Interview, Podcast
a16z Podcast | Produce or Perish! (What We Eat)
- Extending the shelf life of produce by an additional week allows smallholder farmers to earn an extra three to five shillings per mango and can enable earnings two to three times higher for the same commodity.
- Current material science iteration is slow, potentially requiring six years of PhD work to generate a single dataset, while traditional breeding cycles for new crop varieties typically span eight years.
- The company has successfully extended the shelf life of finger limes from five days to approximately 25 days, overcoming transportability constraints that previously limited their commercial viability.
- Future agricultural systems expect farmers to grow varieties optimized for local geography, such as Watsonville strawberries in Mexico, rather than being restricted to traits bred solely for transport durability.
- Democratized access to produce is anticipated, allowing the "best fruit" and "best grower" to be accessible globally without limitations imposed by time or current transport constraints.
- Genetic diversity in global produce is projected to increase, enabling smaller, diverse varieties to enter grocery stores as shelf-life extensions mitigate current transport limitations.
- Battery technology breakthroughs involving higher storage capacity, lighter weight, and longer duration are predicted to originate from government labs rather than private company innovation.
- Material science challenges are highlighted by the current slow pace of compilation and data generation in the field.
- The integration of 3D printing into households is forecasted, with the ability to print high-value items like the latest iPhone versus lower-value goods like shoes dependent on individual wealth.