View the full article for how Trevor Garnett, a plant biologist at the University of Adelaide in Australia, is working with Arcadia Biosciences to commercialize a method that tricks roots into taking up nitrogen from the soil more efficiently.

DAVIS, Calif. (May 3, 2010) – Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, today announced that Vilmorin, one of the world’s oldest and largest producers and marketers of field crop and vegetable seeds, has purchased a 7.25% equity position in Arcadia.  In parallel, Arcadia has purchased a 35% ownership position in Limagrain Cereal Seeds LLC (LCS), a newly formed company that provides the platform for wheat development in the United States. Vilmorin maintains 65% ownership of LCS.

Vilmorin’s investment in Arcadia and the cooperation of the two companies in the management of LCS build upon a 2009 agreement related to the development of Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) wheat.  Under the new agreements, Vilmorin is granted worldwide privileged rights to technologies developed by Arcadia for wheat.

LCS, based in Fort Collins, Colo., will develop new wheat varieties based on genetic and breeding resources in Vilmorin and US-based programs, as well as advanced technologies from Vilmorin and Arcadia.  LCS has appointed Dr. C. James Peterson, Professor of Wheat Breeding and Genetics and former head of wheat breeding for Oregon State University, as VP of Research.

In order to diversify its genetic resources and to establish business in key production zones for American wheat, LCS has acquired the wheat assets of Genesis Seed Research and BSF AG Research (Indiana). Genetic material for high-quality wheat and an existing flow of royalties are the two main assets of these firms and constitute the building blocks for more ambitious development plans.

Wheat is the world’s second largest agricultural crop, with annual output valued at $73 billion.   As one of the major sources of global nutrition, supply and demand projections clearly underline the need for advancements in wheat productivity through traits that benefit growers, consumers, and the environment.  Arcadia and Vilmorin believe that their strategic alliance and partnership in LCS will reinforce Vilmorin’s current leadership position in global wheat genetics, and create a significant opportunity for LCS.

“The Vilmorin investment in Arcadia is a clear validation of our core technologies, our commitment to ongoing development of new technologies, and the strength of our management team,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia.  “In addition to being an equity investor, Vilmorin is the ideal joint venture partner because of our aligned vision about how to offer technologies to wheat growers that can improve crop quality, on-farm economics, and the overall impact of farming on the global environment.  Our participation in LCS is demonstrative of Arcadia’s strategy to capture more downstream value for its technologies in key crop areas.”

“Vilmorin’s wheat strategy in the US, one of the world’s main wheat markets, is based on the development of genetic material well adapted to local conditions, access to innovative new technologies and a team of experts dedicated to growing our wheat business. The long term collaboration with Arcadia is a key component of our global expansion plan and will allow us to develop more innovative and environmentally friendly seed varieties,” said Adrian Huige, CEO of Vilmorin.

About Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.

Based in Davis, Calif., with additional facilities in Seattle, Wash. and Phoenix, Ariz., Arcadia Biosciences is an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that improve the environment and enhance human health.  For more information visit www.arcadiabio.com.

About Vilmorin

Vilmorin is the fourth largest seed company in the world, and creates vegetable and field crops with high added value, thus helping to meet food needs more efficiently. Based on a responsible vision of its development, Vilmorin’s strategy is a successful combination of its research capacity and constant international growth that strengthens its position as a world player. This ambition is founded on sharing knowledge, quality of life and respect for the needs of mankind, all expressed through its philosophy “Cultivating the taste of life.”

Listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (compartment A), Vilmorin’s quotation is included in the Next 150, CAC Mid 100 and SBF 120 indices, and is eligible for SRD (Deferred Settlement Order). For more information visit www.vilmorin.info.

DAVIS, Calif. (March 12, 2010) – Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, announced today that it has successfully completed the first commercial production of SONOVA™ 400 High GLA Safflower Oil.  Seed produced by the first High GLA Safflower crop, grown during 2009, was processed to produce commercial quantities of SONOVA™ 400 oil, which is now available for distribution as a key ingredient in dietary supplements.  SONOVA™ 400 is being launched at SupplyExpo 2010 being held March 12-14 in Anaheim, Calif.

SONOVA™ 400, developed through a combination of plant breeding and modern biotechnology, delivers 400 milligrams (mg) of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) per gram, making it the most concentrated, convenient and cost-effective source of GLA available.

