Agenda: Commercializing Solutions for Climate-Resilient Ag

Explore the vast potential of agricultural innovation in Mexico. Expert speakers will shed light on emerging trends, investment prospects, and sustainable practices in the Mexican agriculture sector. See full detail of program and speakers.

With Speakers:
THE YIELD LAB LATAM, NESTLE, GRUPO BIMBO, IADB, SOLENA

Hosted by:

• On the path to decarbonization, how do we strike a balance between the competing demands for food, fiber and fuel and simultaneously incentivize solutions and systems that mitigate the impacts of climate change?
• How do we ensure the entire agricultural value chain is actively engaged in the sustainability journey, and empower and reward farmers as pivotal players in this transformation?
• How do we rally the agtech community to develop the necessary technology and gather the right data to support the creation of new markets that will underpin the decarbonization process?

Moderator:
David Hayes, Former Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy at The White House/Lecturer, STANFORD LAW SCHOOL

Speakers:
Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production & Conservation, USDA
Alison Taylor, Chief Sustainability Officer, ADM
David Babson, Executive Vice President for Climate & Energy, XPRIZE FOUNDATION
Livio Tedeschi, President Agricultural Solutions, BASF & Chairman of the Board, CROPLIFE INTERNATIONAL

• With sustainability at the forefront of the innovation agenda, where are corporates on their journey, and how are businesses embedding sustainability into their R&D strategies?
• How have evolving market dynamics impacted the overall innovation models adopted by corporations in the past year?
• How are companies effectively linking technology and innovation with sustainable outcomes and how does this connection translate into on-farm practices?
• How are agricultural companies adapting to support customers as they evolve in response to sustainability and ESG pressures? What technologies are being piloted to meet these evolving customer demands?

Moderator:
Renée Vassilos, Director of Agriculture Innovation, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

Speakers:
Sam Eathington, CTO, CORTEVA AGRISCIENCE
Scott Komar, Senior Vice President, Global R&D, DRISCOLL’S

• In the 18 months since the advent of the GenAI era, what insights have been gained and milestones achieved? Where has GenAI triggered transformative changes, and what aspects are genuinely impactful versus being driven by hype?
• Drawing on parallels seen in the entertainment sector, how can the agricultural industry take proactive measures to mitigate the unintended negative consequences of AI? What ethical considerations surround data usage, protection and consent in the context of data-driven agricultural practices?
• How can we establish a reliable framework to verify claims made by AI systems in agriculture? What measures can be taken to prevent bias and the marginalization of communities in AI-driven agricultural practices?
• With GenAI’s foundation work undertaken by industry giants like Google, Microsoft, Open AI and start-ups, what business models can we expect? Will GenAI models be offered for free, subsidized or subject to charges? Who bears the cost and how will these models be monetized?

Moderator:
Ranveer Chandra, Managing Director, Research for Industry & CTO, Agri-Food, MICROSOFT

Speakers:
Elizabeth Fastiggi, Head of Worldwide Business Development, Agriculture, AWS
Jeremy Williams, Head of Climate LLC, Digital Farming and Commercial Ecosystems, BAYER CROP SCIENCE
Feroz Sheikh, Group Chief Information and Digital Officer, SYNGENTA GROUP
Elliott Grant, CEO, MINERAL

Hosted by:

Over the last 18 months, there has been a notable shift in investor sentiment within the agtech sector. While fusion and AI steal the limelight, the agricultural industry remains pivotal for sustainability and climate impact. What are the prospects for the next decade, and how can the sector navigate this critical juncture?

Chair:
Elaine Watson, Global Food Tech Editor, AGFUNDER NEWS

Speakers:
Vinod Khosla, Founder, KHOSLA VENTURES
David Friedberg, CEO, THE PRODUCTION BOARD

Speaker:
Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer, MICROSOFT

• Where are we on the path to developing real-time decision ag? What possibilities exist today, and how are they contributing to efficiency, sustainability and return on investment?
• What collaborative efforts are emerging to integrate data insights, equipment and engineering in the field, and what impact is this having on commercial success? What regulatory factors are influencing these partnerships, and where is there room for more collaborations to simplify the grower experience?
• What broader ripple effects can we anticipate from data-driven and technological improvements in agriculture? How will these advancements impact long-term shifts in industry dynamics, practices, and economics?
• What new business models will emerge for example around carbon credits and use of crop protection in the field? How is the value chain looking to capture value for its customers?

