2020 annual issue golden era of agriculture€¦ · 4 golden era of agriculture new plant-based...

VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM A

GOLDEN ERA OF AGRICULTUREThe power of agriculture to solve important issues, now and in the future, is unparalleled.

HIGH YIELDS ARE JUST THE START

• Building a strong global foundation

• Commercializing high potential crops

• Creating new value, market and supply chain opportunities

NUSEED.COM

2020 ANNUAL ISSUE

BEYONDYIELDVA L U E

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“PLANTS HAVE HUGE POTENTIAL TO

SOLVE SOME OF OUR TOUGHEST

PROBLEMS”

B VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM

IN THIS ISSUE

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4 Golden Era of Agriculture New plant-based solutions lead the way.

6 Regions Enable Global Growth There’s a lot that goes into making a

business successful and ready to grow.

10 Multiplying Opportunity Nuseed’s collaborative company culture enables

confidence, rapid growth and success.

16 Commercializing High Potential Crops R&D and commercial success are mutually

dependent.

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Partners in the Nuseed® Value ChainOptimizing our Nuseed Value Chain –

from R&D, contracted field production and processing to end-use customer

delivery – is key to unlocking new value for every participant and supplying new

and growing demand. At Nuseed our focus is on solving an important customer

need with a plant-based solution, and collaborating with industry to deliver it

through a customized Nuseed Value Chain.

R&D Collaboration

Nuseed Canola Germplasm

Input and Output Trait Development

Canola Breeding Expertise

Global Regulatory Administration

End-use Product Testing

Commercial Global Seeds Business Reach

Select Grower and Processor Partnerships

Traceable Identity Preserved Logistics

Product Delivery to End-use Customer

VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM 1VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM 1

20 Growing Beyond Yield Adds Value for All Nuseed Value Chain pays dividends for growers

and end-users alike.

25 Integrated Business Planning Key to global business success.

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2 VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM

2020 ANNUAL ISSUE

PUBLISHER Nuseed

EDITOR Colleen Shaw

[email protected]

ABOUT NUSEEDNuseed delivers value BEYOND YIELD® globally through dedicated service; locally proven canola, carinata, sorghum and sunflower seed for farm customers; and new plant-based solutions for end-use customers.

Nuseed develops input traits for top agronomic performance, while going beyond yield, to com-mercialize plant output traits with new value and market opportunities. Nuseed’s Monola® and Omega-3 Canola, Onyx™ Sunflowers, Wholis™ and BMR Sorghum, and Carinata Renewable Fuel programs are all examples of proprietary crops developed for specific end-uses and supplied by Nuseed Value Chains built through industry collaboration.

Aquaterra® for aquafeed and Nutriterra® for human nutrition markets are Nuseed’s first proprietary omega-3 end-use customer products. They deliver a sustainable plant-based source of essential omega-3 rich oil (uniquely including both DHA and EPA) derived from Nuseed Omega-3 Canola.

Over 250 Nuseed employees work across 11 global locations and two world-class Nuseed Innovation Centers. Established in Australia in 2006, Nuseed has grown to offer industry-lead-ing germplasm, advanced molecular capabilities, regional R&D and commercial trials with dedi-cated teams in Australia, Europe, North America and South America, and sales in more than 30 countries. Nuseed is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nufarm Limited (ASX:NUF). Learn more at nuseed.com.

©2020 Nuseed® is a registered trademark of Nufarm Limited. BEYOND YIELD® is a registered trademark of Nuseed.

All trademarks are owned or used under license. Content is for information purposes only.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written

permission of the publisher.

BEYONDYIELDVA L U E

W E L C O M E

WWelcome to VALUE BEYOND YIELD®. This is truly the golden era of agriculture. Plants have huge potential to solve some of our tough-est problems. Nuseed R&D and commercial teams are working globally to unlock the potential and deliver plant-based solutions for both our farm customers and our end-use customers. We’re developing input plant traits for top agronomic performance and output plant traits for specific new end-uses. Across Australia, Europe, North and South America our teams are delivering top seed and service, our foundation to delivering value beyond yield.

