides interesting or surprising insights
A significant scientific or technological breakthrough
Something where a famous celebrity is involved (maybe more relevant in food than in ag)
A well-known founder doing or saying something interesting or controversial
Regulatory changes (e.g. impacting where and how food products can be sold etc)
A story impacting an industry or a large number of people (e.g. a big partnership with well-known food chain)
What is typically considered less newsworthy
A very small funding round
A product launch
A new market launch
A startup winning an award, or a big contract
A new hire (e.g. that a startup has recruited a CTO)
Event participation (e.g. a founder speaking at an event)
Example: Your startup has raised a small funding round — but there are still ways to make it more newsworthy. Did any notable angel investors or top-tier VCs join the round? Is your founder notable, e.g. for being a well-known serial entrepreneur or for coming from an unusual background/geography? Is the funding round significant in your vertical or geography for any reason? (e.g. the biggest alternative protein round in country X?) Is your startup’s business model or technology novel? Then make sure to mention these factors.
Things to consider when you reach out
Sometimes you may pitch a story to a journalist via social media, but the most common is to send an email with a press release. Keep these things in mind:
Short, clear, and honest email subject line — 50 characters or less
Get to the point! Include the most important takeaway from your press release in the first sentence of your email body text. The journalist is trying to read your email as fast as possible.
Be direct: Explain what your startup is doing, and how it differs from the rest of the market, in a single, comprehensible sentence.
The Big Ws: The person reading your email will want to know the big W’s: Who, What, When, Where, and Why
Write a good headline: It often (but not always) become the article headline or at least the main storyline
Have an unexpected hook, and help find an angle: Write content that the journalist can see will resonate with their readers
Avoid buzzwords (e.g. ‘disruptive’) and hyperbole
Avoid being generic, boring, and using bland PR
Embargo? Mention it! (embargo means journalists are given access to info but are not allowed to publish or report on the info until the date/time when the embargo is lifted). But don’t make smaller outlets feel like you only care about NYT and TechCrunch
Answer questions quickly (especially if there is an embargo)
Offer something extra: E.g. exclusivity or an interview with a key person at your company (exclusivity means you give a news story, info, or interview to only one news outlet/journalist — meaning the info is not made available to other outlets/journalists simultaneously)
Paste your press release below your intro text in the email body (or attach/link to a Word/Google Doc — not a PDF). Don’t forget to include a link to e.g. a Google Drive with free-to-use images (of e.g. the founders, team, and product - here’s some best practice), and to add the contact details of your Media Contact so that the journalist can follow up for additional information.
Bonus tip: Create a Media Kit (e.g. in Google Drive) that features the following:
One-page summary highlighting company mission, key facts, figures, investors, milestones, notable clients and partners etc
Bios of founders and spokespeople (hightlight their expertise and experience)
High-quality images of team, product, and/or facilities (both for digital media and print)
Logos and brand assets (downloadable versions of your logo, brand guidelines etc)
Previous press releases
Previous media coverage (articles, interviews, reviews etc)
FAQs
Contact information for all media inquiries incl. names, emails, phone numbers, and social media handles
If you need inspiration for a press release that ticks all the boxes, see this:
Remember — it’s all about people and relationships
Be polite, be respectful of journalists’ time, and say thank you
Answer questions quickly
Journalists are people too. If you know that something is coming up in two weeks, give them a heads up with an embargo; don’t make them scramble to push something at the last minute.
Build personal relationships with journalists rooted in offering real, tangible value based on helping them make sense of what’s happening inside your industry ecosystem (read Play Bigger to learn how to create leverage through Category Deisgn). This will help you both going forward.
Don’t pester the journalists for PDFs of their coverage. If you pitch a journalist to write about you/your story, meaning the publication is important enough that you want coverage, then take out a subscription and pay for it. This is true even if your startup has a super tight budget.
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Can’t be bothered with all of the above? Here’s 20+ Food and Climate PR agencies to help you get the word out.
