climate change

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.

Bonus Ep: The State of Fundraising in Agtech

Bonus Ep: The State of Fundraising in Agtech

Life is moving pretty fast for founders and investors working in agtech.

Recent years have seen record flows of capital into agrifood, driven in part by agriculture potential to provide climate solutions. And the massive disruptions of COVID-19 meant developed markets received a historic taste of what changes will be needed in a world impacted by climate change and further uncertainty.

So, how have the last few years impacted agtech founders looking to raise capital, and investors on the lookout for opportunities with impact?

For this bonus episode, Tenacious Ventures’ Partners Sarah Nolet and Matthew Pryor asked a group of founders and investors to share what they’ve learned and observed about the state of agtech investing in 2022. As a dedicated agrifood venture fund “born in the teeth of COVID-19”, Sarah and Matthew also offer their take on what has changed and what has stayed the same as we look to the future.

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.”

Biologicals: snake oil or science, and how do we know?

Biologicals: snake oil or science, and how do we know?

Farmers are under pressure to shift toward lower chemical intensity production. Biologicals are touted as one possible solution, promising natural, chemical-free alternatives to fertilizers and pesticides. But biologicals also have a reputation for being ‘snake oil,’ with companies making claims that are too good to be true, or that don’t stack up outside the lab. So what’s the science behind biologicals, how do we know they work, and how can they get to scale?

This episode features Jarrett Chambers, founder and President of ATP Nutrition, and Shane Thomas, author of Upstream Ag Insights.

Ep61 Alisdair Tulloch on the first-mover advantages of going carbon neutral

Ep61 Alisdair Tulloch on the first-mover advantages of going carbon neutral

Today’s guest is Alisdair Tulloch, a fourth generation grape grower, who has been on a journey to make his family business, Keith Tulloch Wine, carbon neutral.

In this episode, Alisdair shares:

  • Why they decided to go carbon neutral;

  • What practices and technologies they’re using, and what is and isn’t working; and

  • The financials - what the expensive parts are, and where the returns are coming from.

Episode 48: Peter Thompson (Responding to climate risk)

Episode 48: Peter Thompson (Responding to climate risk)

Today’s episode is the 4th in the theme Responding to Climate Risk, brought to you in partnership with the Australian Farm Institute. Check out episodes 42, 44 and 46 to hear more on this theme. 

Today’s guest is Peter Thompson, a farmer based in rural Queensland, Australia that has been farming regeneratively before the word existed. He and his wife Nicki run grassfed beef cattle, do broadacre cropping, and have about 6000 acres of wilderness conservation country.

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

Episode 42: Anika Molesworth (responding to climate risk #1)

Episode 42: Anika Molesworth (responding to climate risk #1)

Anika Molesworth is a passionate advocate for sustainable farming and climate change action. She can be heard across Australia and abroad discussing the balance of rural landscapes and managing climate risk in agricultural systems.

In this episode we talk about managing climate risk and how Anika’s family experience taking on a property in far west NSW sparked her interest in this style of agricultural study. We also look at the differences she sees between the Riverina and South East Asia, and what we can learn from each. We also touch on technology of course, and its role in managing climate risk and telling the stories of the land.

This is the first of four episodes in partnership with the Australian Farm Institute on the theme "responding to climate risk".