PMA Takes On Tech

Listen to a real life example of Lipman Family Farms and their supply chain management technology adoption journey.  We hear about the value of a good partner, constant iteration and finding the right pace of adoption.

What is gene editing? How is it different from GMOs? Today, experts will discuss real world examples of gene editing. The ability to develop climate-resistant crops with higher nutrition and less food loss are a couple of benefits of gene editing. Could this be the path forward for our industry to develop improved foods with lower environmental impact?

A conversation with Nate Storey about how Plenty thinks about and deals with food safety issues. Listen to this candid discussion about the challenges and types of solutions the produce industry (indoor and out) faces with food safety and traceability

I sit on the other side of the microphone with Sarah Nolet from the agtech….so what podcast. We discuss a wide range of topics from genetics to clean tech.

Kalera is one of the fastest-growing and largest vertical farming companies. It has high-yield, automated, data-driven hydroponic production facilities designed for rapid rollout with two operating facilities in Orlando, one in St Paul, MN and one in Atlanta. It plans to open five additional large-scale facilities across the US by early 2022, including locations in Houston, Denver, Hawaii, Columbus, and Seattle.

 

Kalera has had a very busy year with the acquisition of Vindara, an indoor ag breeding company and building an impressive team and board. Hear from Daniel Malechuck the CEO of Kalera about their journey and also from Jade Stinson, co-founder and CEO of Vindara about the importance of breeding to indoor ag.

The development of agricultural biologicals - biostimulants, biopesticides and biofertilizers - is growing as global agriculture looks to move towards more sustainable ways to boost yields and new methods of crop protection. Growers are increasingly looking to agricultural inputs based on microbes to both reduce and complement the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilzers in their fields. Biological controls have been around for years, but represent only 10% of fungicide and sales and have not yet made a dent in nutritional inputs and skepticism still remains.

 

This week's episode explores the many benefits of using microbes and the different approaches leaders in the field use.

Join a lively discussion with Paul Lightfoot, founder and president at Bright Farms. We talk about his journey with BrightFarms over the last 10 years and the strengths he sees with indoor growing around supply chain and water. Paul has also started a newsletter called Negative Foods and is on a mission to eat and promote foods based on regenerative farming practices that draw carbon from the atmosphere. Paul believes if we eat foods that draw down carbon on a net basis, our food system will be a lever to reverse climate change. We cover climate change, carbon negative foods, a challenge to organic crop systems and oysters and beer.

This episode focuses on the success story of fruit production in Chile. The public and private sectors have worked together to expand production of fruit using all types of technology and innovation. In 2019, the fruit-growing sector in Chile achieved record exports, of over $6.5 B US dollars with an increase of 3.6% compared to 2018. This is a reflection of Chile's strategy of expanding into new markets which has led to a significant increase in the number of export destinations, up from 78 markets in 2003 to 129 in 2019. Hear about the work being done in both sectors. And enjoy your winter blueberries.

I had so much interest in being on the podcast in Israel that we are doing Part 2! As a global innovation hub, Israel uses novel technologies to lead the AgTech and FoodTech industry towards a more efficient and sustainable future; it serves as a global laboratory for producing more food using fewer resources. Israeli start-ups are improving traditional agriculture by introducing new, groundbreaking technologies in the field. The country has a strong ecosystem with universities, a long history in food production with multinational VC’s and Corporates involved in financing and strong government support. In Part 2 of our episodes on Israel, we hear from experts and industry veterans on what is happening in Israel and why it is a good place to start a company. The conversation ranges from plant genetics to high-tech sensors gathering data to be analyzed by AWS. Across the entire supply chain from seed to fork, the country of nine million people is full of companies working on cutting-edge innovation.

I turn the microphone around with Tim and Tyler Nuss from The Modern Acre. We hit updates and insights in some hot topics in agriculture. We talk through the recent coming together of PMA and United Fresh, the latest in carbon markets, agtech exits including SPAC’s, indoor farming, and seeing a Rivian in the wild! This episode has it all.