carbon

The Three Categories of Autonomy in Agriculture, with Andrew Bate, SwarmFarm Robotics

The Three Categories of Autonomy in Agriculture, with Andrew Bate, SwarmFarm Robotics

Autonomous farming equipment and robotics in ag is more crowded than ever. Every new acquisition from an incumbent or deployment of venture capital into the space creates more buzz to sort through in the inboxes of analysts, entrepreneurs, and farmers.

With the industry growing so quickly, it’s helpful to have a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening, and what it means for the future of agriculture.

So, in this week’s episode we give listeners a framework to understand the rapidly moving world of autonomy in ag. Our guest is Andrew Bate, Co-Founder and CEO of SwarmFarm Robotics, who joins us to share his observations on the three major categories of autonomy that are emerging in ag.

The Incentives, Barriers, and Willingness to Pay for Carbon Programs in Agriculture, with Emma Fuller, Corteva Agriscience

The Incentives, Barriers, and Willingness to Pay for Carbon Programs in Agriculture, with Emma Fuller, Corteva Agriscience

When it comes to designing carbon programs in agriculture, there is a very real tension between the science and the commercial realities of drawing down carbon at scale. Particularly, the question of how to incentivize on-farm practice changes is one that many companies in ag carbon have failed to answer.

Working at the intersection of these tensions is our guest this week, Emma Fuller, Carbon and Ecosystem Services Portfolio Leader at Corteva Agriscience. An accomplished data scientist and ecologist, Emma began her career in agrifood systems publishing research on West Coast fisheries in the US, before jumping into the world of startups at Granular. After their $300M acquisition by what is now Corteva Agriscience, today Emma designs programs that credit farmers for reducing greenhouse gas emissions or sequestering carbon in their soils.

100th Episode Special: soil carbon & the future of agtech

100th Episode Special: soil carbon & the future of agtech

For our 100th episode (hooray!), we’ve brought back some of our most popular guests to check in on what’s changed in their businesses and in agtech since we spoke, and the new technologies and opportunities we can all be looking out for. This episode features Mark Wootton, Stu Austin, Sarah Mock, and Derek Norman.

Carbon neutrality and tackling misinformation in red meat

Carbon neutrality and tackling misinformation in red meat

Red meat can sometimes be seen as the “bad guy” when it comes to climate change. Undoubtedly, animal agriculture has an impact on the environment, but Australia's leading meat producer organisation, the Meat and Livestock Association (MLA) says the negative environmental impacts from red meat are often overblown.

While lamb and beef are still very popular in Australia, red meat consumption is becoming more contentious. The MLA has already committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030, to address environmental concerns. However, there is also currently a battle over food labeling between the meat industry and the growing plant-based protein industry over the use of the word “meat.”

Scaling Up Soil Carbon Markets

Scaling Up Soil Carbon Markets

The race is on globally to scale carbon markets, where farmers can sell the carbon they sequester in their soil to buyers who want to offset emissions. But right now, the space is often confusing for buyers, sellers, and the intermediaries working between them. And further, both public and private market schemes have been criticized for inefficiencies and high costs to participate.

Episode 46: Ben Krasnostein (Responding to climate risk)

Episode 46: Ben Krasnostein (Responding to climate risk)

Ben Krasnostein, co-founder and managing director of Kilara Capital, a company that helps facilitate investment opportunities that provide both commercial returns and environmental impacts. 

Ben believes that we as consumers, primary producers, and global economies need to shift away from a mindset of extraction to one of regeneration. And he believes that business and technology are tools to enable this transition. 

When it comes to agriculture, Ben sees great opportunities for farmers to benefit during this transition. 


This episode is the 3rd the theme, responding to climate risk, brought to you in partnership with Australian Farm Institute, an independent organisation conducting research into the strategic issues facing Australian farmers and the agriculture sector. Find them on social media @AustFarmInstitu