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AGWA and Believer Meats Announce Collaboration, Bringing Industry-Leading Capabilities and Job Opportunities

AGWA (AgriFood Growth & Water Abundance), Abu Dhabi’s new food and water cluster, and Believer Meats, a global leader in the cultivated meat industry, announced their collaboration to develop capabilities in cultivated meat, including an opportunity for the company to establish a presence in Abu Dhabi, aiming to leverage the Emirate’s strategic location and resources to further its growth in the Middle East & North African (“MENA”) region. Believer Meats will pursue establishing a regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi that can support commercial operations for regional market expansion, product manufacturing, and research and development. Bringing these industry-leading capabilities and job opportunities to the region will play a key role in supporting AGWA’s goal to lead global efforts in tackling food security and water scarcity. AGWA aims to capitalize on technological advancements to address shifting dietary patterns and support global food security for a reliable and resilient supply chain. The cluster will lead the sector, driving advancements in areas like alternative proteins, functional ingredients, algae farming, and reverse osmosis membranes, while enhancing traditional food and water production and supply. A leader in the growing cultivated meat industry, Believer Meats is focused on developing the world’s most efficient and scalable cell-cultivation production technology to make safe, healthy, and delicious cultivated meat products. The company is currently constructing the largest cultivated meat production facility in the world in North Carolina, USA, after its series B fundraise in 2021, which was supported by ADM, S2G Ventures and others. The factory will feature a state-of-the-art innovation center and tasting kitchen, and is set to be operational by the end of 2024. This strategic collaboration with AGWA aligns with Believer Meats’ vision for a global platform, offering an opportunity to demonstrate a scalable, replicable model to effectively enter and thrive in additional markets. AGWA and Believer Meats will also explore establishing a Believer Meats Innovation Academy dedicated to sustainable food technologies and developing future talent in collaboration with Abu Dhabi-based universities and research centers. AGWA will also work with Believer Meats to establish a regulatory pathway and halal certification standards for cultivated meat products in Abu Dhabi.

JCB Breaks Ground on $500 Million San Antonio Factory, Creating 1,500 Jobs

JCBbegan work on a new $500 million factory in San Antonio, Texas – the biggest investment in the company's history. An official groundbreaking ceremony at the site marked the beginning of construction, where The Hon. Alice Bamford, the daughter of company Chairman Anthony Bamford, as she turned the first shovelful of dirt on the property. Work on the 720,000 sq. ft. (67,000m²) factory is now under way on the 400-acre site. It will be the company's second largest plant, rivalled only by JCB's world headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire, England, and create 1,500 new jobs over five years. The factory will make Loadall telescopic handlers and aerial access equipment, with production scheduled to start in 2026. The factory will also have the capacity to expand and build other products in the future. Chairman Lord Bamford said: "Construction equipment manufacturers sell more than 300,000 machines every year in North America, making it the single largest market in the world. JCB has been growing its share of this important market steadily over the past few years and the time is now right to invest in our manufacturing capacity in North America, where we already have one factory." "JCB really has come a considerable way since we sold our first machine here 60 years ago and it gives me immense pleasure to see how our business has grown in North America. Today really is a milestone day in the history of our family company," Bamford says. "Texas was this year named as The Best State for Business for a record-breaking 20th year, and I am proud to welcome JCB as the newest business to call our great state home," said Governor Greg Abbott. "Today's groundbreaking marks a major milestone in JCB's journey that will create 1,500 good-paying jobs for hardworking Texans in Bexar County and bring hundreds of millions of new capital investment to San Antonio and beyond. 'Made in Texas' is truly a powerful global brand, and I look forward to celebrating JCB's continuing success as we work together to build a bigger, better Texas for decades to come." JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: "JCB's business in North America has made tremendous progress in the past few years and the opportunity for growth here is vast. This record investment gives us a fantastic opportunity to build on our success and we look forward to the completion of this great new facility." Richard Fox-Marrs, President & CEO of JCB North America, said: "The Loadall telescopic handler is JCB's biggest selling product in North America and it is also the single largest market for aerial access equipment worldwide, and therefore, it makes great sense to build these two ranges here." "Texas is an obvious choice for our new North American manufacturing facility, not least because the state is the largest consumer of construction equipment in the USA. San Antonio is also the logical choice as a location for our new factory because of its central location, proximity to the supply chain and great local labor force. We are really excited about JCB's new San Antonio factory and for the future of our business in North America," says Fox-Marrs.

