What if, when something went wrong, your natural response was to feel positive, calm and proactive? Can you actually train your brain to handle life’s greatest challenges without stress and negative emotions?

According to Shirzad Chamine, neuroscientist and CEO of Positive Intelligence, Inc., you can do both — and when you do, you will be happier and more successful and will perform better.

This may sound aspirational, but Chamine has the research — and methodology — to prove that mental fitness is the key to unleashing your true potential at work and in life.

More than 500,000 people from over 50 countries have participated in Chamine’s Positive Intelligence research. Having coached hundreds of CEOs and their executive teams, as well as world-class athletes and students from Stanford University, he’s helped professionals worldwide make mental fitness a part of their daily routine.

What is mental fitness?

Mental fitness is our capacity to respond to life’s challenges with a positive mindset, rather than a negative one. It’s measured by your Positive Intelligence Quotient, or PQ, which is the percentage of time your mind spends serving you as opposed to sabotaging you. As a conscious method for avoiding self-sabotage, your PQ can be built and strengthened over time.

Independent researchers have validated the many benefits of a higher PQ, ranging from higher salaries to greater success in work, marriage, friendship and more. Additionally, project teams with a high PQ are shown to perform 31% better on key performance metrics.

Chamine’s approach to boosting PQ, which he recently discussed during his keynote address at the 2021 Alltech ONE Ideas Conference, begins with learning the behavioral neuroscience behind two very different components of the mind: the Saboteurs and the Sage.

This might sound complex, but understanding the roles that Saboteurs and the Sage play in the way we experience life is one of the simplest, most effective ways for overcoming long-term patterns of self-sabotage.

Identifying your Saboteurs

Saboteurs are the negative voices and limiting beliefs and habits that stand between you and the potential you actually fulfill.

• Saboteurs motivate you through negative emotions like fear, stress, anger, guilt, shame and insecurity.
• There are 10 Saboteurs responsible for the most common ways that we self-sabotage. The most common is The Judge, or the voice that tells us to find fault in ourselves, in others, and in our situations and circumstances. It’s constantly judging what’s wrong and fails to see what’s right.
• Imagine Saboteurs as a cast of characters in your mind that keep you in a place of negativity, reaction and self-doubt.

Finding your Sage

By contrast, the Sage is the Saboteurs’ positive counterpart that motivates us through emotions like curiosity, empathy, creativity and calm.

• Whereas the Saboteur fuels self-sabotage, the Sage brain tells us that every outcome or circumstance can be turned into a gift or an opportunity.
• The strength of your Sage is what determines your PQ and enables you to take clear-headed, laser-focused action.
• Understanding the differences between your Sage and your Saboteurs — and identifying which one your mind is serving — is the first concrete step to self-mastery.

“You're not just of two minds; you are of two brains. You have two entirely different wirings in your brain, with different neurochemicals that get produced and very different functioning,” said Chamine. “A big question at any given time is: Which part of your brain is activated right now? That determines everything about how you handle life's great challenges.”

By understanding which part of your brain is activated and the power of Positive Intelligence to determine your response, you can train yourself to recover and switch from negative to positive at a faster pace.

How to strengthen your PQ

1. Intercept your Saboteurs

When you feel a negative emotion, stop to observe and label your Saboteurs. By simply bringing them into awareness, you’ve already weakened their power.

2. Power up your Sage brain

Now that you’ve confronted your Saboteurs, it’s time to shift into Sage mode. Practice PQ reps to activate your Sage mind. PQ reps are simple exercises that involve shifting your attention to your body and your senses for at least 10 seconds. These practices strengthen the self-command muscle that helps you regulate your emotions. You can do PQ reps anytime, anywhere.

3. Choose Sage responses

Now, you can explore, empathize, innovate, navigate and activate to respond with the Sage perspective.

“When your Sage comes in and says, ‘You know what? I can and I shall convert this into a gift and opportunity,’ imagine what emotions you’re going to be experiencing,” Chamine suggested. “You're going to be feeling optimistic. You're going to be feeling curious.

“When you ask ‘How do I turn this into a gift? What could the gift be?’, you're activating a positive region of your brain that's wired for creativity, for resourcefulness,” he continued. “You're creating a positive foundation — not just in your own head, but amongst others.”

With this knowledge, Chamine wondered: What if you focused on building the powers of your mind with the same determination you bring to our improving your physical fitness? Can you imagine the possibilities?

“Moment by moment, one day at a time, that muscle of positivity builds,” Chamine reminded viewers at ONE. “And then, the contagion effect that you create in the world — you have no idea how powerful that is. You create a contagion, (but) rather than a contagion of negativity, you intercept that, and you create a positive contagion. And it's beautiful, as you become part of the solution rather than part of the problem in our world.”

Will you join us in seeing challenges as opportunities and pursuing greater happiness and success through the power of Positive Intelligence?

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“Africa is the fastest-growing continent. Africa is getting educated now. Africa is where you need to be. Africa is where you (should) look to grow your food.”

That’s what Dr. Ruth Oniang’o, a keynote speaker at the 2021 Alltech ONE Ideas Conference (ONE), used to tell her fellow board members when she served on the board of Nestlé. A professor of nutrition and former member of Parliament in Kenya, Dr. Oniang’o has spent her career advocating for food and nutrition policies that will feed the world’s fastest-growing continent and increase access to food across Africa.

Over the past several decades, many African countries have made great strides in reducing chronic hunger, malnutrition and weight loss — but with one in five African people still “chronically undernourished,” including millions of children, there is much more work left to be done to help turn African communities into examples of food security.

Dr. Oniang’o’s approach is a holistic one. Beyond her focus on growing healthier crops and strengthening food assistance, her work is transforming society through avenues that most people may not think of when it comes to food and nutrition.

1. Empower women

The first step to transforming how Africa grows and eats is identifying who’s behind the continent’s current food production.

“In Africa, it’s mostly women who are producing food,” said Dr. Oniang’o during her keynote address at ONE. “And I said, ‘No wonder we are a hungry continent. Women are already overworked. They bring up children, many children. They have to farm. They have to feed them.’”

We cannot solve hunger in Africa without women, Dr. Oniang’o argued. By elevating their value in society and providing them with the education and resources they need to manage their farms, their families and their health, we can create conditions that will allow African women to grow more food, feed a greater number of people and share their knowledge with others.

2. Promote adult literacy

One major key to that empowerment is literacy. According to data from the United Nations, the adult literacy rate in sub-Saharan Africa is around 63% — meaning that one in three adults in the region, or some 182 million people, cannot read. And while some African countries have higher literacy rates, many are actually lower: South Sudan’s 35% literacy rate is among the lowest in the world.

Promoting adult literacy, both via governments and NGOs, leads to more educated adults across Africa, which has positive, long-term effects related to food, nutrition and families.

“Adult literacy is so important,” said Dr. Oniang’o, “because when women are educated, they will not want too many children. They'll want to do other things. They'll take good care of themselves, take care of their family, and therefore, their children will survive better. They want a better life for themselves, and they know what foods to provide to the family.”

