The Work We Do - Ep 4. Science & Innovation in Agriculture and the Digital Divide. Charles Spillane

In this episode of The Work We Do, we sit down with Charles Spillane, Chief Scientist at FAO. Charlie traces how his upbringing on a farm in Ireland and an early interest in science fiction shaped his techno-optimistic worldview and his belief in the power of science and innovation to improve society. He discusses why scientific advances often fail to reach smallholder farmers, what it takes to close the gap between knowledge and adoption, and how financial, institutional, and systemic barriers can be addressed. Charlie explores the growing role of data in agriculture, including questions of ownership and governance, and the limitations of current research funding models. And he shares vision for a more effective, future-ready agrifood science system. 00:00 Inequality and progress 01:00 From farm to FAO 08:28 Innovation in context 11:11 The technology gap 12:24 Data and control 16:00 The digital divide 21:10 Climate trade-offs 27:07 Science funding 32:46 Why FAO