We’ve focused on crops with excellent agronomic and end-use potential that are grown easily in both hemispheres – canola, carinata, sorghum and sunflowers. The focus is already paying off.

We’ve built a successful global commercial seeds business with world-class germplasm and R&D programs, and advanced molecular capabilities at our

two industry-leading Nuseed Innovation Centers. We’ve also developed new end-use products and market opportunities plus the Nuseed

Value Chains to supply them.

In 2019-2020 alone, we will have commercialized two proprietary crops for very specific and value-added end-use

markets – carinata grown in Argentina for renewable fuel and Nuseed Omega-3 Canola grown in the U.S. for a

land-based source of the essential omega-3 nutrient for aquafeed and human nutrition markets. The grow-ing regions for these proprietary crops we expect to

expand rapidly to meet increasing demand.

Read on, meet the experts and learn why these are excit-ing times for Nuseed, and agriculture.

Sincerely,Brent ZachariasGroup Executive, Nuseed

Brent Zacharias Group Executive, Nuseed

Growing up on a Canadian grain farm in rural Saskatchewan ignited Brent’s life-long passion

for agriculture. After completing his degree in agricultural economics from the University of Saskatchewan, Brent started as a sales represen-tative and quickly advanced into canola marketing, novel traits and healthy oil demand creation roles. Nufarm recruited Brent in 2006 to become their Canadian Commercial Manager; two years later he moved to Australia to manage the company’s new seed business, Nuseed. Under Brent’s leadership, Nuseed has become a global company with over 250 employees, built world-class Nuseed Innova-

tion Centers in each hemisphere, earned seed sales in over 30 countries, and developed R&D programs and advanced trials and facilities in Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Brent is grateful for the exceptional people that have joined Nuseed and contributed to its vision and growth into a global company delivering top seed, service and new opportunities to farm customers and sustainable plant-based solutions to end-use customers.

What’s most exciting about Nuseed’s business today? “Seeing the continued success of our global seeds business, and our value beyond yield growth with the recent commercialization of Nu-seed Omega-3 Canola and our Carinata Renewable Fuel Program is rewarding and very exciting.”

®

VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM 3©2020 Nuseed is a trademark of Nufarm Limited. BEYOND YIELD® is a trademark of Nuseed.

Globally focused on unlocking the potential of canola, carinata, sorghum and sunfl owers to deliver:• NEW sustainable plant-based solutions for end-use customers• Top seed, service and new market opportunities for farm customers• Nuseed Value Chains connecting growers, industry and end-users around

the world

Learn more at nuseed.com

Our customers switching to

low input, high digestible

energy sorghum do.

AUSTRALIA TO BRAZIL Cattle don’t care about corn prices.

VALUE BEYOND

YIELD®


B I G P I C T U R E

THE GOLDEN ERA OF AGRICULTURENew plant-based solutions lead the way.

Formidable.

That’s how the Organisation for Economic Co-op-eration and Development (OECD) describes the challenges facing the world’s food and farming system, in the introduction to its ‘Global Forum on Agriculture 2019.’

Ensuring food security and nutrition for a popu-lation expected to increase by two billion in the next 30 years. Dealing with effects of climate change. Farming sustainably at a time when global competition has never been stronger.

These challenges are enormous.

It is the belief of the OECD – and Nuseed – that agriculture will deliver.

“Agriculture has already experienced several key inflection points in its history,” says Nuseed’s Group Executive, Brent Zacharias. “Mechaniza-tion in the 50s, the ‘Green Revolution’ of fertility and crop protection chemistry in the 70s and 80s, key advancements in hybrid genetics in 80s to early 2000s, and the biotech ‘input trait’ era that started around 2000.”

All of which has already resulted in striking increases in harvested crop volume, and a corresponding dramatic upsurge in the ability of agriculture to feed the growing world popula-tion.

“By any measure, this has already been an incredibly successful journey for our agri-food and feed industries,” says Zacharias.

“But now, as we enter the next two decades, we are about to see the most significant step-change yet seen in agriculture. There is enormous opportunity not only to continue to meet the big challenges related to feeding our

population, but to fundamentally change the intrinsic value of crops.”

Indeed, we are entering an entirely new ‘golden era’ of agriculture.