Chair:
Rhishi Pethe, Ag Technology Consultant, METAL DOG LABS

Speakers:
Maya Sripadam, Senior Product Manager, Blue River Technologies, JOHN DEERE
Niall Mottram, Head of Industrial & AgriTech, CAMBRIDGE CONSULTANTS
Thomas Schilling, Global Head of Platform Engineering, xarvio® DIGITAL FARMING SOLUTIONS
Stefan Caspari, SVP Customer Success & Business Effectiveness, AGCO
Vineet Durani, Consultant, TAVANT

Farming is rapidly changing, driven as much by environmental factors and changes in the people running and working on farms. How are major equipment manufacturers anticipating these changes, and how is this driving advancements in farm equipment and yet-to-be-imagined tech innovations?

Speaker:
Marc Kermisch, Chief Digital Officer, CNHI

Hosted by:

• What drives the success and commercial viability of biological crop inputs on farms? How are farmers integrating biologicals into their crop management practices?
• What education do farmers and agronomists need to ensure the proper use of biologicals? What successful training programmes and initiatives are we seeing?
• How are companies establishing effective distribution channels to make their biological products accessible to farmers? What partnerships are we seeing between ag retailers, distributors and cooperatives and how are they playing a role in establishing market demand?
• How can we transform R&D to develop biological products that address all seasonal challenges? Could there be a comprehensive product that combines multiple biologicals, and what criteria would be needed to select and combine different biological tools?
• What common missteps do start-ups encounter when managing their intellectual property and determining the timeline, resource allocation and adoption process for farmers? What collaboration between researchers, start-ups, and farmers is needed to refine biological product concepts?

Moderator:
Eli Ziskind, Partner, AQUA CAPITAL

Speakers:
Cristina Rohr, Managing Director of Investments, S2G VENTURES
Brent Smith, CEO & President, NEWLEAF SYMBIOTICS
Brian Kuehl, Head, Crop Protection R&D, CHS
Gloverson Moro, CTO, AGRITHORITY
Ruy Cunha, CEO, LAVORO AGRO

In this session, we focus on the market potential for new crops and ingredients that are targeting consumer preferences or industry demands. We will examine the strategic roadmap that is being employed to achieve commercial success and how regulatory framework is evolving to accommodate these advancements.

Moderator:
Jon Entine, Executive Director, GENETIC LITERACY PROJECT

Speakers:
Christy Toedebusch, Vice President of Product, OHALO GENETICS
Tom Adams, CEO, PAIRWISE
Todd Rands, CEO, ELO LIFE SYSTEMS
Shimpei Takeshita, President, SANATECH SEED

Hosted by:

• Digital innovation in agriculture holds the potential to revolutionize farming, increasing efficiency and profitability. How can agribusinesses and solution providers develop digital solutions that farmers are willing to adopt?
• How will the integration of data and AI into agriculture usher in a new era of efficiency, productivity, and sustainability? What will the next generation of services and solutions look like?  

Moderator:
Aaron Magenheim, COO & Co-Founder, LIGHTHOUSE AG

Speakers:
Ron Baruchi, CEO, AGMATIX
Robert Kelley, Senior Partner, HEADSTORM
Maribel Ferrer, Chief Strategy and Financial Officer, OCP NORTH AMERICA
Randy Barker, CEO & Co-Founder, INTENT
Sidhartha Bhandari, Agriculture & Food Business Transformation, PUBLICIS SAPIENT

• How are growers in fresh produce and specialty crop cultivation harnessing technologies to solve challenges on the ground and meet the evolving demands of the market?
• From drones to sensors to IoT and data analytics, what are the latest tools and how are these being leveraged for informed decision-making and resource optimization?
• How is automation reshaping the workforce in the fresh produce industry and what role will greater automation play in boosting productivity and quality?
• How do partnerships and collaborations with established agricultural associations and research institutions aid start-ups in advancing autonomous agricultural technologies?
• What’s on the horizon for today’s fresh producer growers and how can we accelerate the innovation pipeline for solutions that will address the greatest challenges?

