New Mode of Action to Stop Insects
Agriculture has seen its fair share of new startup companies in the last five years. With billions being invested in new ideas, a lot of brainpower is being put toward a range of new ideas. Recently, Farm Progress talked with Kevin Chen, CEO, Crop Enhancement, a venture-capital-funded company based in San Jose, Calif., with a different way to control crop pests: a spray-on barrier that keeps pests out of crops.
“Growers can protect crops by applying a biodegradable and transparent material that keeps pests from eating a crop,” Chen explains. “Our CropCoat product is a foliar-applied spray formulation.” The product is a proprietary mix containing natural ingredients.
What does Marcus Meadows-Smith see in Crop Enhancement?
“As veterans of the biopesticide industry go, Marcus Meadows-Smith is a heavy hitter. His résumé is packed with transformative business performance at several major companies (Bayer, AgraQuest, Chemtura, among others). Currently the CEO of BioConsortia Inc., Meadows-Smith has just taken a role on the board of directors of Crop Enhancement Inc., an innovator of sustainable agrochemical products for enhancing crop yields, where he will help guide the management team on value-creation strategies for the company. It’s a great fit not only because of his deep experience and track record in the agrochemical industry, but also because the company is serving the needs of growers and the multinational food manufacturers that source their produce.
“I understand the grower mentality,” says Meadows-Smith, “and right now, growers are aiming to increase their yield to sustainably produce food for the world. A part of that sustainable approach is improved profitability and lower environmental impact, which is where Crop Enhancement has breakthrough technology.”
CropCoat Uses Unique Film to Protect Cocoa from Pests
“If you are a lover of chocolate, coffee, or both, you will appreciate the effectiveness of a new mode of action to prevent damage to coffee and cocoa pods by soft-bodied insects.
And eventually, the same technology could benefit corn and soybean growers, too.
CropCoat, a coating applied to the pods, comes from Crop Enhancement Inc., a California-based company aiming to create sustainable agrochemical products to boost crop yields. The company has concluded a two-year pilot project for cocoa pod producers in Indonesia, in which CropCoat prevented damage from the cocoa pod borer and mirids, two insects that can reduce yields up to 75%.”
Cargill Boosts Cocoa Productivity and Quality Using Crop Enhancement’s Sustainable Crop Production Technology
Indonesian cocoa growers in Cargill’s extensive network are eager to expand their use of this effective, farmer-friendly solution that reduces the need for synthetic pesticides
SAN JOSE, Calif.—September 10, 2018: Crop Enhancement Inc., an innovator of sustainable agrochemical products for enhancing crop yields, has successfully completed an initial field demonstration pilot with Cargill to validate the effectiveness of its sustainable technology for yield enhancement. The conclusion of this demonstration pilot is an important step for Cargill— one of the world’s largest cocoa processors — towards attaining its sustainability objectives defined in the Cargill Cocoa Promise, and confirms excitement by cocoa growers for an effective solution to their long-standing production challenges.
[dt_quote type=”pullquote” layout=”left” font_size=”big” animation=”none” size=”1″]“This effective solution helps Indonesian cocoa growers improve productivity of their farms as well as supports farmer livelihood, which is why our collaboration with Crop Enhancement is so important”[/dt_quote]The demonstration was conducted with leading cocoa growers in Cargill’s grower network in Sulawesi, Indonesia, a primary producing region in the largest Asian cocoa production geography (consisting of 1.5 million hectares) for this key ingredient of cocoa and chocolate. Over the course of two crop seasons, the pilot established that Crop Enhancement’s CropCoat® technology enables growers to mitigate the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and reduce farm labor required for agrochemical spray applications – key economic and sustainability drivers for the cocoa industry.
Based on positive grower experiences and feedback during the trials, Crop Enhancement and Cargill are defining next steps to scale the engagement in order to introduce the use of CropCoat to its larger grower base in Indonesia.
The demo farmers with whom we worked reported that CropCoat improved the health of cocoa pods and transformed how they farm cocoa,” said Kevin Chen, Ph.D., CEO of Crop Enhancement. “CropCoat saved these growers both time and energy by requiring far fewer applications compared with conventional insecticide treatments. In addition to the potential for prosperity that this new approach offers, it meets grower and consumer desire for sustainable farming practices.”
“This effective solution helps Indonesian cocoa growers improve productivity of their farms as well as supports farmer livelihood, which is why our collaboration with Crop Enhancement is so important,” said Niels Boetje, managing director Asia Pacific, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate. “This successful demonstration builds on Cargill’s long-term commitment to improving the lives of cocoa farmers and their communities. At the same time, it will help us to secure a long-term supply of quality cocoa for our business.”
Beyond yield and profit increase, CropCoat delivers to growers the added benefits of requiring fewer spray applications, having a strong worker health and safety profile, and enabling sustainable integrated pest management (IPM).