What will this era look like?In the future, the transformation of food and farming systems will be enabled and accelerated through the use of technology, as recognized in a World Economic Forum report called ‘Innovation with a Purpose: The role of technology innovation in accelerating food systems transformation.’

These technologies include ‘big data,’ the Inter-net of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, block-chain, autonomous vehicles, advanced robotics, additive manufacturing, advanced materials and nanotechnologies.

Next-generation plant biotechnologies and genomics are also critical ‘golden era’ tools.

Petra Jorasch, Manager of Plant Breeding & Innovation Advocacy at the International Seed Federation, echoes this thought in a recent journal article called ‘The Global need for Plant Breeding Innovation.’ Jorasch recognizes that

in tackling the current global food and farming system challenges, “plant breeding innovation will definitely need to play a role.”

“We are now at a point in history when breeding advances, other technologies and a tremendous amount of hard-won knowledge are enabling us to move beyond incremental improvements in crops as commodities,” explains Zacharias. “We are shifting the purpose and use of crops to go from only feeding the world population to doing that and solving important consumer-driven problems.” The power of agriculture to solve important issues, now and in the future, is unparalleled. Agriculture represents the most efficient and highest capacity natural and renewable resource on the planet. Its full potential is yet to be unlocked.

Agriculture Can Lead the WayThe capacity to innovate crop production – and employ other new ‘golden era’ technologies – uniquely positions agriculture to provide customized solutions to many food, health and energy problems. Agriculture is also uniquely positioned to efficiently and sustainably supply these new markets.

“Agriculture has natural capacities that we can maximize to create solutions for problems that exist now and others that haven’t materialized yet,” says Zacharias. “Our focus in this impend-ing golden era is the development of crops with specialized traits, integrated with new process-ing technologies and end-use technologies, to deliver sustainable plant-based solutions to exactly who needs them.”

Golden Era MarketsHowever, to truly realize the golden era of agri-culture, takes abandoning the notion that yield per acre multiplied by grain price should be the primary value pool which directs research and innovation.

“As an example, in the current seed industry, total global farm gate value of hybrid and trait technologies in canola, sunflower, and sorghum combined represents approximately $4 billion, and the total commodity production value of the grain harvested from these crops annually is approximately $60 Billion.” says Zacharias. “Creation of value beyond yield empowers

F“WE ARE NOW AT A POINT

IN HISTORY WHEN BREEDING ADVANCES, OTHER TECHNOL-OGIES AND A TREMENDOUS

AMOUNT OF HARD-WON KNOWLEDGE ARE ENABLING US TO MOVE BEYOND INCRE-MENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IN CROPS AS COMMODITIES.”

VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM 5

15X GRAINYIELD VALUE

at globalcommodity

prices

100X POTENTIAL VALUE BEYOND YIELD®

• Aquafeed

• Aquaculture health and quality

• Nutraceuticals

• Pharmaceuticals for inflammatory disease management and cognitive function

• Specialized food ingredients

• Best in class greenhouse gas reduction biofuel feedstocks

Value potential of new plant-based solutionsSEED VALUE

• Hybrid seeds• Agronomic

traits

agriculture to go well beyond this through the creation of novel oils, novel proteins and other solutions to meet consumer-driven food, health and energy needs.”

Globally, Nuseed is developing plant output traits to sustainably produce solutions for very specific end-use markets that maximize the po-tential of their core global seeds business crops – canola, carinata, sorghum and sunflower.

Nuseed’s development of output plant traits for novel oils and proteins is opening new markets not yet served by agriculture. Aquafeed, animal health, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals specific to inflammatory diseases and cognitive function, new specialized food ingredients and best in class greenhouse gas reduction biofuels are all examples of new plant uses and new markets that Nuseed is developing the seed and the end-use products, plus building Nuseed Value Chains to supply them.

Combined, these new technologies can serve growing markets worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

New Era, New Value ChainRealizing agriculture’s potential, requires indus-try to look at the entire value chain, from seed to end market, in a new way. The vast majority of the agriculture industry is used to looking only at how the value of single points in the supply chain can be maximized.

Success in the golden era will require a more integrated approach to value creation for each member in the supply chain.