Moderator:
Seana Day, Partner, CULTERRA CAPITAL

Speakers:
Patrick McCullough, CEO, PRODUCEPAY
Nolan Paul, General Manager, Global Head of Agriculture Business, YAMAHA MOTOR VENTURES
Tim Bucher, CEO, AGTONOMY
Dave Puglia, President & CEO, WESTERN GROWERS
Zak Laffite, President, Wonderful Citrus, WONDERFUL COMPANY

Join SVG Ventures|THRIVE Founder & CEO John Hartnett for the launch of the THRIVE Global Impact Investment Report in partnership with Pitchbook. The report examines agtech investment trends in 2023, highlighting key innovations that attracted substantial funding despite market constraints, and offers insights into the future of the global agricultural technology sector in 2024 and beyond.

Speaker:
John Hartnett, Founder & CEO, SVG VENTURES THRIVE

• The recent economic downturn might have cast a long shadow over the entrepreneurial landscape but also presents a significant opportunity to completely overhaul the financial model for agtech. What path led us to the current state of affairs and what aspects have fallen short or failed to deliver the desired outcomes?
• Where are the opportunities to customize investment approaches rather than merely applying standard VC terms to agtech? How have innovate approaches such as revenue-based financing demonstrated better performance and more stable returns?
• How can investors look beyond the traditional markers of success and paths to exit, and focus on the actual value that an agtech company brings to the agricultural industry by solving specific agricultural challenges?
• Where are the opportunities for consolidating smaller ventures through initiatives like roll-ups? How can this strategy potentially move the needle in terms of scale and effectiveness?

Moderator:
Adam Anders, Managing Director, ANTERRA CAPITAL

Speakers:
Kim Nicholson, VP Ag Technology & Innovation, THE MOSAIC COMPANY
Vipula Shukla, Senior Program Officer, Agriculture R&D, THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
Spencer Swayze, Managing Director, PAINE SCHWARTZ PARTNERS
Stephan Dolezalek, Managing Partner, GROSVENOR FOOD & AGTECH
Eric O’Brien, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, FALL LINE CAPITAL

Hosted by:

Early morning of networking and discussion, featuring inspiring women leaders in the agtech industry.

This event has limited capacity – BY INVITATION ONLY. 

Hosted by:

Where is California investing in its changing agricultural sector? We explore the key trends, technologies and strategic initiatives shaping the sector and proactive measures being taken for food system resilience.

Speakers:
Karen Ross, Secretary of Agriculture, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

• What role does innovation play in fostering a more sustainable global food system?
• How are agri-food companies aligning with government and other stakeholders to overcome the complex challenge of integrating water and food security?
• How can public and private organizations better collaborate to advance the next generation of climate-smart and yield-enhancing tools?

Moderator:
Carter Ingram, Managing Director, POLLINATION

Speakers:
Patricia Stroup, Chief Procurement Officer, NESTLE
Ponsi Trivisvavet, CEO, INARI
Melissa Ho, Senior Vice President, Freshwater & Food, WWF
Anuj Maheshwari, Head, Agri-Food, Managing Director Investment, TEMASEK
Ruan Boezaart, Head of Yara AgTech, YARA

• The convergence of geospatial data and AI are transforming agriculture, enabling agri-food companies to move from reactive to more predictive strategies. How will these technologies enable faster responses, improved planning, and groundbreaking solutions for the agricultural ecosystem?

Speaker:
Matt Hancher, Engineering Director, GOOGLE

• What does the landscape of agricultural finance look like today and what developments are we seeing in financial technology which could shape its future trajectory?
• How do Farm Credit systems fit into the broader picture? What are the current challenges impeding capital flow within the system?
• How do we integrate the principles of sustainable financing throughout the financial ecosystem to create a fair and transparent system to support loan decisions?
• How do we create banking and payment systems tailored to the needs of farmers, but which ensure fair market pricing and adherence to the principles that matter most to stakeholders?

