5 Things Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about Agriculture
by Michael Gilbert (Entrepreneur) Fail fast, fail often doesn’t work for farmers. Here are five agricultural realities funders and innovators need to understand. — “Betting the farm” isn’t just a saying. It’s something farmers do every year. When a farmer invests in new technology — be it a new irrigation system or a self-driving tractor — they’re often, quite literally, betting the farm. If the tech doesn’t deliver, it could spell financial ruin.
As startups developing agricultural technology proliferate, too many investors and founders are neglecting this key fact. Farming isn’t just another “sector,” and there’s far more at stake than meets the eye.
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But as a scientist and CEO of an agtech company that partners with growers to ensure tech yields practical benefits, I’ve seen the sometimes jarring disconnect between Silicon Valley norms and the (as yet) inviolable laws of nature. Here are five truths funders and innovators must understand to accelerate innovation and put real-world solutions in farmers’ hands.
1. Fail fast doesn’t work for farmers
Rapid experimentation is a tenet of lean startup philosophy, embraced by consumer tech companies in a race to find “what sticks.” But agtech customers don’t have that luxury.
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2. Ag support has to be more than a chatbot
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To be clear, farmers understand that tech sometimes breaks or malfunctions. But they expect you to show up (often in person) when things don’t work.
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3. The growth curve looks different in ag
Ag investors looking for the kind of hockey-stick growth common in other tech sectors will be disappointed.
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They’ll wait for word-of-mouth testimonies and in-field results. Trusted suppliers, conference conversations, friends and neighbors are your best marketing tool.
But once proven, useful tech can take off like a rocket.
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4. You can’t A/B test a farm (yet)
Tech lives in a world of easily isolated variables, clearly identified pain points and clean cost-benefit ratios. Farms don’t work this way.
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5. Farmers want the latest tech (but it has to work)
The stereotype of farmers as somehow old-fashioned ignores the reality: Agriculture has been innovating since the introduction of the plow. This generation of farmers, in particular, has ridden waves of change and innovation, from robotics and automation to bioinformatics and big data. They are ready and waiting for the next big thing.
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But growers aren’t obsessed with technology, itself. They don’t want the latest gadget. They want results. READ MORE
Smoke & mirrors, not worth the extra cost: 50 US farmers speak out on carbon markets (Ag Funder News)
Innovation in agriculture and food and its vital role in fighting climate change (Ag Funder News)
Six investors reveal their biggest bets to move the needle and create change at scale for our food system in 2023 and beyond. (World Agri-Tech USA)
Farmers in spotlight at World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit (Solutions from the Land)
What Holds Farmers Back from Trying New Farming Practices? (Farm Journal’s Pork)