GLA is an important nutritional omega-6 fatty acid with documented health benefits that are similar and complementary to the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.  Numerous published studies show the benefits of GLA supplementation, including anti-inflammatory effects, and improved skin health and appearance.  A recent study by Schirmer and Phinney found that GLA supplementation also plays a key role in maintaining weight loss.

Currently, evening primrose and borage oils are the two main sources of dietary GLA, containing 10 percent and 20 percent GLA, respectively. The availability of SONOVA™ 400, with over 40 percent GLA – twice the GLA concentration of borage oil – provides consumers with the option of taking fewer capsules or smaller capsules to obtain their desired level of GLA supplementation.

In December, 2009, Arcadia announced that it had completed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory process for SONOVA™ 400, allowing it to be marketed and sold as an ingredient in dietary supplements.

“Completion of our first oil processing run represents one more successful step along the pathway to commercializing this important new product,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia.  “Consumers and manufacturers have been asking for a more concentrated and cost-effective source of GLA.  Following successful completion of the FDA process, completion of this first production run and achieving our intended oil quality targets allows us to commercialize SONOVA™ 400, making the benefits of GLA more broadly available to consumers on a cost-effective basis.”

SONOVA™ 400 is marketed and sold by Bioriginal Food and Science Corporation, a global provider of essential fatty acid (EFA) solutions.

About Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.

Based in Davis, Calif., with additional facilities in Seattle, Wash. and Phoenix, Ariz., Arcadia Biosciences is an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that improve the environment and enhance human health.  For more information visit www.arcadiabio.com.

About Bioriginal Food and Science Corp.

Bioriginal Food and Science is a world leader in the production, marketing, and distribution of high-quality, innovative Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) solutions. The company’s EFA products are available in a full range of Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 oils from both marine and plant sources in various delivery formats. Headquartered in Saskatchewan, Canada, Bioriginal has state-of-the-art GMP production facilities in North America, Europe and Asia, and a global distribution network that spans six continents. For more information visit www.bioriginal.com.

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DAVIS, Calif. (February 15, 2010) — Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that benefit the environment and human health, today announced that it has received a two-year, $855,500 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The grant was awarded to Arcadia, in partnership with Washington State University (WSU), to help fund Phase II development of wheat varieties with reduced celiac disease-causing proteins.

Arcadia and WSU received a Phase I grant in 2005 through which the organizations applied TILLING®, a high-throughput genetic screening technology, to identify wheat plants with low levels of proteins that are most toxic to individuals with celiac disease. Significant progress in the Phase I program drove the Phase II application and grant funding. Phase II activities will take a broader approach and seek to remove a far greater number of toxic proteins while maintaining levels of proteins that are critical for bread-making qualities. The company also believes that removal of targeted toxic proteins could cause an increase in beneficial proteins and potentially lead to more nutritious bread.

Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that, in sensitive individuals, results from a toxic reaction to certain proteins found in specific grains, including wheat. This reaction in celiac sufferers causes damage to the small intestine and inhibits proper food absorption. It is estimated that approximately 1 percent of Americans have the disease, and the incidence is even higher in some northern European countries. A study by the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic released in July 2009 found that celiac disease is four times more common today than it was 50 years ago. The study attributed this increase to the improvement in diagnostic tools as well as unknown environmental factors.

“Celiac disease sufferers have to make significant dietary adjustments in order to avoid potentially severe impacts. And while the range of food products continues to expand in response to the rising numbers of diagnosed celiac-sufferers, certain grains remain off-limits. Development of wheat varieties with minimal amounts of celiac-triggering proteins can dramatically expand food choices and the quality of life for celiac-sufferers,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia. “The progress under our Phase I grant has made us increasingly optimistic about our ability to deliver wheat varieties that people with celiac disease can enjoy. If the approach we are exploring in the Phase II grant is successful, our new wheat varieties may also appeal to a much broader market.”

The company has not released a commercialization timeline for its new wheat varieties, though it expects to complete Phase II research in mid-2011.

About Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.
Based in Davis, Calif., with additional facilities in Seattle, Wash. and Phoenix, Ariz., Arcadia Biosciences is an agricultural technology company focused on developing technologies and products that improve the environment and enhance human health. For more information visit www.arcadiabio.com.

* The project described was supported by Award Number R42DK072721 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases or the National Institutes of Health.

