AgTech: Joost van Regteren Of Solynta On The New Technologies That Are Revolutionizing Agriculture
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Make sure you enjoy what you do. Don’t just do it for the money. It’s important that you enjoy what you do every day.
The agriculture industry is undergoing rapid transformation as innovative technologies are being developed and implemented, from precision agriculture to vertical farming, and beyond. In this series, we are speaking to leaders, innovators, and experts in the AgTech space who are playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of agriculture. We aim to explore the latest developments, discuss the challenges and opportunities that these technologies present, and showcase the impact of AgTech on the industry as a whole. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Joost van Regteren.
Joost van Regteren is the CCO of Solynta, Dutch hybrid potato innovator. Solynta is the first to successfully breed hybrid potatoes from true seeds. By collaborating with partners worldwide and applying their groundbreaking technology, they create a long-lasting impact on the global food supply. Joost most recently served as Head of Market Development EMEA/APAC and Vice President for Bayer Vegetable Seeds. Before that, he fulfilled different leadership roles during his 25-year career in international sales, product management and commercial strategy at Bayer Crop Science, Monsanto and Delphy. Joost is known for his strong organizational leadership in multicultural environments. At his role in Solynta, he supports the company mission to provide hybrid potato innovations to enhance the livelihood of producers around the globe, which will drive sustainable improvements in world food security. Joost is putting increased focus on the scaling of Solynta’s commercial activities, to support the introduction of hybrid potato varieties in order to accommodate the world’s growing nutrition demands.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I was born and raised in the Netherlands, and I grew up in a traditional Dutch family. I was also the youngest of three, so I was very independent. I always had a great group of friends who I credit for my belief today that your life and how much you enjoy it is all about mindset — you have a choice about how to look at situations. How you feel about change is part of this, which I experienced myself in the constant technological evolution that my generation X experienced — from color TV to mobile phones to the internet to personal computers to smartphones. The way I grew up means I am always looking forward to the new and next best thing.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
One of the most interesting stories happened at the start of my career. I was 23 years old, one year away from graduating, and I had just married my dear wife (we celebrate 31 years of marriage this year). I felt confident I was entering my career chapter. And once I had my undergraduate academic degree, I was ready to join the world of business. But before that could happen, I was called to join the Dutch Military Service. This was the last year this service was compulsory, as my luck would have it. It could be easy to say that this cost me one year of business experience, but I look on the bright side. I got an invaluable education in hierarchies, discipline, focus and teamwork. I ended up becoming the Secretary of a Commodore in The Hague and was rewarded with an official ‘Statement of Satisfaction’. It helped me to get started in the ‘real’ world, and it brought me to where I am today.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I think three strengths are key to my career success, and these three have repeatedly appeared throughout my work.
The first is responsibility. When I commit to doing something, I take ownership of it and may even run the risk of over-committing to it. However, this makes me a reliable partner, especially in times of crisis or pressure, where other people may leave. Whatever comes, I take it seriously, and I also try to make the best of it. I think this also makes for a better working environment because people know I will own my commitments and deliver on them the best I can. I also like to work with people who work this way — there’s nothing that can stop people who want to get things done right and on time.
The second is authenticity. Staying true to myself has undoubtedly contributed to my success and protected my career. I think this is because when people are authentic, other people can sense it — they know this is someone you can trust. I do this by emphasizing the “we” and the “why” — who are we and why are we here, and how can we communicate even more openly to make sure everyone understands it? Unfortunately, I’ve also seen plenty of environments where there is not enough authenticity and too much political game-playing and self-protection. This is toxic for authentic engagement and puts a firm brake on company progress. I’d rather invest my time in stronger working relationships that I know make it possible to get good results, instead of investing it in making myself look good (or in making others look bad). Wherever there is trust and dedication, results will come.
The final trait is fairness — this is a foundational value for me. Everyone deserves the same chance to try, learn, show their skill, and have the same chance at succeeding, or failing, and trying again. I practice this by coaching and mentoring others, which every mentor knows is primarily by listening. By listening to others, we show them that their perception and opinions deserve equal time as our advice and experience, giving them the space and the tools they need to try again.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Actually, my most exciting project is my work at Solynta. My objective is to help drive what began as an agritech startup into the commercial arena, which, in simple terms, is just making the potato seeds we’ve bred more accessible to more people. Our mission is so impactful and has such great potential that I almost can’t stop talking about it. Potatoes are the third most popular food crop in the world, and the ability to grow more of them with climate-resilient, disease-resistant, natural seeds means we can fight, or even halt, food insecurity. I’m excited about this because it doesn’t require farmers to grow GMOs or invest in a lot of expensive technology. It’s just growing potato crops from true potato seeds that also should help farmers keep their costs low by saving on agrochemicals and keeping them from risking their potato crops being lost to disease. I’m incredibly excited about what this means for farmer wellbeing, as well as global food security.