USDA breaks ground for National Center for Resilient Precision Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), and Nebraska Innovation Campus held a groundbreaking ceremony to launch the construction of the National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture. The state-of-the-art research center will be located on Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. It will primarily focus on the challenges and opportunities in agricultural innovation for the 21st century. The Center will focus on key research areas to address these challenges and promote sustainable, resilient, and highly efficient agriculture practices. Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics explained that “Updated facilities ensure our best and brightest scientists work in the environment and with the tools they need to successfully meet the challenges agriculture faces.” “This project is a testament to the long history of innovation, ingenuity, and adaptability of agricultural producers across the United States and right here in Nebraska. It celebrates an incredibly productive 120-year partnership between USDA-ARS and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and it exemplifies the passion and dedication of agricultural, state, and federal leaders,” said Mike Boehm, NU Vice President and Harlan Vice Chancellor for UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Construction will start with state-of-the-art greenhouses that will allow ARS to perform research on wheat, barley, sorghum, forage and bioenergy grasses and other crops. Research on how these plants respond to emerging pests and pathogens under a full-range of environmental conditions will empower scientists to make cutting-edge discoveries with the goal of developing climate-resilient crops for the U.S. agriculture industry. Once fully completed, the 120,000-square-foot agriculture research complex will function as a central hub for multidisciplinary experts, scientists and engineers who will collaborate with industry and producers to improve water and food security, increase the resilience of agricultural landscapes, and enhance agricultural profitability. The establishment of the National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture will further strengthen the long-lasting collaboration over the past century between ARS and UNL. These partnerships are instrumental in advancing research on sustainable bioenergy crops and production systems in an age where agriculture is expected to supply 40 percent of U.S. liquid fuels within the next three decades, in addition to providing food and fiber to the nation’s growing population. The Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research Unit and the Agroecosystem Management Research Unit are currently located on UNL’s campus. The scientists working at these units are making significant contributions to crop and livestock production systems by improving productivity, stability of production, sustainability, and profitability.

LOCL adding 40 new jobs at its New High-Tech Agriculture Facility in Pasco

Local Bounti Corporation a breakthrough U.S. indoor agriculture company, announced that it will mark the opening of its new controlled environment agriculture (CEA) facility in Pasco, Washington with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 7, 2024. Members of the Company's management team will be joined by industry leaders, local officials, and members of the community at this invitation-only event. Craig Hurlbert, Local Bounti's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are proud to officially be able to call Pasco home with the opening of this latest facility, which enhances our rapidly growing distribution footprint across the US. Our state-of-the-art CEA facility, which is underpinned by our innovative and patented Stack & Flow Technology®, enables us to support existing customer demand in Washington, Oregon, and adjacent markets in the Pacific Northwest. We are excited about the opportunities this facility creates, not only for our Company but also for the local economy and the environment. Our pledge to sustainability and community engagement remains unwavering, and we look forward to contributing positively to Pasco and the broader Pacific Northwest region." The facility is expected to generate more than 40 jobs throughout Tri-Cities region and will focus on growing and selling Local Bounti's greenhouse fresh line of packaged leafy greens. Varieties include spring mix, butter lettuce, romaine crisp, green leaf, and additional blends. "Pasco extends a warm welcome to Local Bounti in our community and the Tri-Cities region. Their dedication to integrating into the community, creating jobs, and prioritizing sustainable practices represents a substantial investment in Pasco's future," said Jacob Gonzalez, Director Community & Economic Development for the City of Pasco. "We are eager to collaborate with Local Bounti as they contribute to our city's growth and diversity of economic opportunities." The Washington facility spans across three acres and was seeded in January 2024. In April, the facility completed the Food Safety certification, which came in with a score of 100%, and will be shipping to its first national retail customer's northwest division this month. The addition of the new facility fortifies Local Bounti's distribution to directly service local retail distribution centers within the Pacific Northwest region and provide additional capacity to meet existing demand from the Company's direct relationships with blue-chip retail customers. Local Bounti's patented Stack & Flow Technology seamlessly blends the advantages of vertical and greenhouse cultivation, setting the stage for a new era in sustainable agriculture. With a focus on maximizing efficiency, the Washington facility boasts significantly higher yields while utilizing less water, land, and pesticides compared to traditional farming methods. This commitment to sustainability aligns with Local Bounti's mission to revolutionize the agricultural landscape and reduce its environmental impact.