Crop Enhancement’s products target major fruit and vegetable crops worldwide across regions that include North America, Southeast Asia, Greater China, Latin America, and Africa. To boost crop yields in these regions, Crop Enhancement has developed proprietary films and formulations that modify plant surfaces (leaves, stems, fruit, and seeds) to improve their resistance to pests and diseases while reducing the need for synthetic pesticides or pesticide applications. Crop Enhancement’s formulations can also be applied with agricultural inputs such as nutrients, fertilizers and other active ingredients, enabling farmers to reduce costs and increase crop yields.
About Cargill
Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries who work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 153 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial, and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture. For more information, visit www.cargill.com and our News Center.
About Cargill in Indonesia
Cargill began doing business in Indonesia in 1974 by establishing a feed mill in Bogor, West Java. Today, Cargill is headquartered in Jakarta and has more than 20,000 employees. We have 60 locations with offices, manufacturing plants and facilities throughout the country and business activities comprise animal nutrition, cocoa, copra, processed food exporting, grain and oilseeds, palm oil, and sweeteners. For further information please visit www.cargill.co.id.
About the Cargill Cocoa Promise
The Cargill Cocoa Promise launched in 2012 to align efforts in origin countries. It is Cargill’s commitment to improving the livelihoods of farmers and communities in a holistic way that will secure a thriving sector for generations to come. The origin countries include Brazil, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Indonesia.
About Crop Enhancement
Crop Enhancement is a venture-backed agriculture technology corporation based in San Jose, California. Founded by renowned materials scientist and serial entrepreneur Dr. David Soane, Crop Enhancement is developing sustainable agrochemical formulations that employ advanced and environmentally friendly products to improve crop yields, eliminate or minimize pesticide use, and enable precise and effective delivery of active ingredients and fertilizers.
Media contact:
Tim Cox, ZingPR, tim@zingpr.com, 650-369-7784
Envisioning the Future of Crop Protection
“One of the biggest challenges facing farmers — and many consumers — is how to control destructive insects, diseases, and weeds while avoiding or reducing the negative effects associated with using agrochemicals. There is growing support for new products and methods that address these issues, and there are a number of viewpoints on the best means to do so.
In May, I had the opportunity to moderate a panel discussion on these and other topics at the 2018 Silicon Valley AgTech Conference. As an entrepreneur with more than 10 years of experience in sustainable and renewable technologies, I was interested to learn how others in the industry envision the future of crop protection. The panel included key players in agtech investment, manufacturing, and distribution, as well as a technology executive at Bowles Farming Co., 11,000-acre specialty crop farming company.”
Crop Enhancement Appoints Marcus Meadows-Smith as Independent Director
As Crop Enhancement prepares to launch its first crop protection product, Meadows-Smith to advise on value-creation strategies
SAN JOSE, Calif.—July 31, 2018: Crop Enhancement Inc., an innovator of sustainable agrochemical products for enhancing crop yields, has appointed Marcus Meadows-Smith to its board of directors. As a proven, successful, and recognized executive of the agrochemical industry, Mr. Meadows-Smith will assist the management team with the development of business models and go-to-market strategies that position Crop Enhancement for success as it reaches a key inflection point: commercialization of its technology.
Mr. Meadows-Smith is currently CEO of BioConsortia Inc., a discoverer of microbial crop protection and enhancement products. Prior to that, he turned around the biopesticide business AgraQuest Inc. over a four-year timeframe, culminating in that company being acquired by Bayer CropScience for over $400 million. Following Bayer’s acquisition of AgraQuest, he became head of biologics for Bayer CropScience. Previously, Mr. Meadows-Smith had a 14-year career at Chemtura Corporation, assuming multiple managerial roles and ultimately becoming EVP for a $2 billion portfolio of businesses that included crop protection, consumer products, and plastics additives.
Crop Enhancement’s market momentum is growing as the company gears up to launch its first crop protection product, CropCoat®. Extremely successful field trials with cacao growers and food value chain partners demonstrated double-digit yield increases, confirming that Crop Enhancement’s unique approach gives growers a powerful new tool to address the demands of consumers who want sustainably produced foods.
The CropCoat product achieves this through several effective modes of action (MOAs) that growers can deploy for sustainable integrated pest management (IPM). Beyond yield and profit increase, CropCoat delivers to growers the added benefits of no regulated residue (no minimum residual levels, or MRLs), pest resistance management, fewer spray applications, and lower costs.
Field trials with coffee growers are also underway in Central and South America, and the program is being expanded to high-value specialty crops including fruits and vegetables in the United States.
“Crop Enhancement has achieved the two most telling milestones for the success of a startup in agriculture — indeed for any product or company in agriculture— by generating great field trials results, as well as excitement for product adoption by key partners and major players in the food value chain,” said Marcus Meadows-Smith, board director of Crop Enhancement. “Crop Enhancement is well positioned to gain registrations, identify partners who can deliver rapid growth, and then collaborate with them to maximize crop yield.”
