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Rob Trice, a Silicon Valley veteran, co-founded Better Food Ventures with Michael Rose to invest in early-stage companies applying IT solutions to agriculture. The firm targets digital technologies capable of generating SaaS-style revenue, avoiding hardware-intensive and consumer goods sectors, and focusing on real pain points in the food and ag value chain. Despite the challenges in agtech and the impact of tariffs on US farming, they emphasise the need for good data for AI applications and work on initiatives like SADIE to address data ownership issues.

The draft of the farm bill includes a provision to develop a precision agriculture standard, but will that be enough to boost adoption?

The UK government has launched its first national strategy to address PFAS, known as 'forever chemicals', by enhancing soil monitoring and understanding their environmental impact. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will collaborate with various stakeholders to trace PFAS sources, their environmental pathways, and mitigate exposure, focusing on soil sampling and understanding agricultural contributions. Key concerns include PFAS in pesticides and biosolids, with ongoing research to assess their effects on soil properties and potential reforms in sludge regulation. Environment Minister Emma Hardy emphasises the importance of collaboration to address the long-term risks of PFAS to public health and ecosystems.