Ok super. Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. How did you become involved in AgTech, and why does it matter to you?
Food security and global food production are of the highest importance. AgTech and innovation play a pivotal role in ensuring food security across the globe. This is why I started my career in AgTech, particularly in food. It is of the utmost importance to continue to innovate in production techniques, production volume and efficiency to make sure the entire world can be fed. This global challenge is one that challenges me personally, and it’s why I work in AgTech now. AgTech has evolved so quickly in my career — we have far more productive and efficient greenhouses, we have LED plant lighting, we cultivate specific substrates for crops, and we have incredible high standards now in protected cultivation for crops like pepper and cucumbers, just to name a few changes. But as for AgTech “in the field” or in open-field crops like potatoes, steps can still be taken to use new technologies and techniques to help grow food production.
What are the most transformative technologies currently in use in AgTech, and how are they revolutionizing the industry?
Several new technologies are available that support farmers’ stability, and can even be used alongside traditional growing methods. There are new irrigation techniques, for example. Smart farming is also a great example of a new agricultural technology. These innovations improve crop’s quality, as well as its reliability and efficiency in being grown, which makes a big difference to farmers and growers.
This only becomes more important with the expansion of climate change. We’ve only just started to experience the influence of climate change on our food production, the pressure on drinking water, chemical usage and land availability for food production. These are global trends that will continue to have a major impact on our current and future food production. So it’s important to start adopting these new technologies and truly revolutionize the industry — and my belief is that hybrid breeding, in potato, is one of these technologies.
How do these technologies contribute to sustainable agriculture practices and the fight against climate change?
Hybrid breeding technologies allow for a more targeted approach towards breeding new varieties with desirable traits, such as high disease resistance and resilience against very humid or dry growing environments. Our hybrid potato breeding technology also means we can develop new varieties of potatoes faster, bringing us closer to what is necessary to withstand the consequences of climate change.
In those areas where traditional potato production is not possible due to a shortage or surplus of water, farmers can also use these new hybrid varieties — because they are designed to cope with these circumstances.
A nice example of the progress that we’re making is the fact that we have been able to breed a double-stack resistance against Late Blight into some of our new hybrid potato varieties within 18 months. These varieties can grow with far fewer agricultural chemicals. This enables the production of potatoes in those countries where potato production was not possible without heavy (and expensive) pesticide use.
What are the challenges in integrating these technologies with existing farming practices?
We realize that our approach requires a system change. This will impact the entire potato supply chain. Potato growers will need to adopt new agronomic practices, apply a different approach to crop protection and irrigation, and will see a huge difference in logistics. Transportation of true seeds can be done in an envelope, versus the historic need to make bulk shipments of seed tubers in freight boats or trucks, for example. And, of course, changing the system to seeds also brings regulatory challenges. The lack of experience with true potato seed as quality starting material for potato production means this technology is seen as very new — even though we have had hybrid crops for hundreds of years. There’s more education to be done on how these seeds are not GMOs and how and why hybrid breeding is safe and clean.
What emerging technologies do you see as having the potential to disrupt the AgTech industry in the next 5–10 years?
There are numerous new technologies that will have a great impact on the AgTech industry. Take, for instance, new breeding technologies, enabling more predictive production systems. But also the use of AI and meta-data to predict output. I am confident that they will be the biggest innovators of the AgTech scene in the coming years.
What kind of policy changes would be beneficial for the growth of the AgTech industry?
Policymakers should be focused on the stimulation and support of innovative technologies, as they will be beneficial to the entire industry. Not only keeping an open mind to new technologies that are now being developed, although that is important — but any country that seeks to be a force for good in agricultural production should have innovation in AgTech very high on the agenda.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in AgTech?
My advice is to follow your own interests. What excites you about AgTech the most? Is it the use of technology? Is it the ability to solve for food security? Is it finding ways to streamline production? Follow the direction of what makes you feel most motivated and challenged — you will find the right company and the right kind of AgTech that speaks to your passion.
What are the “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
- Follow your own instincts. Be in charge of your own destiny.
- Make sure you enjoy what you do. Don’t just do it for the money. It’s important that you enjoy what you do every day.
- Continue to develop yourself. Even though I have been in leadership positions for the past years, I still learn daily. That is very important.
- Being dependent on other people is not a bad thing. It’s not a vulnerability, but it is a strength! The best results are achieved from team efforts.
- Be patient. Sometimes, you’ll just have to accept that things move slower than you would have liked. Even as someone who likes to achieve things quickly, I can say for certain that sometimes process and quality require less time pressure.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I’d like to inspire a movement where everyone does a week or a weekend, on a farm. Besides the benefits of fresh air and time in nature, it would also drive home the point that we are all very connected and dependent on the farmers and farms that grow our food, and have us think more carefully about what we eat, how we build, and what we ask our elected representatives for.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You are welcome to visit the Solynta website here. We can also connect on LinkedIn.
This was very inspiring and informative. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this interview!