3. Provide resources directly

No matter where they are in the world, farmers need resources of all kinds, from education and research to funds to help purchase seeds, nutrients and supplies. Providing resources directly to farmers is one of the fastest ways to improve their conditions and crop yields, as well as the health and nutrition of their families and communities. And providing resources to farmers doesn’t just help build individual and community food security — it can help alleviate poverty, too, since extreme poverty and hunger have “a cyclical relationship” in Africa, according to the United Nations. Hungry people have a hard time working, and people who can’t work have a hard time affording food.

“If we do agriculture properly — if we distribute our resources properly — we can get people out of poverty,” said Dr. Oniang’o. “As someone who has worked with farmers right on the ground, it doesn't take a whole lot. It doesn't take a whole lot to transform a community and to make them have more food and to have them eat better.”

4. Look after the soil

We can’t increase the production of food sources without addressing soil health. Unhealthy, malnourished soil leads to malnourished crops that wither instead of thriving. Finding ways to improve soil health — like rotating in legumes to boost the nitrogen in the soil and supplementing malnourished soils with nutrients — helps foster healthier crops and establishes farming practices that will be more sustainable over time.

Dr. Oniang’o first realized the importance of soil health when she saw crops that looked weak and frail, mirroring the effects of malnutrition in adults and children in Africa. She advocates for ways to help farmers improve their soil health, starting with technologies like rapid soil tests to help farmers identify deficiencies within their soils — a prerequisite to growing stronger, healthier crops. After all, as she said, “If the soils are not healthy, human beings cannot be healthy.”

5. Build and support smart partnerships

“Nobody can do this alone,” said Dr. Oniang’o. “(The) private sector has a role to play. Public-sector government has a role to play. Civil society has a role to play. Everyone has a role to play.”

Implementing change on a continental scale cannot be done alone. It takes local groups and national governments to put all of the practices outlined above into place in support of individuals, communities and countries. National and local governments, NGOs, scientists, farmers and private-sector companies all have a role to play. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) notes that “increasing yields for staple crops (in Sub-Saharan Africa) will require greater investment, both domestically and through assistance from donors and international research organizations.”

Local groups across Africa know what local farmers need. By listening to these stakeholders, private companies, national governments and international collaborative efforts can find ways to be good partners, bringing about change on a scale that local groups can’t accomplish alone. These partnerships can help decrease food insecurity across Africa and transform the future of the continent for the long term.

The future of food in Africa

Imagine it: a farmer in Kenya learns to read. She’s able to take advantage of educational materials and research that help her grow her crops more efficiently, with higher yields and healthier soils for her specific growing conditions. She’s given the resources she needs to put these findings into practice, thanks to partnerships between her local government and private companies. She’s able to feed her family and even has a surplus to help feed others, contribute to a food bank or sell for a profit. She’s valued and respected as an expert; she shares her knowledge with other farmers nearby, and she helps build communities that are more food-secure — and the ripple effects continue to spread.

By investing in her, we invest in the future of Africa. That’s how we transform the future of food: one farmer at a time.

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When it comes to our priorities in life, our day-to-day concerns can often take precedence over our long-term goals. We are constantly focused on what is happening right now, in our careers, families, social lives and more. Very rarely do we take the time, or even get the opportunity, to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. However, when we do get to take this broader view, it is only then that we begin to observe the issues that not only affect ourselves but the world and the people around us. And not only can we identify these challenges, but we can also engage with them and develop the opportunities and solutions that will help us all for generations to come.

This was one of the main themes of “Economics and Health: A Natural Connection,” an in-depth keynote discussion between Alltech president and CEO Dr. Mark Lyons and Irish economist, author and university lecturer David McWilliams during the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference. Over the course of their conversation, the two speakers discussed a range of different countries that significantly influence global agriculture and assessed how their current and potential agricultural practices could affect the world as we know it.

“How do we become what will be described as ‘good ancestors,’” asked McWilliams, “so people in the future can look back at us and say, ‘They left the place in good nick’?”

This conversation came on the heels of a new animation project between Alltech and McWilliams. In a series of short videos, the two teamed up to focus on different nations’ economies in a quest to understand them better and learn how our histories and ideas are interrelated.

“We thought it would be a good way to look at what's the big global challenge,” McWilliams explained. “What are the historic, what are the momentous events going on? And then (we can) say, ‘Okay, how do these percolate down into countries big and small, major producers but also small, nimble producers?”

The outcome of this journey into world economics has been the revelation that everything is connected and that we all have a part to play in the betterment of our planet.

“What the (COVID-19) pandemic has told us is that none of us are alone, none of us can isolate ourselves, and the world is kind of smaller than we thought — and more interrelated,” McWilliams continued.

United States: Going back to its agricultural roots

The first of these country-focused animations looked at the United States. In the video, McWilliams pointed out that:

• The U.S. agriculture output tripled between 1948 and 2015, with enormous gains in efficiency.
• Around 90% of farmers cannot make a living off of their land alone.
• Agriculture only contributes to 7.5% of total U.S. greenhouse gases, far below the 30% attributed to cars.

Taking all of this information into account, McWilliams insisted that the U.S. itself will be the source of change in our environmental future.

“I think American culture is changing, at least when you see it from the outside,” explained McWilliams when asked his thoughts on the current Biden administration and what it means for the future of the U.S. “He's saying, ‘There's no point being wealthy if the wealth is only (in the hands of) a small minority. The wealth has to trickle down to everybody else. And if it doesn't trickle down, we're going to force it up.’”

What President Biden understands, according to McWilliams, is that the environment and inequality are the important issues and that they need to be addressed in order for the world to move forward, even if that goes against previously held beliefs.

“We are now at this phenomenal, intergenerational tipping point that the older generation isn't quite getting and the younger generation hasn't quite articulated,” said McWilliams. “But what it is is a change of macroeconomic policy, and what is driving the entire thing is this idea that we cannot simply be a gratification mindset, all of us together.

“We cannot have an immediate gratification mindset, which is ‘me, mine, my balance sheet, my profit margin, etc.,’” he continued. “We have to have a legacy mindset that we are, as I said at the top of the animation, we're just custodians. We're only passing through, right?”

McWilliams also highlighted the Biden administration’s understanding that the farming community is key to addressing these issues, especially regarding the country’s environmental impact. He said that the president realizes that agriculture is the solution to meeting carbon-neutral targets in the future. With this in mind, McWilliams believes U.S. agriculture is about to go through an enormous change, reinstating confidence and self-belief in the industry that has been missing for a long time.

“Before the industrial age, before the electricity age, before the internet age, there was agriculture,” McWilliams stated. “And agriculture will be the industry of the future, because only agriculture can naturally bring us to carbon neutrality. So, I think it's a really exciting time.”

Brazil: Re-telling the story

When it comes to feeding the world, Brazil is at the forefront. The South American country is:

• The largest exporter of beef and chicken meat globally.
• The world’s fourth-largest producer of swine.
• The largest exporter of soybeans and coffee.
• The biggest global producer of sugar and ethanol.
• The most widespread exporter and producer of orange juice, claiming over half of the global market.

But, according to the animation created by Alltech and McWilliams, Brazil has often failed to spread the good news stories of its agri-food industry. While its soybean farmers may feed billions, we only ever hear nightmarish stories of them forcing cattle ranchers off their land and allowing the rainforest to be destroyed. The video suggests that maybe now is the time for Brazil to reassess its legacy and to show how, rather being than part of the problem, its agricultural industry is actually integral to the global solution.