From a holistic view, next-generation advances in genetics, new capabilities of processing and food technologies, and other end-use innova-tions – all will play an integrated role to solve problems and bring new plant-based solutions to market.

Nuseed’s approach is to start with the consumer or end-use customers’ specific problem, then col-laborate with industry to develop the customized Nuseed Value Chain to answer the challenge efficiently, ensuring value is added at each step and for every participant.

“We are perfectly poised with our high potential focus crops, global seeds business, output trait programs and Nuseed Value Chain development to realize these opportunities and lead the way into the next era of agriculture, and it’s exciting,“ says Zacharias. At Nuseed, we want to collabo-rate, and be the industry partner of choice. We are the catalyst within our Nuseed Value Chains; contributing our global capabilities where and when it makes sense, working with the best partners strategically and facilitating the product supply, quality and added value from seed to end-use customer.

Current seed value is limited to hybrid seeds and agronomic trait advancements; grain yield

value at global commodity prices is approximately

15 times greater. The value potential of new plant-based solutions is anticipated to be

100 times greater.


G L O B A L G R O W T H

REGIONS ENABLE GLOBAL GROWTHThere’s a lot that goes into making a business successful and ready to grow — business strategies, strong leadership, reliable products, agile and accountable teams.

For Nuseed, the global seed and plant-based solutions company focused on delivering value beyond yield for both farm and new end-use customers, the success of Nuseed’s four global regions is essential to continued global growth.

The company’s four regions are Australia, North America, South America and Europe. Nuseed’s portfolio and R&D are intentionally focused on four high potential crops – canola, carinata, sor-ghum and sunflower. All four crops have incred-ible genetic potential for improved agronomics and new end-uses, and can be grown in all four regions resulting in an R&D program that’s built

a rich bank of global germplasm, locally proven through regional trials.

“Our focused business strategy is a unique advantage and makes Nuseed a different kind of seed company through our commitment to deliv-er value beyond yield,” says Brent Javra, Nuseed Global GM, Commercial. “It’s how we describe our global mandate to deliver added value to our regions’ farm customers through excellent seed, service and new market opportunities, to industry, through our Nuseed Value Chain development, and new plant-based solutions for Nuseed’s aquafeed, human nutrition or biofuel end-use customers for example.”

It’s the connection of Nuseed’s regions to local growers and their development of locally proven top seed and service that is the foundation to Nuseed’s value beyond yield strategy and earned them seed sales in over 30 countries.

“It’s our regional seeds business foundation that enables us to introduce new crops and market opportunities. Take our carinata program for ex-ample, our established regional seeds business is enabling rapid increases in commercial vol-umes and expansion globally,” says Javra. “That foundation has been built by the experts on our regional teams and their commitment to become the seed partner of choice for farm customers and industry.”

FCorporate Office

R&D

Seed ProductionSales Countries

Innovation Center

Corporate Office

R&D


Innovation Center

Corporate Office

R&D


Innovation CenterCorporate Office

R&D


Innovation Center

Brent JavraNuseed Global GM, Commercial

Brent Javra’s 25-plus year career in agriculture marketing and sales, and Bachelor of

Commerce from the University of Manitoba provide the expertise and experience to lead Nuseed’s commercial sales and marketing

teams around the world. Brent joined Nuseed in 2014 as the Europe GM based in France. He now leads the global commercial business based out of the Nuseed office in Calgary, Canada. His seed industry knowledge and network, in combination with international management ex-perience and a strong team of regional general managers has facilitated Nuseed’s substantial global commercial growth.

What’s the next big growth opportunity at Nuseed? “We’ve focused on four key crops and building successful seeds businesses in four key regions. That focus has already paid off with a rich R&D pipeline, substantial commercial growth in each region and connections with local growers and industry that enables us to deliver new sustainable plant-based solutions to global end-use food, feed and biofuel customers.”


Regional AccountabilityIn all four Nuseed regions, there’s a day-to-day team to help local growers and industry partners get the best results.

The regional Nuseed team is there to help customers make good agronomic decisions, seed choices and ensure top seed quality and service. In addition, the regional teams are also essential to:• Developing plant traits• Producing quality products that are locally

proven• Facilitating excellent distribution• Managing supply through Nuseed Value

Chains• Managing and responding to regulatory

requirements.