Moderator: 
Sarah Nolet, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, TENACIOUS VENTURES

Speakers:
Jake Joraanstad, CEO, BUSHEL
Jim O’Brien, CEO, AGROGRAPH
Kelly Miller, Director of AgTech, COMPEER FINANCIAL
Matt Carstens, President & CEO, LANDUS

Hosted by: 

• With CRISPR technology unlocking new avenues to efficiently introduce desirable traits into plants, what transformative changes and forward momentum can we anticipate in agriculture?
• How is the link between genomics and real-world agricultural outcomes evolving due to advances in breeding technologies like CRISPR?
• How can international collaboration enhance the accessibility of CRISPR technology in agriculture and address global food security challenges?

Moderator:
Howard Shapiro, Distinguished Senior Fellow, ICRAF

Speakers:
David Savage, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, INNOVATIVE GENOMICS INSTITUTE
Eduardo Blumwald, Distinguished Professor of Cell Biology, Department of Plant Sciences, UC DAVIS
Kinneret Shefer, CEO & Founder, GENENEER

Speaker:
Gusui Wu, Head, Seeds Research, SYNGENTA

• Start-ups, corporates and investors play a pivotal role in driving innovation towards climate adaptation and sustainability goals. Even amidst the current adversity, what progress are companies making?
• How do we make sure that we have realistic targets, and technology that can keep pace with achieving those targets? What role will biologicals play as part of a sustainable food system?
• How do we evaluate the success of biologicals? What metrics and methodologies are being used to build confidence with growers?
• What criteria are being used to define sustainability, and how can this be quantified? What scientific validation is needed to confirm the efficacy of sustainability attributes in agricultural products, such as carbon intensity or improved nitrogen use?

Moderator:
Mark Brooks, Managing Director, FMC VENTURES

Speakers:
Isabel Vercauteren, CEO, APHEA. BIO
Kevin Helash, CEO, BIOTALYS
Lone Baekgaard, VP of Applied Research, Agriculture and Industrial Biosolutions, NOVONESIS
Jean-François Déchant, CEO & Co-Founder, ELICIT PLANT

Elevate your knowledge and engage in meaningful conversations with industry experts. Join focused, interactive discussion groups to deep dive into industry critical topics most relevant to you and your business. See full breakdown of roundtable topics and hosts.

• Navigating Agricultural Labor Challenges: Automating Solutions for Future Farmers
  Host: SABANTO
• Collaboration & Partnerships: Open Innovation Models Advancing Ag
  Host: SYNGENTA
• Elevating Soil Carbon Credits: Strategies for Adoption, Impact, and Premium Pricing
  Host:  GROUNDWORK BIOAG
• Elevating Smart Tech: Achieving Scale through OEM Partnerships
  Host: KUBOTA HOLDINGS
• Utilizing Soil Biology & Data to Enhance Field Management
  Host: BIOME MAKERS
• Farmer-Centric Tech: Boosting Profit, Data, and Sustainability for Growers
  Host: SOILTECH WIRELESS
• Accelerating Tech Uptake: Leveraging Partnership and Collaboration for Increased Adoption
  Host: AQUASPY
• Beyond the Noise: Cultivating Trust in Agricultural Biologicals
  Host: AZOTIC TECHNOLOGIES
• Farm AI & Robotics: What are the Necessary Ingredients to Achieving True Farm Scale?
  Host: TORTUGA 
• Ag Climatech: Traceability and Farmer Governance for Environmental Stewardship
  Host: UCROP.IT
• Field-to-Harvest Precision: Advancing Crop Technology in Digital Agriculture
  Host: BIOCONNECT IOWA
• Wheat Growers’ Challenges and Opportunities: Navigating Global Dynamics for Security
  Host: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WHEAT GROWERS
• Successful Software Product Creation: Learnings, Challenges, and Opportunities
  Host: MAGOYA SOFTWARE
• Partnering Upstream: How Food Companies Drive Yield and Sustainability Together?
  Host: THE KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY
• Supply Chain Resilience in a Changing Market: How to Navigate ESG Regulation, Extreme Weather, and Global Security
  Host: PLANET
• Synthetic Training Data in AgTech: Balancing Pros, Cons, and Best Practices
  Host: SAMA
• Novel Tools and Platforms to Enable Partnership
  Host: BAYER
• How Much Regulatory Diligence is Enough?
  Host: ICL GROUP
• The Scope 3 Challenge: Sensing Technology to unlock Better Nitrogen Management
  Host: CHRYSALABS
• Aerial Ag Systems: How Drones Will Lead the Agricultural Platform Evolution
  Host: GUARDIAN AG
• Rethinking Agrochemical Application: Optimizing every droplet and dollar
  Host: AGZEN
• Enabling Field-to-Cloud Agri Transformation
  Host: SONATA SOFTWARE
• Beyond Equity: Diversifying Funding for your AgTech Start-Up
  Host: FARMHAND VENTURES
• Next-Gen Biostimulants: Launching Novel Crop Inputs from Regulatory to Customer Adoption
  Host: ZERO GRAVITY SOLUTIONS
• How Co-operatives are Driving Onfarm Innovation
  Host: LANDUS
• Outcome-Based Approach to Adopt Sustainable Farming Practices
  Host: YARA
• Emissions Down, Yield Up: What Tech will Transform Farmers into Carbon Heroes?
  Host: BASF
• Sustainable Agriculture: Collaborations for Landscape-Level Impact
  Host: GENERAL MILLS & WALMART
• Optimizing Farm Operations Through The Digitization of The Tractor
  Host: MONARCH TRACTOR
• Data-Driven Go-to-Market Strategies for Agri-Businesses
  Host: SEEDZ
• Collaboration on farm equipment data – how can we get things integrated to work for the growers?
  Host: WESTERN GROWERS
• Carbon MRV Challenges and Solutions for Regenerative Agriculture
  Host: BIODEL AG
• Unlocking Farm Data: AI Benchmarking and Agronomy Opportunities
  Host: LEAF AGRICULTURE
• From Farm to Fork – Traceability Powered By Technology
  Host: MINDSPRINT
• Scaling Tropical Ag Tech: Navigating Brazilian Ecosystems & Future Innovation
  Host: EMBRAPA

