Building Companies That Power the Future of Agriculture

What if agriculture could become the world’s most powerful engine for climate and health—without sacrificing yield? In this episode, Dr. Robert Berendes, scientist, entrepreneur and longtime ag innovator, unpacks how deep tech, genome editing and AI are transforming a “low-tech” industry into a high-impact platform for planetary regeneration. He explores the shift from calories to nutrition, soil health and carbon sequestration, why new genetics will rewrite competitive dynamics in ag, and what it really takes to scale ventures from flagship labs to farmers’ fields. Along the way, Robert shares hard-won lessons on talent, regulation, capital cycles and why agriculture in 2030 will look nothing like today.Tune in for a fresh look at building ventures that leave every acre better.--- Hey Climate Tech enthusiasts! Searching for new podcasts on sustainability? Check out the Leaders on a Mission podcast, where I interview climate tech leaders who are shaking up the industry and bringing us the next big thing in sustainable solutions. Join me for a deep dive into the future of green innovation exploring the highs, lows, and everything in between of pioneering new technologies.Get an exclusive insight into how these leaders started up their journey, and how their cutting edge products will make a real impact. Tune in on…YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leadersonamissionNet0Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726…to listen to the latest episodes!Timestamps:0:00 – Rethinking innovation in ag1:08 – Ignoring the noisy consensus3:43 – From consulting to Syngenta5:38 – Why ag is misunderstood10:09 – Reading and writing genomes12:56 – Power shift to farmers17:24 – Inside the Flagship model22:59 – Talent that drives disruption28:42 – Funding cycles and exits34:10 – Agriculture in 2030Useful links: Flagship Pioneering website: https://www.flagshippioneering.com/Flagship Pioneering LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flagship-pioneering/Robert Berendes LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-berendes-39b62a67/Leaders on a Mission website: https://cs-partners.net/podcasts/Simon Leich’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executive-talent-headhunter-agtech-foodtech-agrifoodtech-agritech/