June 29, 2016

Global AgInvesting’s AgTech Week event, held last week in San Francisco, brought together more than 250 stakeholders, including innovators and investors, in the agtech space to share insights and build relationships to move solutions forward. One of the biggest themes of the week was the growing opportunity in plant biology. Coverage of the topic included a look at how far the sector has come and what challenges still remain. Attendees heard from industry veterans including Jerry Caulder, Chairman of Finistere Ventures and Robb Fraley, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer at Monsanto. Julie Borlaug, of the Borlaug Institute and granddaughter of Dr. Norman Borlaug, discussed the importance of collaboration in the ag biotech arena. A panel of plant science innovators from Benson Hill, ZeaKal and PlantResponse explored new opportunities and why the time is right for disruption.

As a featured speaker at the event, Robb Fraley, provided some insightful and inspiring comments on ag biotech. One of the early pioneers of biotech, Fraley, expressed his confidence that that the world will achieve food security on a reduced footprint by 2050. However, while world-class science is critical to drive solutions to farmers and consumers, he argued it is insufficient without public trust. Twenty years ago Fraley wouldn’t have believed the success that ag biotech has had but he also wouldn’t have believed there would still be debate over the technology’s benefits and safety.

I had the opportunity to catch up with him after his session and ask him about this and the need to build public trust about biotech. Listen to the podcast below to hear what he had to say.

For more information on Global AgInvesting’s AgTech Week event, visit the event page.

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Sarah Day Levesque

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