We are delighted to publish Episode 1 of Season 2 of ‘The Grower Talks’.
Our guest was Francisco (Chico) Jardim, co-founder and Managing Partner of SP Ventures, widely regarded as one of Latin America’s leading venture capital firms focused on AgFoodTech and ClimateTech, headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.
Under Chico’s leadership, SP Ventures has backed more than 50 companies across Latin America, establishing itself as one of the most recognised venture capital firms focused on agriculture in emerging markets.
Together with my Brazilian co-presenter, Gustavo Mamao, we set out to unpack the Brazilian biological story. I can honestly say that, in just 45 minutes, I learnt more about the evolution of this sector than I had gathered from any previous series of conversations.
So, what made this conversation so insightful?
Perhaps a big part of the answer lies in Chico’s experience. He co-founded SP Ventures back in 2007 – long before ‘agtech’ became an industry buzzword and when the idea of investing in agricultural technology was still very much uncharted territory.
Recognising the enormous potential technology could bring to farmers and growers, Chico and his team took a refreshingly practical approach. Rather than simply chasing the next big technology, they set about understanding the real challenges facing farmers and identifying solutions that could make a meaningful difference on the ground.
And the early days? Well, Chico described them as something of a ‘Wild West’!
The traditional agricultural chemistry industry wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat. Some of the largest players were openly hostile, with legal challenges and considerable resistance to the emerging agtech and biological innovation landscape.
Fast forward to today, and what a transformation!
Some of the world’s largest agricultural chemistry companies are now Limited Partners in SP Ventures’ latest fund, AgVentures III. That’s quite a turnaround and perhaps one of the clearest illustrations of just how dramatically attitudes towards agricultural innovation in this space have shifted.
From resistance to investment. From an emerging, largely unproven sector to a rapidly evolving ecosystem attracting global attention.
Brazil’s biological story is a fascinating one – and there’s clearly a lot the rest of the world can learn from it.
For me, this conversation reinforced exactly why we’re bringing The Grower Talks back for Season 2. There are incredible stories, experiences and lessons emerging from different agricultural markets, and sharing these perspectives can help accelerate innovation and adoption globally.
You can view this outstanding podcast at https://youtu.be/auntXyIGl0c?si=ASYOXoq4AsMyBdtt