McWilliams is convinced that as long as Brazil can improve the messaging, it could be at the forefront of agricultural and environmental change.

“It seemed to me that if Brazil gets its agriculture right, the world gets its agriculture right,” explained McWilliams. “And what happens in Brazil will happen elsewhere around the developing world.”

However, he believes that the country first has to get its story right. He suggested that Brazil has to focus on aggressively positive messaging, revealing to people how much of what they eat comes from Brazil and how efficiently it is produced.

“And that, I think, is its challenge over the next 10 or 15 years, because it's clear that Brazil is going to go from strength to strength in terms of basic production,” concluded McWilliams. “The question is: Can it go from strength to strength in terms of people's perceptions of whether Brazil is a good environmental citizen?”

China: A changing economic and agricultural landscape

According to the next installment in this animation series, the next 30 years will be the most important in the history of agriculture. This will be mainly due to the changing economic and agricultural landscape of China and Asia as a whole.

The short video states that in order for China to succeed in becoming the world’s largest economy and military power, it must secure a sufficient food supply for its people and ensure that they are not subjected to inflated food prices. However, this is complicated by the fact that China has limited natural resources, particularly water. The outcome has been a transformation and modernization of Chinese agriculture, an industry that utilizes cutting-edge agriculture technology like no other country. This development has allowed China to stake its claim as the world’s most sustainable food producer.

Another huge trend in China and Asia as a whole, McWilliams pointed out, is that with newfound wealth comes a change in diet. This can be seen with upper-middle-class Asians, who are dining on a more Western diet of beef and dairy instead of traditional tofu and rice. This shift in taste is another indicator of how the continent will influence food and agriculture production and the supply chain as we move forward.

“The future is one whereby China will try and do whatever it can to make sure that its agricultural production remains high and/or that it can buy in food,” McWilliams explained.

Ireland: The benefits of modernizing agriculture

When considering a list of some of the biggest agri-food producers and consumers on the planet, you could be forgiven for thinking that the addition of this small island on the edge of the Atlantic was a clerical error. But Ireland is a significant player when it comes to the global agriculture industry. According to the animation focusing on the island, Ireland’s geographic location and climate make it the perfect place for healthy grass growth. And with healthy grass growth comes healthy cows. This amounts to a total of $13 billion in annual food exports.

However, there are large stumbling blocks scattered along Ireland’s path to energy-efficient and sustainable food production. One is the commonly encountered misconception that the solution to reducing carbon emissions is to reduce food production — something that McWilliams said the European Union is pushing but that he believes is a mistake.

“In order for the European Union to get an aggregate reduction in carbon emissions,” McWilliams evaluated, “it would seem to me much more logical to favor those countries that have had an evolutionary or ecological or environmental gift, in order to actually produce more, not less, in places like this, because your input/output ratio is so much lower here (in Ireland) than it is either in the parched Mediterranean or in the frozen tundra of the North.”

McWilliams believes that in order for Irish agriculture to modernize and grow, it needs to take a leaf out of the book of one of Ireland’s leading sectors: technology, which generates over $25 billion in exports. He said in the animation that embracing innovation could cultivate new agricultural breakthroughs, making Ireland the most resource-efficient, carbon-neutral, sustainable food producer on Earth — something which, in turn, could produce a new export: incredibly valuable ag-tech.

In concluding the discussion, McWilliams reiterated that everything in economics is interrelated and that positive change now will lead to further growth in the future, allowing us to leave a positive legacy for generations to come.

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When he was 26 years old, Dewitt Jones walked into the headquarters of the famed National Geographic magazine as its newest photographer in what, amazingly, was his first professional photography job.

“I remember standing there in the lobby … surrounded by the most beautiful photographs I'd ever seen in my life,” recalled Jones in his keynote address at the 2021 Alltech ONE Ideas Conference. “How was I ever going to prove myself, (prove) that I was worthy of working there?”

Despite his fears, Jones did more than prove himself; his eye for detail and stunning images have made him one of the premier photojournalists in the world. He worked as a freelance photographer for National Geographic for 20 years, and his photography has also been featured in global advertising campaigns for such powerhouse clients as Canon and United Airlines.

And his talents don’t stop at still photography: As a filmmaker, Jones had garnered two nominations for Best Documentary at the Academy Awards before he turned 30 years old.

So, how did Jones overcome his fears and establish such an incredible portfolio of work? As he explained in his presentation, he believes that the key to success is following four steps that reveal the extraordinary in the ordinary and provide a fresh perspective on life:

• Training your technique
• Putting yourself in the place of most potential
• Allowing yourself to be open to possibilities
• Focusing your vision to celebrate what’s right in the world

“When I applied these four techniques, I made some incredible images,” Jones said. “I locked in those images by always beginning by celebrating what was best … and letting the rest fall away.”

1. Train your technique

“Vision without technique is blind,” Jones said. “It's fine to have a brilliant idea, but if you don't have the technique … to manifest it, you have nothing.”

As a photographer, for Jones, honing his technique meant taking thousands of photos in the quest to get the handful of images that would resonate most with readers.    

“When I worked for (National) Geographic, the average article was shot in 400 rolls of film. That's over 14,000 images to get the 30 that go on an article,” Jones explained. “(But) I don't care how many shots it takes. We all know when those right answers come into focus … but you're not going to get (them) unless you're willing to press out on the edge of your own comfortable envelope to take the risk.

“It is not trespassing to go beyond your own boundaries,” he added.  

Jones also emphasized the importance of focusing on perfecting your own technique, not on trying to be better than others or doing what everyone else is doing — a lesson he learned from Bob Gilka, who was the head of photography at National Geographic when Jones was hired.

“He said, ‘You know, Dewitt, the people who photograph for (this magazine) are the best in the world. And you're one of them now,’” Jones remembered. “‘You don't have to prove yourself … but by God, every day, you had better improve yourself. I want you to spend every day trying to be better than you were yesterday.’

“He changed the way I did everything from that day forward,” Jones said.

By focusing on improving our own techniques and strengths instead of worrying about how we measure up to others, Jones argued, we can free ourselves from our hang-ups.

“When we really are doing that improving, not proving, believing that there's more than one right answer (and) reframing obstacles into opportunities, that's when we'll begin to lose all our fear of mistakes or setbacks,” he said.

2. Put yourself in the place of most potential

No matter what your career or passion, Jones said, your chances of achieving great success are slim if you don’t put yourself in a place of great potential. For Jones, that meant literally traveling to locations with the most potential for finding the perfect shot.

“If nature is going to open up multiple windows of opportunity, where do I have the best chance of finding them?” Jones would ask himself. “There are 1,000 ways to come at any challenge to find that extraordinary view.”

Jones recalled one particular photo assignment where things weren’t going exactly as he’d hoped — but by being open to the location’s great potential, as well as to advice from someone who knew the place well, Jones was able to get even better pictures than he’d anticipated.

While on location in Scotland to shoot a campaign for Dewar’s Scotch, the weather wasn’t what Jones had planned for — but a local fisherman advised him that if he came back the next day, he might see something extraordinary, albeit unexpected.

“He said, ‘You know, laddie, there was mist on the water this morning. That's unusual for this time of year.’ And I climbed all over it,” Jones recalled. “I want to be in the place of most potential. So, I'm out there two hours before dawn, and when the light starts coming up, I got the boats, and I got the fishermen. … I got my first right answer, (and) they just kept coming.”