Leading Global AgriFoodTech Media Outlets
Publication | Focus | Geo focus | Reach | How to pitch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
FoodTech, AgTech | Sweden 🇸🇪 | 6.5K newsletter subscribers, 3K+ LinkedIn followers | Email here. | |
FoodTech, AgTech, Planetary Health. | Global | 90K newsletter subscribers, 500K+ monthly pageviews, 87K social media followers. | Email here (include press release). Helpful tips on pitching media here. | |
AgTech | Global | Here’s what they are looking for. | ||
AgTech | Global, with India expertise | 35K+ subscribers across Substack and LinkedIn; readers in 94 countries | Email here. | |
Agriculture, AgTech | Global, with U.S. expertise | 10K+ newsletter subscribers, 0.4K+ LinkedIn followers | ||
AgTech | Global, with U.S. expertise | 0.3K+ subscribers | Not a news outlet. NEVER covers funding rounds. Loves collaborating on thought pieces with founders, funders, and humans with great ideas and writing skills. Email here. | |
Animal feed | Global | Email here. | ||
Alternative Protein | Global | N/A | ||
Cellular Agriculture | Global | Contact info here. | ||
FoodTech, AgTech | Global | 20K+ newsletter subscribers, 5K+ LinkedIn followers | Email here. | |
FoodTech, AgTech | EU + U.S. | 25K+ community members, 12K+ LinkedIn followers | Email here. | |
Animal feed + related tech | Global | N/A | Email here. | |
Food, Beverage, FoodTech | Global | 125K+ newsletter subscribers, 16K+ LinkedIn followers | ||
Food Policy | U.S. | N/A | ||
FoodTech, AgTech | Global | 30K+ LinkedIn followers | Email here. Sending the press release under embargo / a link to the story once the news is out is great. | |
Food, FoodTech | Global | N/A | ||
FoodTech, AgTech, Food Policy | Global | 4K+ newsletter subscribers, 1K+ LinkedIn followers | Typically writes about news already covered by others. Email here. | |
FoodTech, AgTech, Food Policy | Global | 25K+ newsletter subscribers, 13K+ LinkedIn followers | Focuses on AgriFoodTech ecosystem news, key insights and investment trends, and publishes the FoodTech 500 ranking. Email here. | |
FoodTech, AgTech | U.S. | 1K+ LinkedIn followers | Submit story ideas and tips by email. | |
Precision agriculture | Global | N/A | ||
FoodTech, Alternative Protein, Climate | Global, with APAC expertise | 2K+ newsletter subscribers, <1K LinkedIn followers. | Doesn’t take pitches; is focused on thematic deep dives. People can reach out if it’s directly related to something previously covered by Future Food Now on SoMe or in a newsletter. Email here. | |
Alternative Protein | Global | N/A | ||
FoodTech, AgTech, Food Policy | Global, with Asia expertise | 30K+ newsletter subscribers, 12K+ LinkedIn followers, 400K web visits/month. | Pitch by email, with press release. Email here. | |
Food and Beverage, FoodTech | U.S. | 3.5K+ newsletter subscribers, 5K+ LinkedIn followers | Email here. | |
FoodTech | Global, with U.S. expertise | N/A | Email here. | |
Delivery | U.S. | 1K+ newsletter subscribers | Email here. | |
Food Automation, Food Robotics | Global, with U.S. expertise | 1K+ newsletter subscribers | Email here. | |
Plant Based, Alternative Protein | Global | 77K+ newsletter subscribers, 72K+ LinkedIn followers. | N/A | |
Animal Protein, AgTech | Global, with U.S. expertise | 4K+ newsletter subscribers, 0.3K+ LinkedIn followers. | Not a news outlet. Does the occasional Sponsored Deep Dives (very rare, and of course, sponsored). Email here. | |
AgTech | Global, with India expertise | N/A | ||
Food and FoodTech | Global, with U.S. expertise | 2K+ subscribers, 3K+ LinkedIn followers | Subscribe to the newsletter, read her work before pitching — and then make sure it’s tailored to her coverage. Send a few lines to see if she’s interested, not a press release. Email here. | |