Hosted by:

• How are food brands and retailers navigating the complex challenges and opportunities associated with climate goals, science-based targets (SBTs), and sustainability initiatives?
• What are the key changes and implications of FLAG guidance on SBTs and how will companies need to adjust their reporting practices to comply?
• How do companies strike a balance between carbon reduction projects and projects focused on regenerative agriculture, and what are the potential risks and rewards?
• What approaches are businesses exploring to promote cooperation with both competitors and partners in shared environments where they collectively source and collaborate on emission reduction initiatives?
• What types of incentives are required, and how can companies continue to showcase their individual strides toward achieving sustainability objectives?

Speakers:
Gregory Bohrer, Director – Natural Capital, WALMART
Steve Rosenzweig, Agriculture Science Lead, GENERAL MILLS

• How are agri-food corporations actively supporting farmers during their transition to regenerative methods? What steps are they taking to manage risks and provide financial tools or incentives, considering the time it takes to see tangible results?
• How can we translate CPG sustainability expectations into farmer-friendly, accessible programs? What are the key challenges faced in implementing these targets? What collaborative approaches are needed to deliver tangible results?
• Farmers require diverse, region-specific sustainability programs, like carbon offset initiatives and soil health projects. How can we expand and adapt sustainability programs to meet the needs of farmers in different agricultural regions?
• What tools and technologies are needed to quantify outcomes to soil health, water quality, biodiversity and emissions and allow food companies and asset owners to report on their GHG protocols? How can we bring the cost of sampling down?  

Moderator:
Vasanth Ganesan, Partner, MCKINSEY

Speakers:
Jess Newman, Senior Director of Ag & Sustainability, MCCAIN
Jack Roswell, Co-Founder & CEO, PERENNIAL
Mark Dann, Agricultural Accounts Executive, ESRI
Lars Dyrud, CEO, EARTHOPTICS

As we wrap up the summit, we invite our audience to join us for an interactive and lively discussion as we reflect on the conversations and ideas that have been debated over the previous two days.

We ask for our audience’s full participation, to share provocative thoughts, challenge new concepts and debate accepted norms as we set the agenda for the year ahead and forge a path to take the industry to new heights.

Moderator:
Renée Vassilos, Director of Agriculture Innovation, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

Speakers:
Hallie Shoffner, CEO & 6th Generation Farmer, SFR SEED
Hadar Sutovsky, VP Corporate Investments ICL Group & GM, ICL PLANET STARTUP HUB
Tim Bucher, CEO & Co-Founder, AGTONOMY