Christine Cioffe

Some good news on #foodtech legislation from BIO International Convention "The House Agriculture Committee forwarded a draft of a five-year Farm Bill with numerous measures supporting biotech by a 33-21 bipartisan vote early this morning. " "BIO is still analyzing the impacts of amendments to H.R. 8467. Overall, the draft speaks directly to BIO’s membership, supporting innovative work in the lab, field, and marketplace. It would: * Advance and enlarge the “virtuous circle” of biotechnology-driven innovation. * Treat biotechnology as a national security imperative. * Identify and break down barriers to accessing medicines, in animal health and pandemic preparedness provisions. * Support biotech’s unique role in food security and climate impact."

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Yesterday this impressive article by Matt Blois was published - he did an excellent job covering #bioherbicide efforts around the world. He wrote it in layman's terms and so I think you'll find a very clear analysis of the market, research, and development, including the nuances. As mentioned in the article, our The Toothpick Project has one of the first bioherbicides to be commercialized in the world What has been holding us back? We have been able to address challenges mentioned in the article: ✔️cost effectiveness, ✔️shelf life, and ✔️farmer acceptance of our single target approach. So now what? The article starts with the story of one of our farmers and the impact of our technology on that farmer's food security and economic stability. This season 12,682 farmers across western Kenya are using our technology. We are growing this number quickly season over season and will break even in 2025. Next up: Uganda stakeholders assessments, regulatory protocol and approval, followed by harmonized approval in the other six East African Community Member States, and fundraising to keep up with our current pace. Also on our agenda is continued conversations with all the players mentioned in the article so we can continue to build awareness about the necessity of new weed management technologies that can improve production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce toxins, and prevent further herbicide resistance in weeds. I'm looking forward to dynamic conversations on this subject with Pam Marrone, Mark Trimmer, Rick Melnick, etc. at the Salinas Biological Summit Western Growers, Wharf42 in a week! #holygrail #biocontrol #bioherbicide #biotech #agriculture #whenwillPamretire https://lnkd.in/gBtgJChZ

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America is in the midst of an extraordinary startup boom https://lnkd.in/grF-qXDD from The Economist Certainly true in the #agtech and #foodtech #startups

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I've been impressed by how John F. Crowley, new CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, has hit the ground running in his first 90 days, even as he had to address a crisis within his first 3 days(!) when BIO received a letter from Congress related to the BIosecure Act. As the outstanding biotech CEO he is, John has already updated BIO's key priorities and goals, reorganized and refocused the organization to concentrate force on achieving those goals, and repositioned BIO to give it an even more effective voice at the table regarding US policy related to #biotech #innovation and #security. His initiatives have been fully supported by BIO's Executive Committee and Board. John is positioning BIO to reflect the fact that #biotechnology is one of the US' most important strategic assets, and that the country must treat it as such. In this era of astonishing advances in our ability to intervene at the level of the genome, we must recognize that—as with the splitting of the atom—there is potential for enormous good, but also for almost unimaginable evil. A strong BIO will play key roles in helping us to navigate both the opportunities and threats.

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Seeing some posts expressing surprise at the demise of Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. as its market cap has fallen to $600M (same as GRAIL 😳) from its 2021 launch value of $23B. Should be no surprise it was exposed as a "scam" from day one in a 175 page short seller report: "Calling its business model “hocus-pocus” and “a colossal scam,” activist short seller firm Scorpion Capital has stung Ginkgo Bioworks." "In addition, the short seller said the majority of the company’s current income is based on “a dubious shell game” made up of customers that Ginkgo itself helped create and invested in, sending its money on a round-trip journey back into Ginkgo’s accounts." “Based on interviews with its related-party ‘customers,’ we believe that at least half of Ginkgo’s reported foundry revenue is phantom—that is, noncash and pure accounting hocus-pocus,” Scorpion wrote in its report, calling it a "hoax for the ages." And yes of course there was a very fishy deal between Ginkgo and Illumina around using NGS for COVID clinical testing. No such testing happened, all of Ginkgo's testing was actually qPCR. I have no idea what that $70M was for but a skeptic might think that faced about Covid shutdown revenue shortfall Illumina and its investors put the 70M into Ginkgo on the understanding it would be used to buy stuff from illumina on the pretense it would be used for covid testing 🤔 https://lnkd.in/gva_MXfg

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Are you aware: The global health and wellness food and beverage market was worth over US $497 billion in 2022 and has been growing 3% year over year.   Guess what’s a driving force of the H/W packaged food market? Foods fortified with additional protein!   Consumers globally are looking to protein fortified snacks and beverages to address immunity, weight management and aging gracefully. So, where does dairy fit in?  Let me tell you.   This is where the unique benefits of U.S. dairy proteins provide an opportunity to tap into a rapidly growing market segment. Food and beverage manufacturers are looking to dairy for solutions. The whey protein market is booming and is expected to be worth over US $40 billion by 2033. Whey processing capacity is continuing to rise in the U.S. from wide-spread investments in processing facilities, bolstering/reinforcing the U.S. global leadership in high-protein whey production and exports.   The Asia Pacific region, especially China and Japan, is expected to see the most growth due to rising demand for dairy-based protein ingredients. In fact, whey protein has been the fastest growing ingredient in the region. For a food culture that historically lacks dairy, these changes in consumer preferences create an exciting opportunity for dairy ingredient processors to expand in these markets.   Dairy-derived whey proteins are nutrient-rich and remain in high demand – even among those consumers whose diets typically don’t include much dairy. Not to be left out, regions with strong dairy-based cultures/cuisines like MENA and Latin American also show growth.   We’re seeing this trend increase in demand due food/beverage manufacturers racing to meet the rise in health-minded consumers who are becoming increasingly interested in protein sources. This is thanks to greater awareness, easier access to high-quality products, and a wide range of consumer products being launched beyond traditional protein supplements.   Like what you read? As I travel to countries all over the world, I’ll be sharing these #DairyDeepDive updates and discussing key trends right here on my page. Stay tuned! https://lnkd.in/epgXDcta   #USDairy #WheyProtein #ProteinAlternatives #FoodTrends #DairyDeepDive

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