98. Anastasia Volkova on Decarbonizing the Agriculture Value Chain

Purpose and Profit with Kathy Varol

Dr. Anastasia Volkova is the CEO and Co-founder of Regrow Ag, a software company specializing in scalable decarbonization solutions for agriculture, using satellite imagery and proprietary biogeochemical modeling to measure and reduce scope 3 emissions on farms. Operating globally with over 100 customers—including General Mills, Nestle, Kellogg and Unilever—and monitoring 10%+ of the world’s arable land, Regrow aims to be a one-stop shop for the agriculture industry’s climate needs.

Anastasia has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Sydney. She is also a member of the Forbes Technology Council, a TEDx speaker, and the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including MIT's Innovators Under 35, BBC's 100 Women 2020, UBS Global Visionary, and Bloomberg's New Economy Catalyst.

In this episode, we discuss:

● How Anastasia went from a PhD in Aerospace Engineering to focusing on agriculture

● Why some widespread agricultural practices need updating

● How to create a more resilient food system

Key Takeaways:

● The Compounding Effects of Our Actions: Actions don’t exist in a vacuum—they compound over time, for better or worse. Agriculture provides a stark example of this.. Conventional practices that release significant greenhouse gases year after year contribute to climate change, creating extreme and unpredictable weather that destabilizes food production. This instability carries immense direct and indirect costs for society. The more we continue down this path, the worse it will become. On the flip side, investing in regenerative practices—while requiring upfront investments—yields compounding positive effects over time. These practices not only help mitigate climate change but also build a resilient food system that can sustain future generations. The key is zooming out to understand how the long-term impacts of today’s choices ripple far into the future.

● The Beauty of an Unscripted Journey: The most fascinating career paths are rarely linear. Anastasia’s academic and professional journey is a testament to the beauty of following your interests, even when the destination isn’t clear. Sometimes, this meandering path leads to creating something entirely new—something that didn’t exist before. Letting go of the notion that your career should follow someone else’s trajectory is liberating. Each of us is meant to carve out our own way, and as we move forward the uniqueness of our path becomes more evident. So, embrace the unexpected turns and trust that your journey will lead down the road that was meant for you.

● Transforming Tradition Through Innovation: Rice paddy cultivation has long been a symbol of timeless tradition—a picturesque image etched into collective memory. Yet, even centuries-old practices aren’t immune to the transformative power of innovation. It’s wild to think that after so many generations, there could be a better way to cultivate rice, a way that challenges the norm and improves upon it. That’s the magic of innovation: it takes what seems fixed and familiar and reimagines it, creating something better. Whether it’s rice paddies or any other deeply ingrained system, innovation reminds us that progress is always possible, and the status quo is just a starting point.

References:

● Connect with Anastasia on LinkedIn

● Regrow Ag

● Case study on Regrow’s partnership with General Mills

● Press release on the General Mills/Walmart regenerative agriculture partnership

● Case study on Regrow’s partnership with Cargill

● Case study on Regrow’s partnership with Netafim

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