FoodTech, KitchenTech, Food Robotics | Global with U.S. expertise | 30K+ newsletter subscribers, 8K+ LinkedIn followers | Submit tips here. | |
Agriculture, AgTech | Global with U.S. expertise | ∼4K newsletter subscribers | Typically covers educational deep dives on ag topics with data & frameworks. Send email here. | |
AgTech, FoodTech | Latin America | <1K newsletter subscribers | Covers startups, corporates, and investors in the region through news summaries and interviews. Email here. | |
AgTech | Global, with U.S. expertise | 15K+ newsletter subscribers, 1K+ LinkedIn followers | Email here. Share the press release and key takeaways in email format. | |
FoodTech, Alternative Protein | Global | 12K+ newsletter subscribers, 54K+ LinkedIn followers | Email here. |
Leading Global Ag, Food & Food Policy Media Outlets
Publication | Focus | Geo focus | Reach | How to pitch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture, Data | U.S. | N/A | N/A | |
Agriculture, Food Policy | U.S. | 34K+ newsletter subscribers | Less interested in funding rounds than agricultural innovation. Email here. | |
U.S. Food System (Policy, Farming etc) | U.S. | Here’s the type of stories they publish. | ||
Food & beverage | Global | Submit tips here. | ||
Food Policy | Global, with U.S. expertise | Email here. | ||
Food Policy | Global | Email here. | ||
Food Policy, Ag Policy | North America | N/A | ||
Agriculture, Food Policy | U.S. | N/A | N/A | |
Livestock, Food Policy, Food | Emerging markets | 5K+ newsletter subscribers | N/A | |
Food, Food Policy | U.S. | N/A | N/A | |
Food Policy, Climate | Global | 2K+ newsletter subscribers | N/A |
Generalist Media Outlets That Cover FoodTech & AgTech News
Publication | Focus | Geo focus | Reach | How to pitch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tech industry | Nordics and Baltics | 15K+ newsletter subscribers, 125K+ monthly website readers, 9K+ LinkedIn followers. | Email here, and attach 2-3 pictures to choose from. Story must be focused on Nordics/ Baltics, or will be auto-dismissed.) | |
Business | Global | Email Dan Primack here. | ||
European startups | EU | 450K monthly site visits, 67K+ newsletter subscribers, 92K+ LinkedIn followers | Reach their journalists here. | |
Business | Global | Email Adele Peters here. | ||
Business | Global | N/A | ||
Business | Global | N/A | ||
European startups | EU | 100K+ newsletter subscribers, 90K+ LinkedIn followers | Send (ideally exlusive) news here. | |
Tech industry | Benelux and Europe | Email here. Before you do so, read their guide. | ||
Tech industry | Global | Email Christine Hall for news on FoodTech (here’s how to pitch her) and Tim De Chant for news on AgTech and ClimateTech | ||
The European tech ecosystem | EU | Pitch your startup here. | ||
Tech industry | Global | How to pitch stories to WIRED, and who to pitch. |
Acknowledgments
Several people provided helpful feedback including insightful comments and constructive criticism on the above piece. I’d therefore like to extend my gratitude to the following persons (in no particular order):
Louisa Burwood-Taylor (AgFunder News), Connie Bowen (Agriculture is for People), Venky Ramachandran (Agribusiness Matters), Laura Hodgkiss (HackGroup), Anders Engström (AGFO), Shane Thomas (Upstream Ag Insights), Sonalie Figueiras (Green Queen), Michal Klar (Future Food Now), Larissa Zimberoff (Technically Food), Matthieu Vincent (DigitalFoodLab), Jennibeth Paglinawan (Forward Fooding), and Julia Glotz (The Trim).
Also thanks to Jake Berber at Prefer for letting me use your press release as a good example.