3. Be open to possibilities

Even if you do put yourself in the place of most potential, Jones argued, it won’t make a difference if you aren’t open to the possibilities and what the world has to offer.   

“When the great photographer Minor White would go out to photograph, he would never say, ‘What will I take today?’” Jones recalled. “Rather, he would ask, ‘What will I be given today?’ And I would add: Will I be open enough to see it?”

For photographers, the possibilities are endless — but over the course of his career, Jones noticed that many people mistakenly believe that there’s only so much beauty to go around.

“Mother Nature never stood in front of a forest and said, ‘There is one great photograph hidden here. One photographer will find it, and the rest of you will be hopeless losers,’” Jones said. “No, nature says, ‘How many rolls you got, Dewitt? Bring it on! … I'll fill it up with beauty and possibility beyond your wildest imaginings, right down to my tiniest seed.’”

Along with being open to all of the possibilities, Jones argued that being willing to look for the next right answer instead of believing that there’s only one right answer is not only transformational — it is “the key to creativity.”

“So many things begin to change when you come at the world from that perspective,” Jones explained. “As you press on, looking for that next right answer, … you do so not in terror but comfortably knowing it's going to be there for you. And you really do begin to embrace change rather than fear it. You really do hit the day with a sense of possibility, not paralysis. And you just get more and more comfortable with reframing an obstacle into an opportunity.”

4. Focus your vision by celebrating what’s right

Jones saved his most important step for last, positing that how you see the world — and what you choose to focus on — will affect everything else in your life.  

“It's your vision that's going to make you a success, because vision controls our perception — and our perception becomes our reality,” Jones said.  

Jones began cultivating a vision of positivity when he was hired by National Geographic, who always encouraged him to focus his camera lens on the good instead of the bad.

“What they charged me with, every time they sent me out, was to celebrate what was right with the world,” Jones said. “I mean, why do you think we keep those silly yellow magazines? It's a national sacrilege to throw one away! Why? Because they celebrate what's right with the world.”

Jones acknowledged that it’s not always easy to find — or even look for — the positive, especially in the midst of overwhelming struggles, like the COVID-19 pandemic. But he still encourages everyone to try.

“I'm not going to deny that there's very real pain and suffering in the world,” Jones said. “But if I'm in love with life, I've got a lot more energy to face (it). By celebrating what's right, we find the energy to fix what's wrong. And (it’s) so important … to have a vision that will give us energy at a time when so many things are trying to take it away.”

Even when focusing on the good doesn’t come easily, Jones believes that we can become champions of finding the positive in the world the same way we become proficient in anything: practice, practice, practice.

“Unless you … make it a practice, it's not going to change your life,” Jones acknowledged. “This means that, every day, you have to consciously say, ‘I am going to celebrate what's right in my life.’”

So, how do you begin celebrating the good? In Jones’ opinion, it helps to tap into your passions — that is, things that “fill (your) cup”. This can be anything from sports to music to good conversations, and everything in between. It’s just a matter of finding it in your own life.

“You're going to have to go out and say …, ‘I just had an amazing interaction with my friends. I just saw the sunset. I just read a good book,’” Jones suggested. “Whatever it is that fills your cup up to where you overflow (and) you say, ‘These are things that make me glad to be alive.’”

By taking all four of these steps in our lives, Jones truly believes that we can change our perspective — and, ultimately, change the world.

“We can celebrate the best in every situation and every person every day,” Jones said. “We'll have the tools and the vision to face any challenge … while celebrating, with gratitude and with grace, all that we've been given. That perspective, that vision, it will change your life, as it has changed mine.”

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“As a society, globally, we seem to be struggling with finding a universally agreed-upon set of facts,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech, at the opening of the Alltech ONE Ideas Conference (ONE) on June 22. “With more data at our fingertips, we find it even harder to agree upon the truth.”

A few years ago, a book called “Factfulness” was shared with Dr. Lyons, and it transformed his perspective of the world. Since then, the book has been featured twice in the Alltech virtual book club, and hundreds of copies have been given away to Alltech colleagues and friends around the world.

The book was written by Hans Rosling in collaboration with his son, Ola Rosling, and his daughter-in-law, Anna Rosling Rönnlund. Together, they founded Gapminder to combat misconceptions and present facts, global trends and data in a way that everybody can understand. Rönnlund is also the founder of Dollar Street, which reflects her own passion for photography by using images and videos to promote a fact-based view of the world.

“What if we are wrong about the world?” asked Anna Rosling Rönnlund, the first keynote speaker at ONE this year. “How can we then make sure we do the right things?”

What are the facts about what’s happening around the world?

The world is full of problems. Climate change and COVID-19 are two hot topics, to name a few. To check whether conference attendees’ worldview was up to date, Rönnlund carried out a short quiz with 18 multiple-choice questions on topics that varied from suicide to low-income countries, farming and plastic waste. You can take the quiz here.

The following facts are true:

1. The suicide rate decreased by 25% over the past 20 years.

2. 9% of countries are low-income countries now.

3. 6% of plastic waste ends up in the ocean.

Below are the results of ONE participant responses comparing to the facts:

On average, attendees only answered 4.7 of the 18 questions correctly. The results demonstrated that our perspective of the world is often not based on facts and, as a result, can cloud our judgment.

What causes a skewed worldview?

Rönnlund gave three explanations for how misconceptions are often generated:

1 .The things we learned in school have become outdated.

2. What we see around us is a narrow slice of reality.

3. The news is overdramatic — we only hear about extraordinary events, instead of things like, “Yesterday, all trains were on time again.”

How can we update our worldview?

1. Get a reality check.

To broaden our horizon and see the truth about ordinary things, Rönnlund suggested that we pay attention to what’s happening in reality as well.

“We need to look at how people really sleep, how they brush their teeth, where they go to the toilet even,” said Rönnlund. “We need to see that everyday reality (in order) to understand that most of us are having everyday struggles that look pretty much the same, even though we might be in different countries and on different income levels.”

You can see pictures of items and activities from households with different income levels around the world here.

2. Look at the data.

“But that (seeing everyday reality) is not enough. We also need to look at the data,” Rönnlund noted before sharing 32 things that have improved in the world over time.

For example, legal slavery has decreased dramatically, deaths due to disasters have all but disappeared, fewer children are dying, more kids are getting vaccinated and there are more movies to choose from.

“So, a lot of things are actually improving, but we’re very bad at seeing these slow trends on a global level,” said Rönnlund. “Instead, we see the media, and we see the drama all around us.”

The world is, in so many ways, getting better. However, there are still many problems to solve. The danger of being wrong about data and global trends is that we might end up solving the wrong problems — or solving them in the wrong order.

3. Trick your brain.

Even when we are highly educated and know the facts, the world keeps changing. In addition, our brains love dramatic stories more than the truth about global trends. We need to trick our brains to be smarter without spending too much time learning.

With this in mind, the authors of “Factfulness” developed the 10 Rules of Thumb to control the dramatic instincts in our minds.

What are the 10 Factfulness Rules of Thumb?

1. The Gap Instinct: We tend to think about the world as divided, such as either poor or rich. The majority, however, is in the middle.

2. The Negativity Instinct: Our brains might think things keep getting worse because of what we hear, but sometimes, we should ask ourselves: Would an improvement get publicity?