Regional team members are also part of Nuseed’s integrated global team. “Our people have the power to do what’s right at the local level,” Javra says. “They can develop a segment that they see value in — that level of empower-ment and accountability has driven our growth and provided the benefit of speed to market.”

Javra says another way Nuseed teams are able to create global growth is thanks to the leader-ship at Nuseed. “Our global and regional lead-ership makes sure we’re aligned and focused on our priorities. If we miss, then we adjust quickly. We’re only 250 people globally and we’re not chasing every single corn and soy acre around the world, we’re really focused in on our regions and our core crops most relevant to the region.”

Nuseed’s regional and global focus on adding value to every acre is attracting both farm and end-use customers that share Nuseed’s value beyond yield mindset.

Leveraging Global Expertise“We’re leveraging global seed resources throughout the world,” explains Javra. “We

make use of our own centers of expertise at our Nuseed Innovation Centers in Horsham, Austra-lia and West Sacramento in the United States, and also collaborate with industry experts to get the best results in the regions and for our farm and end-use customers.”

The two Nuseed Innovation Centers were built to deliver world-class technology and develop-ment of input and output plant traits as well as seed production and business services. Nuseed’s locations, one in each hemisphere, supports both regional and global R&D programs.

“From innovations in nutrition, sustainability and renewable energy, to getting seed into the bag and shipping it to our customers, our teams collaborate regionally and internationally,” says Javra.

Nuseed’s R&D programs, such as the sorghum program based in Texas managed by wholly owned subsidiary Richardson Seeds Internation-al and the canola program initiated in Australia, maximizes the company’s expertise and resourc-es both regionally and globally.

Nuseed dominates Australia’s canola market.

“OUR EXPERTS, THEIR PASSION AND A HARDWORKING TEAM ATTITUDE

HAS REALLY CONTRIBUTED TO OUR GROWTH AND HELPED US

ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.”


“We’re able to develop world-class germplasm and then share it with the different regions who then take what is best performing for their region. The result is an R&D pipeline primed for regional markets and global success,” Javra says.

Another aspect of creating value and encourag-ing growth in Nuseed’s regional businesses is providing opportunities to connect growers to customers.

“There’s a huge appetite with growers and distributors for a new approach to the seed market,” he says. “Demand from new end-use customers embracing plant-based solutions allows us to take a new approach. We are partnering and collaborating directly with both farm and end-use customers, including proving performance in the field and with industry and consumer market research.”

By using this approach, Javra says they’ve learned a few things. “Managing our prod-uct right from R&D to end-use customer and maximizing value at every step, and for every participant in the Nuseed Value Chain, is making a positive difference in product quality and industry collaboration. Our regional seeds busi-nesses really provide the foundation for this type of end to end, hands-on product management.”

People With PassionWithin the last five years, Nuseed has experi-enced rapid growth. Javra says there are three

Argentinian carinata growers supply global biofuel end-use customers.

G L O B A L G R O W T H

Russian field trials provide locally proven results in a key global market.

Nuseed’s U.S. sunflower breeding program provides top genetics.


Nuseed Regional Highlights

North America. One of Nuseed’s major expansions is entering the North Amer-ica canola market with multiple canola platforms: broad acre traditional canola, the world’s first plant-based source of omega-3 and, in the pipeline, improved high oleic profiles. Nuseed received USDA deregulation approval for Nuseed Omega-3 Canola in 2018, and doubled its contract production in 2019 by partnering with growers in Montana and North Dakota to produce the new crop. The new seed-based solution will give a new, sustainable source of long-chain omega-3 for improved health and will relieve pressure on wild fish stocks, currently the main source of the essential nutrient. Nuseed has also developed an industry-changing category of ultra-early sorghum hybrids that reduce the maturity by 20 days, while maintaining industry-leading yields and disease resistance. This key advancement will enable increased sorghum acres in the northern hemisphere.