“I am delighted to welcome Marcus Meadows-Smith to our board of directors after he advised the company for the past year. Marcus brings a wealth of commercialization and value creation expertise to the team,” said Kevin Chen, Ph.D., CEO of Crop Enhancement. “We are now driving towards product registrations in different geographies, starting with Indonesia, and seeking distribution partners. Marcus’ extensive experience in this process will help us immeasurably.”
Crop Enhancement’s products target major fruit and vegetable crops worldwide across regions that include North America, Southeast Asia, Greater China, Latin America, and Africa. To boost crop yields in these regions, Crop Enhancement has developed proprietary films and formulations that modify plant surfaces (leaves, stems, fruit, and seeds) to improve their resistance to pests and diseases while decreasing the need for harmful pesticides. Crop Enhancement’s formulations can also be applied with agricultural inputs such as nutrients, fertilizers and other active ingredients, enabling farmers to reduce costs and increase crop yields.
About Crop Enhancement
Crop Enhancement is a venture-backed agriculture technology corporation based in San Jose, California. Founded by renowned materials scientist and serial entrepreneur Dr. David Soane, Crop Enhancement is developing sustainable agrochemical formulations that employ advanced and environmentally friendly chemistry to improve crop yields, eliminate or minimize toxic pesticide use, and enable precise and effective delivery of active ingredients and fertilizers. Visit us at www.crop-enhancement.com.
Media contact:
Tim Cox, ZingPR, tim@zingpr.com, 650-369-7784
There’s Hope on the Horizon for Pesticide-Averse Consumers
“When it comes to what we eat, the demands of conscious consumers are clear: They expect ethically produced and sourced food that is healthy, safe and affordable. Many of those consumers would be surprised to hear that the move away from toxic pesticide use is not a new phenomenon. In the 1970s, partly in response to early coverage of the damaging environmental impact of pesticides, the USDA established a nationwide integrated pest management (IPM) program to spur innovative methods to solve pest problems. Fast forward to April 2018, and the European Union announced that it plans to “completely ban” outdoor use of neonicotinoids, a class of synthetic pesticides blamed for killing bees. Neonicotinoids are used in the field as well as in seed coatings for corn, soybean, canola, and other crops.”
Crop Enhancement Presents at Agtech Nexus USA
In June, we were invited to speak at the Agtech Nexus USA 2018 conference in Boston. Produced by Global AgInvesting, this event convened leading agribusinesses, investors, tech companies and other stakeholders from around the country to discuss trends and opportunities in the expanding agtech sector. The focus of my talk was on how tools and experience from adjacent industries can be applied successfully to agriculture.
Like me, discussion moderator David Potere (CEO of Tellus Labs) arrived in the ag industry bringing a set of skills and experience from outside the industry: in David’s case satellite imaging and machine learning, in my case materials science and engineering. We discussed how diverse backgrounds and “outsider” experience enable our companies to offer fresh solutions to big challenges in the ag sector. I illustrated the Crop Enhancement approach of applying innovations in materials science to uniquely deliver effective, sustainable crop protection for growers around the world.
I shared how at our company we team up ag industry veterans (for example, our VP of business development, field development manager, and staff entomologist) with technology development experts (scientists from the chemical and advanced materials industries) to solve the problem we are attacking creatively through a blend of our different areas of expertise.
I described that in order to augment our team’s knowledge and capabilities, we actively engage the services of business development and technology consultants, leverage our distinguished board of industry advisors, and seek the advice of respected mentors.
In my concluding remarks, I quoted Dan Vradenburg, president of the Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness Division, who once said that “farming is a noble profession.” We at Crop Enhancement wholeheartedly agree. As entrepreneurs eager to solve some of the world’s most challenging agricultural problems, we will ultimately only be successful when we approach our grower partners with the respect they’ve earned striving to feed our planet.
Watch Kevin Chen, CEO of Crop Enhancement, at Agtech Nexus USA 2018:
AgTech Nexus from TellusLabs on Vimeo.
Pest Management: 10 Companies to Watch in 2018
“Successful crop production isn’t dependent on any single aspect of cropping systems management, but rather many different factors that combine to produce optimal, harvestable yields. A key component in profitable yields is effective pest management. Harmful organisms create damage in many different ways and have the potential to cause massive amounts of loss in a given field. If left untreated, pests can decimate an entire stand, rendering the crop unsellable. Farmers rely heavily on scouting and pest management strategies and technologies to catch infestations in their early stages to minimize potential damage. The following 10 companies are offering crop producers amazing tools to use in their pest management arsenals.”
Crop Enhancement: Using Materials Science to Replace Toxic Pesticides with Smarter, Safer Solutions
“This post is part of our Future of Agriculture series in which we interview the leading founders and executives who are on the front lines of the industry to get a better understanding of what problems the industry is facing, what trends are taking place, and what the future looks like.
The following is an interview we recently had with Kevin Chen, PhD, CEO of Crop Enhancement.”