AI, Ag, and the Future of Food: Increasing Healthspan, Not Just Lifespan

Hi everyone, Welcome to a purpose-driven conversation with Laston Charriez, a longtime CPG marketing leader turned educator and advocate for transforming how we grow food, nourish people, and undo bad practices. Laston shared something that takes real courage to say out loud:“I was part of the problem, and now I can be part of the solution.” After decades working inside food systems optimized for cost, scale, and efficiency, he began asking harder questions about what those systems were actually delivering to consumers. Longer lifespans, but not healthier ones. That realization led him to focus on healthspan, and on how agriculture, CPG, and technology are evolving together. In this episode, we talk about how AI has real promise in helping drive that transformation. Not in abstract ways, but through practical applications already taking shape, from improving soil health and crop yields, to reducing waste, to enabling more nutritious food at scale. This will help us avoid a global food shortage anticipated by 2050. We also dig into the hard part: adoption. Farmers operate on thin margins. One failed experiment can put an entire year at risk. Data infrastructure and connectivity aren’t evenly distributed. And trust can’t be rushed. We talk about how status quo carries risk too — climate volatility, degraded soil, and rising costs make inaction just as dangerous. This conversation is about leadership, accountability, and systems-level change. It’s about recognizing when incentives are misaligned, having the humility to help fix them, and seizing the opportunity when technology brings positive change within our grasp. 🎧 Listen to “AI, Ag, and the Future of Food: Increasing Healthspan, Not Just Lifespan” Laston Charriez is an Assistant Professor and Industry Liaison at Colorado State University. He previously held executive marketing roles at Proctor & Gamble, Charmin & Puffs, Sara Lee, and Western Union. Thanks for being part of this community and for leaning into these bigger questions with me. — Kirstin This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthemachine.substack.com