Scott Liles

PepsiCo Urgently Overhauling Portfolio Under Activist Pressure "PepsiCo Inc. said it is working to cut costs and overhaul its portfolio to meet consumers’ shifting tastes, while it engages in discussions with an activist investor. "PepsiCo said in prepared remarks Thursday that it has been cutting the number of its individual products to “reduce supply chain complexity” and will continue to drive that number lower. The company also said it has accelerated its cost-reduction efforts and that it expects more headcount reductions in its Frito-Lay US business before the end of the year." #pepsico #shareholdervalue #activistinvesting https://lnkd.in/gTc9PtQe

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Groove Capital Invests in Minneapolis Ag-Tech Startup Vireo Ag The Minnesota venture firm adds Vireo Ag to its portfolio, backing the company’s mission to accelerate crop breeding through faster, more efficient genome editing. https://lnkd.in/gefgRcid

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During this speech I provided thoughts on the exciting capital investment plans of the US dairy industry and Farmer Mac's important role providing liquidity to the leading sources of capital.

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Instead of asking how can we grow, or how can we last, we must ask first how can we satisfy our moving market, our elusive customer

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Commodity Boards are a totally different ballgame in retail media. Pork, dairy, produce, beef… they all have unique funding structures, more complex stakeholder groups, and they need every dollar to deliver real, measurable impact. And when you take that into the club retail world with Sam’s Club or Costco, things get even more interesting. Sam’s Club MAP is firing on all cylinders right now. It has scale, strong member data, self-serve tools, and measurable results. It is ready for Boards who want speed, reach, and efficiency. Costco is still in the earlier stages of its media journey. It has incredible loyalty data and long-term potential, but the process is slower and more manual, which makes it better for brand equity plays and longer-term strategies. We have helped Boards navigate both. It comes down to matching the right retailer to your goals, timelines, and funding windows. And yes, sometimes that means sticking with the most mature RMNs like Sam’s Club MAP, Walmart Connect, Roundel, or Kroger Precision Marketing to hit the numbers. Other times it means testing an emerging player like Costco for the right strategic opportunity. If you are on a Board team trying to figure out how to make club retail media work, check out my full breakdown here. We cover how the platforms differ, when to invest, and how DIGITS makes it easier to win in these environments. https://lnkd.in/g7gDKRxc

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Kentucky farmers are facing a crucial crossroads when it comes to soybean production. 🌱 While the dominant systems have historically been efficient, a recent evaluation raises important questions about their long-term sustainability. 🤔 How can we balance high yields with environmental responsibility and the well-being of our farmers? This analysis highlights the need for innovation and collaboration in Kentucky's agricultural landscape. We must explore alternative soybean systems that promote soil health, reduce reliance on synthetic inputs, and ensure the economic viability of our farms. Join the conversation! What are your thoughts on the future of soybean farming in Kentucky? Share your insights and let's work together to build a more resilient and sustainable agricultural system. 🤝 #abutispinach #Agvocate #AgroDiplomacy

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Rethinking our systems as Lauren Manning describes is really important. Two systems, financial and agricultural are intertwined in ways that exacerbate issues instead of structuring in a way that can make both these systems more resilient.

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The Hershey Company Earnings: Pricing Bought Time — 2026 Is the Margin Test ▶️ Pricing offset historic cocoa & tariff pressure in 2025 ▶️ Margins troughed — ~400 bps recovery guided for 2026 ▶️ Reinvestment + returns signal confidence in the reset 🗣️ CEO Kirk Tanner: “We expect to deliver approximately 400 basis points of gross margin recovery in 2026.” 🗣️ CFO Steve Voskuil: “Net price realization contributed approximately nine points of growth, partially offset by elasticity-driven volume declines.” ⬇️ Full breakdown linked in the comments Follow Alphasumer for sharp, no-fluff insights on consumer staples earnings #CPG #FoodAndBeverage #Earnings #Stocks #ConsumerStaples 

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The main talking points at this year’s Doon Insights AgTech 12 Salon focused on the impact of new Trump administration policy and regulatory initiatives, including tariffs, as well as the ability to use biologicals, gene editing, robotics, and water technologies to disrupt the agriculture sector. Howard Chao, Managing Director of Doon Insights, curated a great event where we heard from corporate executives, entrepreneurs, farmers, financers, and policy experts about the state of the AgTech sector and the opportunities and challenges facing the Ag sector. Key insights include: · Tariffs are driving companies to build out regional, rather than global, production and distribution strategies · Even if the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs are struck down by the Supreme Court, there are many other tariff options that President Trump can deploy, so we should not expect the tariff situation to be resolved quickly · Successful AgTech products are those that take something hard in a farmer’s life and make it easier · When testing new technologies, growers are asking three questions: does it: 1) provide a positive ROI; 2) improve efficiency and/or lower costs; & 3) drive higher yields? · Adoption of robotics in the agriculture sector is poised to accelerate as the price of Chinese-made robots decreases rapidly, similar to the trajectory of EVs and solar panels · Robotics companies continue to face technical risks even as they scale up from 5 to 100 robots · The lack of technicians who are able to service new AgTech products remains a major limitation to large-scale commercial adoption · When a farmer buys a second machine, it means that it works and makes sense for a farmer · It is valuable for start-up companies to collaborate with corporates early in a company’s development · Corporates see AgTech companies as an extension of corporate R&D and can be a catalyst to help scale-up these companies during key life cycle phases: product development, commercialization, and/or distribution · To make biologicals more effective there needs to be more investment in formulation, as most biologicals have only a 6-12-month shelf life today, but need one that lasts 24-36 months · Gene editing of microorganisms can be used to enhance or expand functionality of biologicals as it is easier than gene editing for seeds · Data centers are built in areas that have cheap land and power, but despite using use billion of gallon of water annually on cooling, developers don’t often look at water availability during site selection · MAHA has no specific central leader driving policy, rather it is a broad coalition of people focused on various issues with different priorities · Venture capital might not be the right model for most AgTech companies as the time horizon for meaningful commercial adoption doesn’t often fit with VCs’ exit timeline #agtech; #agriculture EcoTech Capital Cy Obert Jeffrey Lipton

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