Yield10 Bioscience has granted Nufarm a commercial license to omega-3 assets for producing oil in Camelina. This is expected to enable Nufarm to expedite the commercialization of plant-based omega-3 oils produced using Camelina.
Yield10 Bioscience, Inc., an agricultural bioscience company, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and License Agreement with Nuseed Nutritional US Inc. (the seed technologies platform of Nufarm Limited), granting Nufarm a commercial license to certain omega-3 intellectual property assets, materials and know-how for producing oil in Camelina. Under the License Agreement, Nufarm will pay Yield10 up to USD $5 million. Nufarm and Yield10 have additionally agreed to immediately negotiate exclusively with each other for the sale of Yield10’s remaining assets to Nufarm. The asset sale will require an affirmative vote from the shareholders of Yield10, and a special meeting of shareholders will be convened to seek that vote following execution of the asset purchase agreement.
Producing omega-3 fatty acids in Camelina may represent a way to enable a predictable, land-based supply of high-quality omega-3 oils to meet the growing global demand for eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Currently, the primary source of EPA and DHA remains ocean-caught fish, where omega-3 oil produced from anchovy harvest is the industry benchmark. Over the last few years, there has been increasing pressure on the supply of omega-3 oil due to over-fishing.
“Yield10 Camelina assets and know-how in both omega 3 and bioenergy sectors have a unique fit with Nufarm’s Value Beyond Yield® and platform strategies,” said Greg Hunt, CEO and Group Executive of Nufarm. “While the program still requires further development time and investment before achieving revenue, it offers a broadened portfolio of solutions for our customers both at the farm-gate and with end-use customers.”
“We believe that the transition of our Omega-3 Camelina program to Nufarm is in the best interest of our shareholders, business partners, and employees,” expressed Oliver Peoples, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Yield10 Bioscience. “We believe that the initial payment will allow us to manage key biological assets and regulatory requirements while providing us with the cash runway to secure the shareholder vote. We anticipate collaborating closely with the Nufarm team to finalize the asset purchase agreement and complete the shareholder vote. We believe that this will ensure a smooth transition and enable Nufarm to expedite the commercialization of plant-based omega-3 oils produced using Camelina.”