3. The Straight Line Instinct: When we see a trend, we tend to think it will continue. However, many lines bend.

4. The Fear Instinct: Often, we see and search for stories that are dramatic and interesting, but our brains overdramatize reality.

5. The Size Instinct: Everything we hear on a global level seems to be huge because the numbers add up. But we need to compare, divide and put things in perspective.

6. The Generalization Instinct: For example, we tend to group people together and think they are all the same, even if they have different backgrounds.

7. The Destiny Instinct: Thinking that nothing can be done because of destiny is a bad ground for doing change work.

8. The Single Instinct: We tend to think that we have a hammer, and we want to use it on everything we see. To make smart decisions, however, we need to use a toolbox.

9. The Blame Instinct: This is our instinct of pointing fingers at certain people, forcing them to bear the guilt for things going bad.

10. The Urgency Instinct: We often feel the urge to do something big immediately upon hearing about dramatic events happening around us. “There is a risk of doing the wrong thing and doing too much of it, which might cause problems rather than fix them,” said Rönnlund. “What we need to do is to take one step at a time and keep evaluating and keep looking at it.”

How can we support a fact-based view of the world?

1. Foster data literacy by providing transparent and free data.

2. Make the world more understandable by visualizing data, especially in schools. “We need to serve the brain enough excitement so it’s interested enough to keep listening, and (we should) stay true to the facts and ensure we are not overexaggerating anything,” advised Rönnlund.

3. Be humble and curious. “You don't want to be looked at as someone who’s … wrong, but according to the testing we have done, we’ve seen that most people are wrong in most industries, in most ages, in most educational levels,” shared Rönnlund. “I think, if we are humble and curious and start looking for the data, we will find data, because it is existing.”

4. Keep upgrading our worldview, because the world keeps changing, and so do the facts about it. A lot of data is freely available from big organizations online. “We need to foster this new habit with curiosity and humility, looking for facts, and keep updating them,” said Rönnlund. “It’s not a small thing, because it’s about rewiring the way we think as a species, but I think we have to start doing it.”

5. Beware of unreliable data. Most information around us is not fake, but we get it wrong anyway. We also now have to deal with fake news. Be sure to check your sources.   

6. Reach out beyond your network. When it comes to social media, look for friends of your friends or distant relatives to widen your point of view. Explore other fields of interest to broaden your understanding of how people see things differently.

Fun facts from the Q&A session

• Rönnlund started writing “Factfulness” with her husband, Ola, and father-in-law, Hans, after the three of them worked closely together on Gapminder for more than 10 years to make the world easier to understand.
• Their collaboration began after a family dinner, where Hans shared his struggle to explain global health to medical students. At first, Rönnlund and Ola helped Hans simplify the information by creating more appealing visuals. Then, together, they started to innovate and find better ways to teach global health and development to a bigger audience.
• The three authors wrote about five big risks for the future in “Factfulness,” and the number-one risk was a global pandemic.
• People can be happy with what they know about the world, and it’s hard to change or upgrade that knowledge. The writers focused on two things: first, what people are most often wrong about, which they determined by screening populations with factual questions, and second, why we have such a hard time understanding the world around us, which they explored by looking at the brain.
• Rönnlund and Ola are continuing Hans’ legacy by creating new content and new factual questions so that people can stay updated on different topics. They are working to create more teaching materials that can be used in the classroom.  

“Factfulness is recognizing that a single perspective can limit your imagination,” said Dr. Lyons in the conclusion of the session. “And remember that it is better to look at problems from many different angles. When we see the world in this way, we truly become possible-ists, people who can really see clearly how progress can be made, the potential ahead, and make sure that we can play a role in making it better.”

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[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Weather patterns have been variable across Europe throughout the 2020 growing season and have had a direct impact on the presence of specific moulds and mycotoxins across different regions. Mycotoxins are produced by certain species of moulds and are a concern for livestock producers due to their ability to influence feed quality and subsequent animal health and performance. Samples collected from across Europe as part of the Alltech European Summer Harvest Survey have been submitted to the Alltech 37+® mycotoxin analytical services laboratory, and analysis is indicating the presence of moderate to high levels of mycotoxin risk.

The results are based on 274 samples of barley, wheat, corn, corn silage, grass silage, alfalfa, haylage, grass, peas, oats, sunflower meal, triticale and soybean. These samples are collected from farms or animal feed production sites from 15 countries across Europe including Russia, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Hungary, Germany, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Estonia, Republic of Lithuania, Morocco, Greece, Belarus, Croatia and Kazakhstan, and offer a representative picture of the contamination risk in all regions, with an overall moderate to high risk. Samples have shown an average of 4.4 mycotoxins, with 99.6% containing at least one mycotoxin and 96.4% containing two or more mycotoxins. Fumonisins were found in 80.7% of the samples, while 74.5% contained type B-trichothecenes.

A noticeable trend in recent years is the growing presence of emerging mycotoxins. More than 75% of samples contained this group, which includes specific mycotoxins such as beauvericin, moniliformin, phomopsin A, alternariol and enniatin A and B. Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin that can have a significant impact on the fertility of most species groups, was detected in almost 7% of samples. Aflatoxin B1 (AfB1), a member of the Aspergillus species and a particularly harmful toxin, was detected in less than 7% of the samples that have been analysed — a percentage that is potentially lower than expected considering the dryer-than-normal conditions across much of Central and Eastern Europe this year.

''Overall, the current results indicate a moderate to high mycotoxin risk across Europe this year, and producers must remain aware of how the risk and impact will vary between different species and animal groups, with breeding animals and youngstock being more susceptible,” said Dr. Radka Borutova, European technical support manager with the Alltech Mycotoxin Management team. “We know that feeding even low-level contaminated feeds has been shown to impact animal health and performance, so even in lower-risk scenarios, producers should not neglect the need to guard against the threat of mycotoxins.''

Summary of results by region:

• Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, Greece and Croatia): The results from this region show that 91.3% and 80.4% of all samples were contaminated with fumonisins and emerging mycotoxins, respectively. The average concentration of fumonisins was 1,195.88 ppb, a concentration able to harm the health and performance of pigs. More than 86% of samples contained fusaric acid, which is frequently found in different feedstuffs, mainly in corn. Fusaric acid gets into many mycotoxin interactions and has a synergistic effect with other mycotoxins like fumonisins and moniliformin. AfB1 was detected in less than 6% of the samples, and the maximum concentration of 8 ppb was found in one of the Spanish samples. The maximum concentration of deoxynivalenol (DON) was found in Spain in corn silage, and the concentration was 4,903.3 ppb.

• Central Europe (Germany, Hungary and Czech Republic): Samples show contamination of fumonisins of 86.7% and 73.5% with type B-trichothecenes. The average concentration of type B-trichothecenes was 463.5 ppb, a concentration able to harm the health and performance of pigs. More than 68% contained emerging mycotoxins, a group of with increasing relevance in the past few years. AfB1 was detected in less than 4% of the samples, and the maximum concentration of 3.6 ppb was found in one of the Hungarian samples. The maximum concentration of DON was found in the Czech Republic in corn silage with a concentration of 3,921 ppb.

