A necessary pause on Human Resource thinking
In food and agri businesses, people decisions are often driven by borrowed assumptions from IT, FMCG, or manufacturing.
This is one of the biggest reasons otherwise well-designed agri businesses struggle.
This Afterthought exists to question those assumptions and put forward a more realistic, workable people philosophy.
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1. The myth of “agri-trained everywhere”
There is a widespread belief that a food or agri business needs people with agriculture or food backgrounds across all functions.
This is not true.
What this business actually needs is:
• 1–2 highly competent domain professionals who deeply understand crops, food systems, post-harvest realities, and constraints.
• The rest of the organization needs people who can learn fast, follow process, and apply discipline.
Trying to hire “agri experts” for every role:
• Increases cost,
• Reduces flexibility, and
• Often creates unnecessary rigidity.
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2. Skill is trainable. Attitude is not.
Most operational and technical skills in modern food businesses:
• Can be trained,
• Can be modularized, and
• Can be learned on the job.
What is harder to train is:
• Curiosity,
• Humility,
• Willingness to work on ground realities, and
• Ability to learn across disciplines.
This business therefore values learning ability over pre-loaded knowledge.
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3. Experience is useful - but not always helpful
Another common assumption is that “experienced professionals” automatically bring value.
In fast-changing food and agri systems, this is only partially true.
Many experienced professionals carry:
• Habits formed in outdated systems,
• Assumptions that no longer hold, and
• Resistance to unlearning.
Experience without adaptability can become a burden.
This business therefore treats experience as:
• A qualifier, not a guarantee,
• Useful only when paired with openness and learning ability.
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4. Why starting with interns actually makes sense
Food and agri businesses today operate at the intersection of:
• Technology,
• Logistics,
• Data,
• Sustainability, and
• Evolving consumer expectations.
This environment suits young, curious, fast learners extremely well.
Starting with interns allows the business to:
• Shape thinking early,
• Build cross-functional understanding, and
• Observe real attitude before commitment.
Interns who grow with the business often become its strongest long-term assets.
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5. The Gen Z reality must be handled consciously
When working with interns and young professionals, Gen Z dynamics naturally enter the organization.
This requires:
• Clarity of expectations,
• Meaningful work (not busy work),
• Regular feedback, and
• Visible learning pathways.
At the same time, this business does not confuse flexibility with lack of discipline.
Respect flows both ways:
• The business respects individual aspirations,
• Individuals respect operational realities.
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6. Beyond full-time employment thinking
A growing section of competent talent today seeks:
• Meaningful assignments,
• Short- to medium-term engagements, and
• Outcome-linked roles.
This business recognizes that:
• Not all value comes from permanent payroll roles,
• Expertise can be accessed through projects, advisors, and fractional roles.
Long-term employment is one option, not the only option.
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7. What kind of people thrive here
People who succeed in this kind of food and agri business are those who:
• Enjoy learning across functions,
• Are comfortable with ambiguity,
• Respect ground realities, and
• Do not look for instant gratification.
This business is not suited for those seeking:
• Quick titles,
• Narrow job definitions, or
• Comfort before competence.
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In simple words
This business does not chase:
• The most decorated resumes, or
• The most expensive talent.
It looks for:
• Curious minds,
• Steady hands, and
• People who grow as the business grows.
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Why this is written as an Afterthought
Because people decisions are often made after everything else looks perfect — and then quietly undo all the good work.
This Afterthought exists to prevent that mistake.
