Arcadia and AATF Collaborate to Develop Improved Rice Lines

Arcadia Biosciences, a Seattle based Biotech Company, and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), a non-profit organization that aims to deliver new agricultural technologies for African farmers, have entered into a licensing agreement to use Arcadia’s technologies to develop nitrogen use efficient and salt tolerant rice varieties. The rice varieties will be available royalty-free to small holder farmers. Arcadia, as part of its stated commitment to agricultural improvement in the developing world, will not receive any monetary compensation for the research and commercial rights granted in the agreement.

Eric Rey, CEO and President of Arcadia said that “the availability of new agricultural technologies to African farmers has historically been slow because of issues around development costs and intellectual property ownership. The partnership between Arcadia and AATF is designed to solve both of these issues.” He further stressed that nitrogen use efficient and salt tolerant rice varieties will be invaluable in the region, where limited water supply and high on farm price of nitrogen fertilizers prohibit increase in production.

Read the press release at http://www.aatf-africa.org/newsdetail.php?newsid=100