This week, another truly grim quarter at Beyond Meat, which is facing a ticking time bomb in the form of $1.2bn in debt thanks to an offering of convertible notes set to mature in 2027. Crop science giant Bayer, meanwhile, said on its earnings call it plans to have Roundup litigation "contained" in 2026.

Elsewhere, we caught up with Dr. David Buckeridge and Steven Finn to discuss the investment landscape ("maybe as bad as it's ever been") and Fresh Del Monte SVP Jorge Pelaez Reyes to address the triple-whammy of TR4, Black Sigatoka, and climate change wreaking havoc on global banana supplies.

Tim York at Australian alt meat market leader v2food told us why he snapped up US alt chicken brand Daring Foods.

Finally, Jenn Marston and Samuele Gabbio took a look at the latest funding figures on biostimulants (spoiler alert: they're not good), and Elaine Watson spoke with InEdita Bio CEO Prof. Paulo Arruda about the next evolution of gene editing.

Have a great weekend! Louisa, Elaine, and Jenn

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Beyond Meat brings in chief transformation officer, cuts more jobs, following another grim quarter

Restructuring expert John Boken has been brought in to "make sure we can become EBITDA positive in the second half of next year," says Ethan Brown. Elaine Watson

Fresh Del Monte ramps up defenses as disease threatens world banana crops

Fresh Del Monte has been collaborating with the Queensland University of Technology and Tropic on gene edited bananas resistant to devastating fungal disease TR4. Elaine Watson

Bayer 'turning over every stone' to 'significantly contain' glyphosate litigation

Crop science giant Bayer says it has settled 17,000 glyphosate cases so far and hopes for a supreme court ruling next year. Jennifer Marston

v2food CEO on entering the US via the Daring Foods acquisition: “It’s one of the few brands that’s growing”

Under the deal, Daring Foods will continue to operate under its own brand in the US while serving as a platform for v2food to launch products. Elaine Watson

Funding to precision ag jumps 71%, outpaces ag biotech for the first time since 2017: Pitchbook

The boost in funding to precision ag startups signals "a notable shift in investor priorities," says new data from PitchBook. Jennifer Marston

Cargill secures initial victory in erythritol anti-dumping case vs China, but move has unintended consequences

According to Cargill, Chinese erythritol suppliers have flooded overseas markets with product “at rock bottom prices.” Elaine Watson

What is ultra-processed food? First wave of comments to FDA/USDA highlight minefield facing regulators

A uniform definition of ultra-processed food at a federal level would “allow for consistency in research and policy," say the USDA and the FDA. Elaine Watson

CDC research finds that more than half of all calories consumed by Americans are UPFs

UPF consumption was lower in respondents with the highest family income than those in lower income brackets. Jennifer Marston

The Week in AgriFoodTech: Aerofarms raises equity, TerraBlaster bags $4m

Plus: Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation backs women climate founders in Africa via Gather Ventures. Jennifer Marston

Where Siddhi Capital is placing its bets: ‘GLP-1 is our AI. It’s a huge opportunity’

'The sheer amount of mentions of GLP-1 and seemingly related things in my inbox is insane,' says Siddhi Capital cofounder Steven Finn. Elaine Watson

InEdita Bio on gene editing 2.0: ‘We need to put together plant genetics with microbial genetics’

"You can make plants that produce signaling compounds that attract beneficial microorganisms and help them to grow and colonize and help plants to fix nitrogen," says Prof. Paulo Arruda. "This is the future." Elaine Watson

The do's and don'ts of raising capital in 2025: in conversation with Dr. David Buckeridge

Agrifood veteran Dr. David Buckeridge offers tips for startups raising money in this far more cautious environment. Jennifer Marston

Interest in biostimulants ‘extraordinary’ despite 86% funding drop to category

VC funding to biostimulants dropped 86% in 2024 to just $135 million. Jennifer Marston and Samuele Gabbio

Guest article: A new class of biopesticides is ready. Will EU policy catch up?

If EU institutions truly aim to support innovation, they must move beyond narrow definitions. By guest contributor Juan Estupinan

Guest article: AI in China. Transforming the food system for a brighter future

Companies such as Meituan and Ele.me are integrating AI into apps to provide users with personalized recommendations in China. By guest contributor Tao Zhang

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FlyBlast files for bankruptcy: ‘It became clear that the focus on cultivated meat was going to kill us’

"We had an educated look at a pivot towards biopharma, which had great potential, but not for our team and definitely not on our shoestring budget," says CEO Johan Jacobs. Elaine Watson

Automated vertical farming startup Vertical Future up for sale after posting $13m loss

“Like others in the vertical farming sector, we have faced significant headwinds in a difficult capital environment,” says the firm. Jennifer Marston

Ahimsa Companies pumps $12m into Ohio plant, takes long view on alt meat: ‘We’re on the right side of history’

"The opportunity is still here" for meat alternatives, insists Ahimsa Companies CEO Matthew Tullman. "It just may take longer than people originally expected." Elaine Watson