Headstorm: https://headstorm.com/
AGPILOT: https://headstorm.com/agpilot/
ELO Life: https://elolife.com/
Pairwise: https://www.pairwise.com/home
New Leaf Symbiotics: https://www.newleafsym.com/
Harpe Bio: https://harpebio.com/
"Biologicals are ‘economically unfeasible’ According to Report: The Shortcomings and Opportunities" by Upstream Ag Insights: https://www.upstream.ag/p/biologicals-are-economically-unfeasible
I considered a title for this episode that was something like “The Biological Revolution Coming to Agriculture”.
I decided against it, and not just because it’s over-dramatic and the word ‘revolution’ is tossed around way too much, but because it would give many listeners the wrong idea of what this episode is about.
This is not an episode about biologicals, which has become a catch-all term for things like biostimulants, biopesticides, biofungicides, and bioherbicides. I’m not a fan of trying to categorize things as “biologicals” for the following reasons:
With all of that said I do believe that advancements in biotechnology will have the single biggest impact of any technology on the future of agriculture. And that’s what I want to talk about here in this episode and highlight four companies that are doing some fascinating work driven by biology, that I had the chance to sit down with at World Agri-Tech this year.
So that intro might sound like I’m both criticizing biologicals and calling them the future of agriculture. Let me clarify: my point is that we need to stop lumping everything into this biologicals category and making judgments about a vague category and instead look at how companies and products can stand on their own merits and the value they offer to farmers and consumers.
In today’s episode, I’ll feature two companies in ELO Life and Pairwise that are using biotechnology, specifically gene editing, to change the game on certain agricultural products and ingredients. What they can do it mind-blowing - they are like the Willy Wonka’s of agriculture.
Then we’ll dive deeper into a New Life Symbiotics, which is more of a biological company in the classic sense of the word in that they sell microbes used as biostimulants and biopesticides. This is will give you a great look into some of the challenges and opportunities of these types of products.
Finally we’ll take a peak into what Harpe Bio is doing with their natural chemistry made from plant extracts to provide a new suite of herbicide products.
All of these examples are enabled by advancements in our understanding of biology combined with the data science and other tools that I think will accelerate innovation in agriculture faster than just about anything else out there today.
But let’s not evaluate these stories on how the products were developed, but what problems they solve what value they can offer.
FoA 302: Farm Business Strategy with Kristjan Hebert
FoA 301: Funding Innovation for Agriculture, People and Planet with Suma Reddy of Future Acres
FoA 300: Seven Consumer Values Influencing the Future of Agriculture
FoA 299: Scaling Up Pastured Poultry with Paul Greive of Pasturebird
FoA 298: Adding Value to Farmland Investments via Conversion to Organic and Regenerative with Craig Wichner of Farmland LP
FoA 297: A Case Study in Farm Data Integration with Leaf Agriculture and GROWMARK
FoA 296: Financial Incentives for Sustainable Agriculture with Jayce Hafner of FarmRaise
FoA 295: Commercializing Sound Science with Adam Litle of Sound Agriculture
FoA 294: Food Investing for Systemic Change with Stephen Hohenrieder of Grounded Capital Partners
FoA 293: [Tech-Enabled Advisor Series] Trust and Technology with Cassie Misch and Jake Smoker
FoA 292: Real Talk on Regenerative Agriculture with Joe Bassett of Dawn Equipment and Underground Agriculture
FoA 291: Revisiting Agtech Founders from Semios, Manolin & Harvest Returns...Where are They Now?
FoA 290: Designing Crops That Tell Farmers What's Bothering Them with Shely Aronov of InnerPlant
FoA 289: [VC Roundtable] Trends Boosting Agtech and 2022 Predictions
FoA 288: Tractors as a Service for Smallholder Farmers with Jehiel Oliver of Hello Tractor
FoA 287: Why The Nature Conservancy is Investing in Agtech with Renée Vassilos
FoA 286: Nutrient Density and the Future of Quality-Driven Food Systems with Dan Kittredge
FoA 285: [Tech-Enabled Advisor Series] Helping Growers Save Money with Independent Crop Consultant John Silvera
FoA 284: Autonomous Sprayers with Gary Thompson of GUSS
FoA 283: A Model for Climate-Smart Dairy with Calgren Dairy Fuels
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