• The Baltics and Eastern Europe (Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan): Of the samples analysed, 70.9% were contaminated with type B-trichothecenes, fumonisins and emerging mycotoxins. The average concentration of type B-trichothecenes was 454.9 ppb. None of the samples from Eastern Europe were contaminated with zearalenone, a mycotoxin that can have a significant impact on the fertility of most species groups. AfB1 was detected in more than 10% of the samples, and the maximum concentration of 27 ppb was found in one of the Lithuanian grass silage samples. The maximum concentration of DON was found in the Republic of Lithuania in corn silage, and the concentration was 4,970.5 ppb.

• Northern Europe (Denmark): The results from this region show that 94% and 92% of all samples were contaminated with emerging mycotoxins and type B-trichothecenes, respectively. The average concentration of emerging mycotoxins was 414.4 ppb. Interestingly, 6% of samples contained ergot alkaloids, while the average concentration was 695.4 ppb and the maximum concentration was 2,037 ppb, found in barley. AfB1 was detected in less than 2.5% of the samples, and the maximum concentration of 3 ppb was found in wheat harvested in Denmark. The maximum concentration of DON was found in Denmark in barley, and the concentration was 1,351.8 ppb.

The average levels of mycotoxins identified fall below the EU-recommended levels for each of the mycotoxins when assessed individually. Only 0.36% of samples exceeded EU allowed concentration of AfB1 (20 ppb) in feed ingredients (COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 574/2011. However, the risk level for productive species based on Alltech's risk equivalent quantity (REQ) varies from moderate to high when the multiple-mycotoxin challenge is considered.

• Pig producers should be aware that the risk level based on the average REQ for breeding sows and young piglets is deemed to be high.
• When the mycotoxin contamination levels are applied to poultry, the mycotoxin risk for breeding birds is moderate, while in broiler birds, it is low to moderate.
• In ruminants, the results from the samples analysed so far indicate a low to moderate risk in dairy cows.

There was a notable difference in the mycotoxin contamination levels of large grains (corn) and small grains (wheat, barley, oats). The average number of mycotoxins detected in corn samples was 6.4, while in small grains, it was 3.6. This variance is reflected in the REQ and risk of feeding these ingredients to specific species and animal groups. For instance, in sows and gilts, this year’s corn samples represent a higher risk of mycotoxins, but when small grains are fed to the same animals, the mycotoxin risk is deemed to be lower.

Alltech will host a webinar with Dr. Radka Borutova on Dec. 9, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. CET. Register for the webinar via this link.

For more information and results from the 2020 Alltech Summer Harvest Survey, visit www.alltech.com/en-gb/summer-harvest-survey.

Alltech believes that inclusion cultivates creativity and drives innovation. Gender equality is not only a fundamental human right, but it is also essential to advancing society and the global agri-food industry. To gather real-world insights into the professional landscape for women in agriculture, Alltech has announced its support of the second annual Women in Food & Ag survey. Launching on Oct. 27, the survey aims to collect feedback that empowers the agri-food industry to create a more equitable environment.

The 2019 Women in Food & Ag survey results revealed specific barriers for women in agriculture and a gap between female and male perceptions but reflected an optimistic outlook overall. As 2020 ushered in unprecedented challenges for agriculture, new questions have been added to the survey to gauge potential inequalities exacerbated by COVID-19. To further globalize this effort and increase accessibility, the survey is available in six languages.

This initiative reflects Alltech’s commitment to the U.N. Global Compact and the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related to gender equality. The SDG recognizes gender equality as a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

“In order to achieve a Planet of PlentyTM, it is more important than ever for the agri-food industry to perform at its full potential,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Human ingenuity is our Earth’s most valuable resource, and a diverse workforce is essential to building a more sustainable future.”

Women and men in all sectors of the food supply chain are encouraged to contribute to this important global conversation about gender equality in agriculture by taking the survey here.

The survey results will be published on Jan. 26 on the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience website.

The importance of colostrum for newborn calves is well-recognized. Colostrum, the first milk produced by the cow at calving, offers a rich source of energy, nutrients, immune cells and antibodies. These antibodies are especially important since newborn calves lack disease protection, as antibodies do not pass through the cow’s placenta to the calf’s circulatory system. The antibodies in the cow’s colostrum will provide her calf with initial disease protection.

The immunity acquired during the first few days of life is particularly important for calf health and survival. Studies on calf death loss have shown that 4–12% of calves are either stillborn or die within the first 24 hours after birth. While there are many risk factors during this time that may lead to calf mortality, early nutrition and colostrum management are key influences.

What are immunoglobulins?

For the first three to five weeks of a calf’s life, the passive immunity received from the absorption of immunoglobulins in colostrum provides substantial protection to help the calf fight off infections, illness and diseases. Immunoglobulins are large protein molecules that function as antibodies and that are produced by plasma or white blood cells. They serve an important purpose in immune response by fighting off bacteria, viruses and other harmful invaders. There are different classes of immunoglobulins that each have specific functions, biological features, targets and structures. The primary (80–85%) colostral antibodies are immunoglobulin G (IgG), followed by immunoglobulin A (IgA, at 8–10%) and immunoglobulin M (IgM, at 5–12%).

The major factors that will influence newborn calf colostral immunoglobulin absorption are:

1. The age of the calf when it receives its first feeding of colostrum.

2. The number of immunoglobulins made available to the calf.

Colostrum absorption is maximized and at its most efficient shortly after birth, beginning to decline steadily as time passes, with very minimal absorption occurring 20 hours post-calving. However, in some calves, this closure of the gut can occur as early as 12 hours postpartum. Despite the length of time to gut closure, immunoglobulin transfer across the gut epithelium is most efficient in the first four hours postpartum and begins to decline rapidly after 12 hours postpartum. By 24 hours, it is estimated that only 10% of immunoglobulins are absorbed. Therefore, it is important to get that essential colostrum into the calf as soon as possible.

While these large proteins can be transferred through the gut prior to closure, so too can bacteria and large particles that may be harmful if ingested. This is yet another reason why it is so important to calve on clean, dry ground.

The number of immunoglobulins presented to the newborn calf is dependent on the volume of colostrum available and the immunoglobulin concentration of that colostrum. The quality of the colostrum can be affected by the dam’s age, health and nutrition status. Cows that are older — i.e., in at least their third lactation — typically have a higher volume of colostrum that is better-quality compared to the colostrum of a younger cow or first-calf heifer. While there are tools that can be used to measure colostrum quality, typically, good indicators of high-quality colostrum include a tan or yellow color and very thick, creamy consistency.

Nutritional status of the dam

The dam’s nutritional status can greatly impact the colostrum available to the calf. Colostrum and immunoglobulins start to form 5–6 weeks prior to calving. A Virginia Tech study has shown that colostrum volume and calf absorption of IgG were lower in nutrient-restricted cows compared to cows fed to their requirements, even though the IgG concentrations did not change. A study in sheep found that nutrient restriction from mid- to late pregnancy in ewe lambs altered colostrum quality and quantity. The dam’s nutrition prior to calving can greatly impact the amount of colostrum produced and the absorption of immunoglobulins, which may lead to scours and higher mortality rates if inadequate. Bio-Mos® 2 has been shown to support gut integrity and colostrum quality, thereby promoting overall performance. This product should be fed two months prior to calving for optimal results.