ADM and Solugen launch Bioforge™ Marshall facility in the US for global reach

Solugen, a rapidly scaling climate technology company revolutionizing everyday chemicals, broke ground on its new state-of-the-art biomanufacturing facility today during a ceremony held in Marshall, Minn. The new facility is the result of a strategic partnership with ADM, a global leader in sustainably sourced solutions from nature, and aims to meet the increasing demand for sustainable solutions while bolstering domestic biomanufacturing capabilities. The 500,000-square-foot Bioforge™ Marshall is being constructed on a 34-acre parcel adjacent to ADM’s existing corn processing complex. The facility will utilize ADM-sourced dextrose to manufacture low-carbon organic acids for applications in water treatment, agriculture, energy, and home and personal care. Gaurab Chakrabarti, CEO and Co-Founder of Solugen. “As the demand for sustainable products continues to rise, we look forward to partnering with our customers in their decarbonization efforts.” Bioforge™ Marshall will house three modular trains, or production lines, boasting a total production capacity of up to 120 kilotonnes per annum (KTA) of product. The pioneering process employed by Solugen’s Bioforge™ Marshall facility is estimated to avoid the emissions of up to 18 million kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year compared to the base case of similar petrochemical and fermentation-based products. “Solugen’s chemienzymatic technology is a transformative force in sustainable chemical manufacturing,” said Sean Hunt, Co-Founder and CTO of Solugen. “The new facility will significantly increase our existing capabilities, enabling us to expand the market share of low carbon chemistries.” Solugen has initiated collaborations with local educational institutions and workforce development groups, including Marshall Public Schools, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU), Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council, and Marshall Chamber of Commerce.

Graphjet Technology to Build New Agricultural Waste-to-Graphite Production Facility ,creating local jobs

Graphjet Technology, a leading developer of patented technologies to produce graphite and graphene directly from agricultural waste, announced it plans to build a commercial artificial graphite production facility in Nevada. This plant is expected to be a first-of-its-kind in the United States. The plant is expected to be capable of recycling up to 30,000 metric tons of palm kernel material equivalent – a widely abundant agricultural waste product in Malaysia – to produce up to 10,000 metric tons of battery-grade, artificial graphite per year. This level of production is expected to be able to support the production of enough batteries to power more 100,000 electric vehicles (EVs) per year. In addition to producing graphite, Graphjet’s first commercial plant in Malaysia, which is on track to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2024, will process palm kernel shells into hard carbon, which will be shipped to Nevada. This eliminates a conversion step in Graphjet’s production process, which would enable its Nevada facility to produce graphite more quickly. Graphjet is aiming to commission and begin production at the new facility in 2026. “As the only pure-play direct agriculture waste-to-graphite technology developer, Graphjet is well positioned to become the leading source of graphite for the U.S. and we are excited to have Nevada serve as our launching pad into this market,” said Aiden Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Graphjet. “We are laser focused on getting our commercial production online as quickly as possible and are in discussions with several players to secure offtake agreements for our planned Nevada facility. We look forward to investing into the region and creating many local green energy jobs as we build a first-of-its-kind, next-generation graphite production facility in the U.S.” Nevada is a strategic location for Graphjet as it is located in close proximity to a large quantity of battery manufacturers and automotive OEMs, which will require a significant amount of graphite for future EV battery production. Graphjet’s Nevada manufacturing facility is expected to create more than 500 high skilled labor positions. Furthermore, Graphjet expects to invest between $150 million and $200 million into the facility and is currently evaluating financing and strategic options to fund the plant. Mr. Lee continued, “As leading automotive OEMs and battery manufacturers seek cost-effective and more environmentally friendly sourced production, Graphjet is able to provide a sustainable and cost effective solution that can support their graphite needs and address the accelerating demand for this strategic material. For perspective, Graphjet’s technology produces only 2.95 C02 emissions per KG of graphite, compared to 17 C02 emissions per KG with synthetic graphite in China and even 9.2. C02 emissions per KG with natural graphite in Canada.”

BTI announces the opening of its cutting-edge plant phenotyping facility

BTI announce the opening of its cutting-edge plant phenotyping facility, PhenoSight. This new facility holds significant potential for delivering unparalleled insights into plant growth, development, and response to environmental conditions. “The opening of this facility marks a significant milestone in our research capabilities at BTI,” shared Dr. Magdalena Julkowska, Assistant Professor at BTI and lead of the PhenoSight facility. “With this state-of-the-art technology, we are poised to make further groundbreaking discoveries in plant biology and contribute to addressing pressing global challenges such as food security and environmental sustainability.” The PhenoSight facility is equipped with advanced imaging capabilities designed to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery in plant biology. The facility includes a high-throughput imaging system capable of analyzing up to 64 large plants or 1280 smaller plants simultaneously. This system integrates advanced chlorophyll fluorescence and RGB imaging techniques to extract real-time data on plant health and vigor, enabling researchers to precisely measure plant height, area, and digital biomass. Beyond its cutting-edge technology, PhenoSight emphasizes practical applications for research. The vast data sets generated by PhenoSight can be analyzed using advanced computational methods, enabling researchers to uncover hidden patterns and make predictions in plant biology and genetics. “As we celebrate BTI’s centennial, this new facility stands as a testament to the Institute’s dedication to innovation and excellence in plant science research,” said Dr. Silvia Restrepo, President of BTI. “We are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of plant science and making meaningful discoveries that have a positive impact on our world.”

