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Ag innovation is NOT slowing down

Will ag innovation be hampered by the down ag economy? Rohit Shukla is the founder and CEO of the LARTA Institute and the principle driver behind the Ag Innovations Showcase. He tells Brownfield AgNews farmers need innovation for productivity no matter what is happening in the ag economy.  He says innovation is not slowing down and cannot slow down, “The reason is, it’s the old genie out of the bottle. The genie is out of the bottle right now. There are several problems that we need to resolve. Whether it’s in research inside the universities or it’s research inside the companies, those problems are not going to go away.”

And, Shukla says, consumer interaction with food keeps growing, “Nobody is safe from innovation. You’ve got to continue to innovate! You’ve got to continue to be up in front of the consumers and be able to justify what you’re doing. And, lastly, we’ve GOT to STOP the assault on SCIENCE.” He says whether it’s GMOs or Climate Change, the ag industry must BETTER communicate the facts of science.

Twenty-eight countries, including the U.S., Canada, Brazil, China, and Japan, are represented at the Ag Innovations Showcase. Over its nine years, 97% of presenting companies at the showcase have found new investor leads, raising more than 500-Million-dollars after the events.