Failure of passive transfer

A frequent problem during calving season is failure of passive transfer (FPT), which occurs when a newborn calf does not receive the necessary colostrum. This can occur if cows were in a nutrient deficit and did not produce quality colostrum, or, in cases of dystocia, weak calves, temperature stress or the dam not taking care of her new calf, all of which can prevent the newborn calf from nursing. These factors may prevent the calf from not only getting essential nutrients from colostrum but also from getting the required antibodies. FPT can result in significant economic losses through increased calf illness and death. If a calf has not nursed or is at a high risk for not nursing within the first couple of hours, it may be best to intervene and provide it with colostrum.

The ideal method for a calf to receive colostrum is from its own dam. If possible, use a chute to restrain the cow in order to allow the calf to nurse. If the calf does not want to suckle, the cow could be milked out and a tube feeder can be used to get colostrum into the calf. A newborn calf should be fed about two quarts of colostrum within four to six hours post-birth and again within four to six hours from the original feeding. Colostrum should be collected within 24 hours of calving. If collecting from the cow is not possible, colostrum replacers or supplements can be used. In these situations, consult a veterinarian for assistance in selecting the best option.

Remember, the first meal is the most important meal of a calf’s life and plays an instrumental role in calf immune system development. It is vital to ensure that each calf receives rich, nutritious colostrum in order to set them on a path to successful performance.

I would like more information on beef nutrition.

What lies ahead for the agriculture industry, and how will technology play an instrumental role in influencing future production? As part of the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience, Robert Walker, Alltech’s European growth officer, was joined by Patrick Walsh, founder and CEO of tech entrepreneur community Dogpatch Labs, and Nicky Deasy, managing partner of global agrifood tech accelerator The Yield Lab, to learn more.

The Alltech 2020 ag-tech insights report, developed by Dogpatch, examined more than 1,600 startups across 35 different sectors. Included below are some of the key takeaways:

1. Early-stage funding is up significantly:

There has been a doubling of early-stage funding over the past 12 months, but mid- to late-stage funding remains fairly stagnant. New ag-tech funds are on the rise, with about $500 million more available in funding for this sector.

2. Year-over-year (YOY) tech funding growth:

YOY tech funding growth has been very strong, hitting $3.6 billion this year. We’ve witnessed 40% growth in this segment annually since 2017. The top five startups in 2019 — Impossible ($300 million), Ginkgo Bioworks ($290 million), Farmers Business Network ($175 million), Perfect Day ($140 million) and Ynsect ($124 million) — account for almost one-third of all funding (worth as much as all ag-tech funding in 2016). Three categories captured half of all ag-tech investments in 2019: alternative protein, supply chain/marketplace and indoor farming.

3. The next trend in early-stage ag-tech deals:

The highest number of early-stage startups were in the livestock sector. We can expect that a lot of these small early bets will become significant businesses in the near future. Within livestock, aquaculture startups are where the money is flowing, receiving four times as much investment ($162.73 million) over the next species (dairy, at $37.33 million).

4. The ag-tech industry is still underinvested:

Despite seeing a fourfold investment since 2014, ag-tech remains one of the most underinvested subsectors in the global startup ecosystem, with $3.6 billion in 2019, compared to WeWork’s total funding of $22.5 billion and SoftBank’s Vision Fund at $100 billion.

Walsh offered his insights: “The universe of ag-tech startups continues to grow, with more money flowing into more countries — and more startups in more countries — than ever before,” he said. “In 2019, alternative protein was the destination of most of that VC (venture capital) money. Almost one in every four dollars, I think, went into an alternative protein company, whether that was plant-based, insect-based or cell-based. And as investors get more aggressive in that space, the deal sizes are getting bigger than we've ever seen [before] in agri-food tech.

“Impossible Foods did a $500 million deal,” he continued. “I think they’ve raised over $1 billion in funding now, making them worth maybe $2–3 billion. We saw an insect protein company raise, I think, a total of $172 billion, but what excites us more is what's happening at the super early stage. And what's really interesting to me is that there have been twice as many early-stage investments (the number of deals made in 2019) than in the previous year.

“So, what that means is, there are a lot more people looking at startups in different industries, in different parts of ag, and taking a small bet,” said Walsh. “And where are those bets being made? Well, most of them (are) in livestock (like) dairy, and some in aquaculture as well. And that's because, I think, you're starting to see a lot of technologies moving on an exponential trend and getting more cost-effective and more powerful, in terms of capabilities, and starting to hit the right stage and opening up new possibilities.”

Deasy went on to share what she has been seeing in the VC landscape at present: “Well, I suppose our figures, indeed, echo those,” she said. “The data from last year indicated that seed-stage funding in Europe was up 70% in ag-tech over the previous year. We would expect that trend to actually accelerate over the coming years. We now have the EU farm-to-fork strategy coming in, which is going to [offer] a pricing incentive for companies — ag-tech companies with sustainable technology — to improve the footprint of the industry.

“So, all of that is driving a very, very vibrant ecosystem in the European early-stage ag-tech landscape,” Deasy continued. “When we started investing in 2017, most investors had never heard of ag-tech, which is quite extraordinary when you consider that the underlying industry — the ag and food industry, globally — is worth about $8 trillion per year in terms of the value of its output.

“This sector is still very much in its infancy because the underlying industries that it's trying to support are huge, and there's much opportunity to improve how we do things,” she concluded. “Technology will help drive a better, stronger and more profitable industry for all of its participants, including primary producers.”

How can we expect the recession to impact ag-tech startups?

1. Public market crisis lag:

Venture capital investments tend to follow downturns of public markets with around a 6-month delay. Deals in the pipeline are typically being finalized, but no new ones are being made.

2. CVC slowdown:

Expect ag-tech corporate venture capitalists (CVC), such as Syngenta Ventures, Tyson Ventures and Nutreco NuFrontiers, to pull back earlier and more sharply.

3. Early-stage investment advantage:

Early-stage investments are usually the least affected because they don’t depend on revenue and can easily pivot. Venture capitalists are more likely to invest in them, as early-stage startups are taking advantage of the new economic situation.

4. An increase in entrepreneurs:

More than 50 tech unicorns, such as Uber, WhatsApp and MailChimp, were founded during the 2007–2009 recession, and half of all Fortune 500 companies — think IBM, Microsoft, Disney and even Alltech — were created during a recession or bear market. Startups created this year could be unicorns in the next five to 10 years.

The impact of COVID-19

COVID-19 will drive automation startups that sell more products designed to solve problems associated with lack of labor and social distancing. E-commerce and supply chains will become less of a perk and more of a necessity. We will see cost-savings startups that can help businesses stay alive through their services.

We will also witness supply chain acceleration and automation innovation. Governments that used to slow down approvals are now pushing companies for faster innovation.

Walsh shared his take on the effect of COVID-19: “One of the things we did is we reached out to the startups that were in the Pearse Lyons Accelerator [now the Pearse Lyons Cultivator],” he said. “We had 22 startups over three years, and they've gone on, since leaving the accelerator, to raise $65 million or so. Because many of them were in the middle of a growth phase, (they) were doing larger funding rounds.

“It was clear that, when COVID hit, conversations stalled,” Walsh continued. “Valuations of their companies started to get re-examined and repriced. And a lot of investors (were) saying, ‘Well, we're still open for business,’ but, in reality, they were much more focused on protecting their existing investments rather than making new (ones).

