#11 - Why The Future of Food Starts Underground - Ryan Lynch

Ryan Lynch is a plant scientist and genomics researcher at the Salk Institute whose work focuses on root architecture, fatty acid biosynthesis, and building climate-resilient crops.Food systems are collapsing under the weight of climate change, degraded soils, and nutrient-poor crops. But what if the answers aren’t above ground—in the leaves, stems, or fruit—but underneath, in the roots?Ryan believes the overlooked and underground world of root systems is the key to the future of agriculture. By decoding plant genetics and optimizing how roots interact with soil, scientists can breed crops that are more nutritious, more resilient, and more sustainable.In this conversation, we dive into how plants adapt to stress, why modern crops are weaker than their ancestors, how fatty acids link to human health, and what it actually takes to redesign a food system from the soil up.Expect to learn why modern farming broke the plant-human relationship, what the Salk Institute is doing to fix it, how genomics can fight climate change, what most people get wrong about "natural food," the surprising ways roots communicate, and much more...00:00 Intro – Who is Ryan Lynch?05:52 Why Roots Matter More Than You Think14:15 The Hidden Power of Plant Genomics23:44 What We've Lost in Modern Farming33:01 Why Soil Health is Human Health45:19 Can Genetics Fix Agriculture?54:20 Root Systems and Climate Change1:06:15 How Plants Talk to Soil1:14:42 The Future of Crop Breeding1:25:39 How to Grow Food for a Warmer World1:32:06 What Science Still Doesn’t Know About Plants1:42:10 Ryan’s Advice for Future Innovators-Get a 15% discount on the best supplements from BeMicro with code STEVE15 at https://bemicro.farm/-Get in touch in the comments below or head to...Instagram: / plant.frequencies.podcastEmail: [e-mail]