Missouri Ag Connection - New Seed Company Focused on High-Performance Soybeans

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New Seed Company Focused on High-Performance Soybeans
Missouri Ag Connection - 12/06/2019

Benson Hill, a crop improvement company dedicated to unlocking the natural diversity of plants, announced the launch of Benson Hill Seeds, a business focused on delivering superior seeds to meet the evolving needs of the growing human food and animal feed markets, including the eMerge Genetics portfolio of non-GMO soybean varieties.

"Benson Hill's crop design platform uses the most advanced traditional breeding and gene editing techniques to improve crop performance, nutrition profiles, and taste and texture characteristics," said Matt Crisp, CEO and co-founder of Benson Hill, St. Louis, Mo. "As consumers demand greater focus on health and sustainability in food production, Benson Hill Seeds will deliver an expanded portfolio of soybean varieties with unique attributes that position growers to leverage those booming markets."

Global animal- and plant-based protein demand is projected to double, and consumers are seeking more plant-based food choices and greater sustainability in animal production than ever before. These shifts create unprecedented opportunities for soybeans with greater nutrient density, feed efficiency and other component quality attributes.

Benson Hill Seeds delivers a portfolio of cutting-edge seed varieties including superior protein and oil composition, improved feed digestibility, low trypsin inhibitor and other qualities sought by niche and high-volume end users, while also maintaining farmer yields. One of these offerings is the eMerge Genetics portfolio of products, an internationally known portfolio of non-GMO soybean varieties qualified to meet non-GMO Verified certification and sale in all markets, including the EU.

"Benson Hill Seeds will continue to deliver the non-GMO eMerge portfolio as well as new offerings explicitly designed to benefit both farmers and the consumers," said Jeff Johnson, President of Benson Hill Seeds. "Our focus is to expand the product choices and facilitated transparency that growers and distributors are requesting to fully leverage these new market opportunities."

The Benson Hill Seeds team will debut the new brand and business next week at a key industry conference, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) conference.

"In the two decades that I have been breeding soybeans for both nutritional quality and yield optimization, I've never been more excited about the opportunities on the horizon," said Bill Rhodes, soybean breeder, Benson Hill. "We're looking forward to meeting with seed companies and growers in Chicago next week to talk about some of the exciting things we can do for their business."

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