Bunge and plant genetics company GDM have formed Enerseed, a joint venture designed to develop and commercialize new oilseed crops as low-carbon feedstocks for the renewable fuels market by combining GDM's genetics expertise with Bunge's global processing capabilities and market access.
- Joint Venture Focus: Enerseed combines GDM's plant genetics, breeding, and gene-editing capabilities with Bunge's global scale and processing infrastructure to create an end-to-end value chain from seed development to biofuel customer delivery.
- Environmental Benefits: New oilseed crops offer improved soil health, reduced erosion, nitrogen fixation, and lower water requirements compared to traditional oilseeds.
- Farmer Advantages: Crops provide additional diversification options, revenue during fallow periods, and access to premium value chains tied to low-carbon feedstocks.
- Open Licensing Model: Enerseed plans to make intellectual property available to seed companies, universities, research institutions, and technology developers to accelerate commercialization at scale.
- Company Scale: GDM operates in over 20 countries with 3,400 employees, while Bunge operates in more than 50 countries with expertise in grain origination, storage, oilseed processing, and refining.
Bunge and plant genetics company GDM have formed a joint venture, Enerseed, to develop and commercialize new oilseed crops grown as feedstocks for the low-carbon renewable fuels market.
The companies announced the venture Tuesday in a joint release issued from St. Louis and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The release does not disclose ownership shares, investment amounts, the specific crops in development, target markets or Enerseed's leadership.
Julio Garros, Bunge's chief operating officer, tied the venture to energy security and decarbonization goals across the company's supply chains.
"Bunge's joint venture with GDM, a leader in oilseed genetics with a global presence and experienced research team, is another step in Bunge's work to support decarbonization in global supply chains," Garros said. "By leveraging our complementary strengths, Bunge and GDM can also unlock value for farmers who can grow low-carbon feedstocks and for customers across the feed, food and fuel industry."
How the work is divided
Enerseed will combine GDM's plant genetics, breeding, research and development, trait development and gene-editing capabilities with Bunge's global scale, processing capabilities and market access. The companies said the venture is designed as an end-to-end value chain, running from seed development to delivery of feedstocks to biofuel customers.
That structure addresses a basic hurdle for any new oilseed. A crop needs more than improved genetics to reach the market. It needs growers to plant it, a processor to buy and crush it and fuel customers to take the oil.
GDM operates in more than 20 countries and has about 3,400 employees, according to the release. Bunge, which is headquartered in St. Louis, has a presence in more than 50 countries and works in grain origination, storage, distribution, oilseed processing and refining.
What the crops are meant to do
Enerseed will build a portfolio of non-traditional oilseeds. The companies said the crops offer environmental benefits including improved soil health, reduced erosion, nitrogen fixation and lower water requirements.
For farmers, the companies pitched the crops as an additional cropping option that supports diversification and lets growers earn revenue during fallow periods. They also said the crops would give growers access to new value chains and to premium opportunities tied to lower-carbon feedstocks.
Ignacio Bartolome, chief executive officer of GDM, said the venture extends the company's genetics work beyond its existing crops.
"This joint venture allows us to extend that expertise into new crops and markets that can support the transition to more sustainable energy," Bartolome said.
He said the partnership will apply GDM's global research platform, breeding expertise, trait development and gene-editing tools to speed up work on low-carbon feedstocks.
An open licensing model
Enerseed will be built around an open licensing model meant to widen access to advanced genetics, cultivation techniques and end-use applications. The venture plans to make its intellectual property available to qualified partners, including seed companies, universities, research institutions and technology developers.
The companies said that approach is meant to support development and commercialization of low-carbon feedstocks at scale. The release directs partnership inquiries to an Enerseed website.
The first seed development projects are expected to begin in select markets and may expand to other markets as the crops and commercial opportunities mature. The release does not name those markets or give a timeline for commercial acres, seed sales or feedstock volumes.