“But as we've moved through this crisis now, we're starting to see that the money is — for the most part — flowing, and startups are really getting demand in different ways,” he said. “A lot of the time, a startup's proposition was focused on saving costs or increasing revenue. The pitch decks have started to change a lot more (now) to say, ‘We can make you and your food safer.’

“Startups are nimble,” Walsh concluded. “They can adapt fast to this new paradigm. And they can deliver on the new needs of the industry pretty quickly. I would feel pretty confident (saying) that COVID will actually drive innovation. After an initial shock and a sense of uncertainty about what's going to happen in the short term, you’re going to see more innovation flowing now as we go into next year.”

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Consumers are asking more questions about the meals on their tables: Where is my food grown? How is it grown? Is it sustainable? Is it environmentally friendly? This shift in consumer preference is changing the way that corporations work, because now, sustainability must become a permanent line item in their business plans. Not only is sustainably produced food becoming a non-negotiable for consumers and businesses, it also happens to be a solution to feeding the world.

At the Alltech ONE Virtual Experience, Ciarán Black, owner of Nuevo Growth, hosted a discussion with Ryan Rakestraw, director at Temasek International, and Claudia Roessler, director of agriculture for Microsoft, to further discuss how to sustainably produce more food. The consensus? Via sustainable agriculture technologies. There are many forms of ag-tech — from technologies that help with the efficiency of how food is produced to technologies that create sustainable packaging and even technologies that can reduce food waste.

“Now, ag-tech is making substantial progress. It’s one of the fastest growing areas, but it still remains one of the most under-invested subsectors in the global startup ecosystem,” said Black. So, if ag-tech is a solution, what needs to be done to hasten its road to success? Black proposed three methods:

1. Encouraging investments in ag-tech
2. Identifying sustainable agriculture technologies
3. Stressing the urgency around a sustainable food supply

Investments: How can we make sustainable ag-tech more attractive to investors?

As awareness of sustainability grows, investors are taking notice. Rakestraw says there is a strong drive for sustainability today amongst most groups, including:

• Consumers. Consumers want to know the environmental impact of their purchases, and this influences a majority of their buying decisions.
• Businesses. Businesses are appointing directors with a sustainability agenda because consumers will continue to demand it.
• Farmers. In fact, Rakestraw says that most farmers are already environmental stewards.

“They’re looking after their land, they’re thinking about passing the farm on to the next generation, so this is something that they’re certainly thinking about and interested in,” he said. “I just don’t think they’ve had a good way to act on this.”

Because sustainability is, historically, an interest of farmers, is currently an interest of consumers and is now an interest of businesses, investors are primarily focused on companies that have implemented sustainability methods.

“The question is, if you don’t have some type of sustainability agenda or the ability to influence sustainability in your product or service, will you even continue to exist?” asked Rakestraw.

So, how can we ensure that we will continue to drive this sustainability agenda — especially when farmers, according to Roessler, are notoriously “late bloomers” when it comes to digital trends and advancements? There are many sustainable deliverables farmers need to achieve, including:

• Growing more while using fewer resources
• Tracking and measuring their sustainable footprint
• Telling consumers how their food was produced and where it’s coming from

Farmers need digital and data-related innovations on their farms in order to meet these deliverables, and luckily, as Roessler noted, “the amounts that are being invested in the ag-tech industry are increasing over the last couple of years.”

Investments are imperative for startups, universities and research organizations that have the goal of developing sustainable, environmental and agricultural practices.

“This is from anything like detecting pest stress or disease stress on a farm in a certain region to smart irrigation in another region,” said Roessler. “So, we want to help harness this ecosystem.”

It’s about more than just investing, though, and Roessler uses Microsoft’s startup programs as an example: They not only help invest but also help adjust the footprint, monitor sustainability goals, develop the process, market the products and deliver them to the buyer. Investors need to nurture startups to stimulate success. With this nurturing comes the speed that is necessary to “drive innovation at the speed that’s needed to address all those environmental changes.”

Identification: Where are the applications that can help agriculture create a Planet of Plenty?

Now that sustainability is on investors’ radars, it comes down to identifying sustainable ag-tech startups. Which startups should we be looking into? According to Roessler, we need to be looking at technology that increases productivity by growing more food that uses:

• Less energy
• Less land
• Less water

This is especially important because productivity has one of the biggest impacts on the environment.

“Think about if you could use 1.5 billion (fewer) acres of land in agriculture,” said Roessler. “This would be a significant purpose to what’s in our environmental goals.”

Another area to identify is risk prevention. Ag-tech that can monitor farms and the environment prevents incidents that lead to:

• Food safety issues
• Food waste
• Disease
• Abnormalities

Overall, Roessler stresses that it’s critical to address these issues before they arise, which will ultimately improve our whole food production process.

“I think that’s really the ultimate goal, which we need to enable now,” stressed Roessler.

Black then expanded on these points by reiterating the importance of identifying ag-tech that mitigates risk and creates a link to help the consumer understand sustainability within the supply chain.

But it doesn’t just stop at risk detection; Rakestraw listed several additional technologies that warrant investments, including:

• Gene editing and precision breeding systems for crops and livestock
• Insights around the microbiome and the use of synthetic biology tools
• Sustainable packaging of food products, using less packaging or biodegradable materials while still maintaining the safety and shelf life of the product

Rakestraw specifically highlighted the importance of ag-tech that reduces food waste, “whether that’s new coating technologies, optimized logistics or predictive analytics associated with matching supply and demand.”

Urgency: Will we embrace ag-tech quickly enough?

The growing population and increased environmental education add a sense of urgency to identifying sustainable ag-tech to invest in.

“So, we know that agriculture is becoming more sustainable, but just not fast enough,” said Black. “Is there anything we can do to increase the pace of that change? How do we go about doing that?”

Rakestraw listed three possible solutions:

• Industry collaboration — and not just within animal health and nutrition, but across industry segments. Through this collaboration, we will be able to educate consumers through quantifying and showcasing benefits.
• Public and private partnerships with government and industry to define standards, quantify metrics and regulate the messaging to convey to the consumer.
• Be bold and take some risks with moonshot goals associated with sustainability.

“I think the onus is on not only us as investors but (as an) industry to find these technologies that could have a significant impact and support them and help them come to life in this 10-year, 20-year, 30-year time period,” explained Rakestraw.

Digital technologies can increase the collaboration between startups, corporations and government. Will fast-paced industry collaborations lead us into a more sustainable future?

Roessler says yes, but not by itself. We need to build programs that are sustainable for many years — not just short-term initiatives. The societal impact of agriculture requires creating infrastructures like internet connectivity for rural farms and fostering talent in agriculture that can work with technology in the future.

While speed is important, Roessler says that longevity is also key. We need innovations quickly, but we also need to look at how technology evolves and stays current.

“This is really (something) we’re in for the long run, and I think that’s really what’s needed to drive a systemic change in the industry,” said Roessler.

Final thoughts

By attracting investors, identifying technologies and urging quick action, we can anticipate a strong push in sustainable ag-tech for our futures. With the population growing rapidly, the industry has a collective duty to ensure food for the masses, and nurturing farms through new technologies can make this happen. Because, as Black stated at the beginning of his discussion, “Agriculture has the potential to provide solutions, both to feeding the planet and combating climate change — but we must do both.”

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