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Dr Anita Ramanna, Department of Politics, University of Pune

GM (Genetically Modified) crops evoke either hype or hysteria around the world. Proponents see biotechnology as an answer to hunger and the food crisis. Opponents warn of dangers to consumers, the environment, and view GM seeds as the cause of farmer suicides in developing countries. With both sides presenting ‘facts’ and ’scientific evidence’ to bolster their arguments, one is left asking, how do we make rational policies?

Firstly, the biotechnology debate needs to be reframed. Bio-engineered seeds need to be viewed the way farmers do – not as ‘miracle’ or ’suicide’ seeds, but as one option among many within a wider agricultural strategy. No quick fix exists for all the current agricultural problems. Farmers in developing countries are faced with lack of access to basic services: electricity, water, quality inputs, reliable information, fair prices, markets to sell their products, credit and insurance. As Bt cotton farmers in India told us, administrative and political obstacles prevent them from getting a good price for cotton, whether they adopt GM cotton or not.

We must also re-assess our priorities. Are GM crops to deal with environmental concerns, help poor farmers to increase yields, develop better products for consumers, or solve agricultural problems? Clear choices would enable us to provide incentives for technologies we want to promote, and create disincentives for others we may not (eg. the ‘terminator’ gene). Biotechnology may not have emerged from a desire to fight hunger (the first GM product in the market was a tomato engineered to ensure longer shelf life), but it appears to be the goal now, providing us with the opportunity to shift focus from technologies geared towards western consumers, towards crops that could benefit poor farmers.

A fine balance between IPR and access to technology is required. A trade-off, such as allowing open access to crops that are designed for solving hunger while granting IPRs on technologies targeting big cash crops, must be devised; otherwise, we may be in for a gridlock (for example, Golden Rice, where several patents prevented utilisation of the technology).

Finally, and most importantly, farmers must be consulted at every stage. Decisions made in a top-down fashion could backfire, as witnessed in the spread of ‘illegal’ Bt cotton in India, or unauthorised GM soybean from Argentina to Brazil. Basing decisions on ‘farmer’s choice’ is not simple, however. Without adequate information and power, we cannot expect farmers to make informed decisions, nor should pro and anti-GM leaders portray the ‘farmer’s choice’ wrongly. Involving farmers in policy-making must go beyond surveys listing statistics about the ‘failure’ or ’success’ of GM crops. We must listen to farmers who are happy with GM and those who are not (our surveys found both types in the case of Bt cotton in India) and channel their feedback into policy.

Eric Rey, President and CEO, Arcadia Biosciences

We’re all world citizens. And as world citizens, we have a responsibility to develop and use the appropriate tools and technologies to help us respond to the social, economic and environmental pressures. These pressures are directly associated with a necessary higher food consumption by middle and lower economic strata, and a finite amount of land and fresh water.

These are the facts: agriculture is the second leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, and nitrogen fertilizer is a major contributor; the global population is expected to increase from its current count of 6.7 billion to 9 billion by 2042; the total amount of arable land is decreasing, while the demand for arable land is increasing; there is more than a 25 year history of safe use of agricultural biotechnology in the field, and nearly 20 years of safe use in the human diet. The environmental risks we all face are real and immediate. Food safety needs must also be met. Regarding food biotechnology, there is not one substantiated instance of compromised safety to justify any rational fear of using advanced genetic methods as compared to older practices.

When assessing benefits and risks using these known variables, it’s clear that current trends will lead us to a breaking point at which we will run out of arable land and significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions. Advanced biotechnology techniques can significantly boost agricultural productivity on available land and, at the same time, decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Technologies like these provide an economic incentive for farmers to get the most out of their land while minimising the overall environmental impact. That’s the true definition of sustainable agriculture – techniques that are both environmentally and econ-omically sustainable.

In the end, I believe that market forces and environmental realities will mesh, and the agricultural biotechnology products that best satisfy these intrinsically related issues will have a significant and positive impact.

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“In general, regulatory agencies want complete documentation with the first submission. While this isn’t always the case, achieving this goal is nearly impossible without the early interaction,” said Eric Rey, president and CEO of Arcadia Bioscience.

“If you talk to [FDA] first and understand clearly what it is they want, then your ability to put in an application that will address their questions and meet their needs goes up radically. And, therefore, your probability of success goes up radically.”

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