Redox Bio-Nutrients expands presence in Japan

Redox Bio-Nutrients has acquired 10 percent of the Axxion Corporation LLC, marking an important step in the companies expanding international presence. Axxion was founded 42 years ago by Mory Ogata, and provides a steadily growing amount of fertilizers and moisture management surfactants to golf courses throughout Japan. The company has also seen steady growth in plant nutrition for traditional agricultural crops in the country, including rice. At the same time, Qvou, Inc., a fast growing marketing company, is the majority shareholder of this new partnership, with 80 percent of the total. "I had additional opportunities, but partnering with Qvou and Redox were superior for a variety of reasons," Ogata said. "Product development has pole-vaulted Redox to become one of the most impressive companies of its kind in the United States. Additionally, Qvou CEO Ryotaro Kubo has led his company to be one of the fastest growing mid-sized companies in Japan. I am honored to partner with both businesses." "The quality of courses and increasing interest in golf make Japan a highly-valuable market for our company," remarked Redox Bio-Nutrients President Colton Moon, who will serve on the Axxion Board with Kubo and Ogata. "Mory has done an exceptional job expanding interest in our products, and there's tremendous promise for our technology with many of Japan's agricultural crops. We are excited about the opportunity to grow our agricultural product sales throughout East Asia." Axxion has long term purchase contractors with Redox and one other supplier for exclusive distribution rights in Japan. Agriculture is a principal industry throughout East Asia, and Redox Bio-Nutrients technology can help growers bolster quality and yield of a variety of bountiful crops that flourish in the region.

BASF's New Fermentation Plant Boosting Biotech Crop Protection, will add 30 new jobs

BASF invests massively in a new fermentation plant for biological and biotechnology-based crop protection products at its Ludwigshafen site. The plant will manufacture products that bring value to farmers including biological fungicides and biological seed treatment. BASF also plans to utilize the plant to produce the main building block of Inscalis®, a novel insecticide derived from a fungal strain. The plant is expected to go into operation in the second half of 2025 and will manufacture biological fungicides and biological seed treatment products. BASF also plans to produce the main building block of Inscalis®, a novel insecticide derived from a fungal strain. In the production microorganisms are used to convert renewable raw materials such as glucose into the desired products – a process known as fermentation. The plant will employ 30 people in production, logistics, engineering and maintenance. The plant will use microorganisms to convert renewable raw materials such as glucose into the desired products – a process known as fermentation. “We see a growing demand for biological crop protection products. This investment is an important step in building an even stronger and more competitive portfolio in this area,” said Marko Grozdanovic, Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Marketing at BASF Agricultural Solutions. “In addition, fermentation is a very flexible technology that will allow us to bring more innovative biotechnology-derived products to the market in the future.” “For production at our Ludwigshafen site, this development is another step in the transition to innovative manufacturing processes with lower energy intensity based on renewable raw materials,” said Christian Aucoin, Senior Vice President, Global Operations at BASF Agricultural Solutions. “The site offers excellent synergies due to its good infrastructure, the integration into an existing high-performance production organization and the proximity of research units such as White Biotechnology.” Delegates the buried a time capsule, commemorating the groundbreaking day of the plant. It included a photo of the project team, a daily newspaper, the canteen menu of the day and a panda bear as a sign of the bond with Chengdu in China, where a significant part of the detailed engineering for the plant took place.

EuroChem launches state-of-the-art phosphate fertilizer complex in Brazil

EuroChem celebrated the opening of its new phosphate fertilizer production facility in Serra do Salitre, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. With a total project investment of nearly US$1 billion, the new phosphate mine and plant complex was constructed in record-breaking time and will have an annual production capacity of 1 million tonnes of advanced phosphate fertilizers, significantly increasing the reliability of domestic phosphate fertilizer supplies to Brazilian farmers. The facility offers state-of-the-art integrated phosphate fertilizer production, with low water consumption, a fully closed water circuit, and a clean energy generation system that re-uses its own steam and generates up to 40% of the entire facility’s energy needs. “EuroChem has a long-standing and successful history in South America, a key growth market for us, where there is a high demand for our products,” said EuroChem Group President Oleg Shiryaev. “The launch of our new facility moves us one step closer to our customers and allows us to provide Brazilian farmers with access to the highest quality fertilizers via our well-established distribution network in this important global breadbasket. EuroChem operates on a mine-to-farm basis, ensuring reliability and quality across the entire fertilizer supply chain, from raw material extraction to production and delivery to the end consumer.”