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Leaders on a Mission

Discussions with leaders with a clear mission of creating a healthier world in today’s most innovative startups across FoodTech, AgTech (Agritech), Synbio, Sustainability, Climate Tech, and Clean Tech. Learn more about precision fermentation, cellular agriculture, alternative proteins, crop protection, biologicals, protein expression systems, carbon capture, plant health, precision agriculture, bioinformatics, human nutrition and what it takes to successfully scale your business in this budding sector.

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Leaders on a Mission

Building Companies That Power the Future of Agriculture

December 02, 2025 • Simon Leich

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.

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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/@leadersonamissionNet0

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7o41ubdkzChAzD9C53xH82

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/leaders-on-a-mission/id1532211726

…to listen to the latest episodes!

Timestamps:

0:00 – Rethinking innovation in ag

1:08 – Ignoring the noisy consensus

3:43 – From consulting to Syngenta

5:38 – Why ag is misunderstood