The introduction of genomics, which uses DNA analysis to predict a calf's future traits, has revolutionized dairy breeding. The rate of genetic improvement jumped from approximately $13 per cow per year to $100. This leap in efficiency allows for rapid selection for traits like higher yields and disease resistance.

The debate over food's future is often a binary battle between tech-driven "reinvention" (CRISPR, AI) and a return to traditional, organic "de-invention." The optimal path is a synthesis of the two, merging the wisdom of ancient farming practices with the most advanced science to increase yields sustainably without degrading the environment.

Consumer fear of GMOs is entrenched and funded, making education efforts ineffective. A better strategy is to use newer technologies like AI-driven breeding or CRISPR to achieve the same goals without triggering irrational consumer backlash, effectively sidestepping the debate.

The tech world is fixated on trivial AI uses while monumental breakthroughs in healthcare go underappreciated. Innovations like CRISPR and GLP-1s can solve systemic problems like chronic disease and rising healthcare costs, offering far greater societal ROI and impact on longevity than current AI chatbots.

CRISPR reframes its commercial strategy away from traditional drug launches. By viewing gene editing as a 'molecular surgery,' the company adopts a go-to-market approach similar to medical devices, focusing on paradigm shifts in hospital procedures and physician training.

Gene editing pioneer David Liu is developing a platform that could treat multiple, unrelated genetic diseases with a single therapeutic. By editing tRNAs to overcome common nonsense mutations, one therapy could address a wide range of conditions, dramatically increasing scalability and reducing costs.

Despite shelves stocked with heirloom tomatoes and exotic grains, our core food supply is dangerously uniform. For example, 90% of U.S. milk comes from a single cow breed descended from just two bulls, and half of all calories consumed globally come from just three grasses.

Unlike wildlife conservation, which prioritizes non-interference, preserving agrobiodiversity requires consumption. Reviving, cultivating, and herding ancestral grains and livestock creates a market and an economic incentive for their survival, following the principle: "to save it, you've got to eat it."

Existing agricultural giants have no incentive to process small batches of novel crops for startups. To prove market demand and achieve scale, innovators must acquire their own processing capacity, a risky but essential move to get products to market.