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Po Bronson of SOSV argues that mounting climate stress and economic pressures are pushing agriculture toward a turning point where demand for transformative agtech solutions will accelerate, especially as traditional venture capital proves unable to support the sector’s unique needs. He advocates for mobilizing alternative forms of private capital and taking radically new approaches to seeds and crops, as legacy players and incremental technologies like CRISPR have failed to deliver meaningful change. Bronson believes that the increasing pain in the system, such as rising insurance costs and climate-driven crop failures, will drive adoption of new technologies, with investment strategies shifting toward patient capital and rapid revenue generation. He sees real opportunity in developing entirely new crop genetics suited to shifting climates, rather than expecting disruption to topple entrenched incumbents.

Specialty crop growers will receive $275 million in grant funding on top of $1 billion in support, but some stakeholders worry that won’t be enough to address current volatility.

Farmers around the world are feeling the impact of the Iran war in higher fertilizer prices – which could remain elevated even after a peace deal.