South America. Nuseed’s South Ameri-can team’s growth across all four crops is exceptional. The introduction of carinata in Argentina is an exciting development for both farm and end-use biofuel custom-ers. Carinata is a type of non-food grade mustard seed; the extracted oil that is used for sustainable low-carbon renewable fuel which benefits Argentina in many ways: through reduced global carbon emissions, crop resilience, water and input efficiency, decreased erosion, carbon sequestration, and high protein non-GMO meal from the crop. In addition to introducing carinata and a new global market opportunity, Brazil’s sorghum seed use is on the rise as a re-placement for corn through Nuseed’s strong portfolio and the regional team’s ability to

connect growers and end-use feedlot customers to capture additional value. In under five years, the Nuseed South American team has estab-lished, grown, and is now making a noticeable impact on the industry.

Europe. Nuseed Europe’s primary focus is on growing Nuseed share of the oil and confection sunflower markets, in addition to increasing sor-ghum use. Sunflower oilseed demand in Europe is an opportunity for the team to as much as double its growth year on year. Through building a strategic distributor model for oilseeds and value-added products - like Nuseed’s new Onyx premium all-black confections - Nuseed has delivered growers and distributors high yields and new market opportunities, processors with high quality, and roasters with a unique end-use product catering to European preferences. The Nuseed Europe product pipeline also includes a growing grain and forage sorghum portfolio and new canola hybrids on the horizon.

Australia. Nuseed continues to lead the Australian canola industry with one in every two canola paddocks being Nuseed genetics. Their heart-healthy Monola, and high yielding HyTTec and TruFlex hybrids, and R&D pipelines will keep Nuseed in that leading position in the Australian canola market; top seed and service for canola, sunflower and sorghum customers will ensure their continued success. With end-use restau-rant customers in Australia switching to the healthy canola oil profile of Nuseed’s Monola, combined with two new high-yielding and oil demand is anticipated to increase.

Brent Javra, Nuseed Global GM Commercial says to push value beyond yield, Nuseed has to stay focused. That focus, he says, is what’s led to success in these four global regions to date.

“We are focused on our core crops and the regions we are already established with our global seeds businesses, in the regions that make the most strategic sense for our value beyond yield strategy,” he says. “Each of these regions have untapped potential for growth of our seeds business and farm customer base, and also to be the source of contract production for the new markets we are creating with new plant-based solutions for our end-use customers.”

While Nuseed continues to develop growth in their regional seed businesses, the com-pany is still looking to the future, and what they can do to better develop their business.

“We are always improving in areas that drive competitive advantage, plus improve service and market opportunities for our customers,” Javra says. “It’s the only way to grow and the best way to serve our farm and end-use customers, industry partners and our teams.”

As for any plans for expansion, Javra says the biggest opportunity they have for growth is continuing to generate value beyond yield in these four regions.

“We see the biggest opportunity for expan-sion in the regions where we already have facilities and trials in and the crops that we are already focused on — there’s so much untapped potential,” he says. “We are very, very different than the companies that are looking for incremental corn and soybean market share wherever in the world they can get it.”

things that have really spurred growth within the company: people, passion and pipeline.

“We’ve recruited experienced people that have an entrepreneurial spirit,” he says. “We hire people who aren’t afraid of a challenge or doing things differently and are keen to collaborate

within our teams and within the industry. We use their skills and experience to handle any problem we come across, and more importantly, we ensure we have some fun while we do it. Our experts, their passion and a hardworking team attitude, combined with our rich product pipeline and our open approach to industry collaboration,

has really contributed to our accelerated growth and helped us accomplish so much in a short period of time.” Combined with our rich product pipeline and our open approach to industry collab-oration, has really accelerated our growth.”


MULTIPLYING OPPORTUNITYNuseed’s collaborative company culture enables confidence, rapid growth and success.

While Nuseed’s offer will always include high-yielding seed for farm customers and global scale, Nuseed’s unique competitiveness comes from unlocking plant potential to solve the big unsolved problems of our time. Both farm and end-use customers will both be an important part of those solutions.

Customers As Nuseed Value Chain Partners “As we continue to evolve over the next several years, we will choose select farmers to become value chain partners in serving downstream customers,” says Brent Zacharias, Nuseed Group Executive. “We need to break the mentality of a simple buy-sell transaction approach, and move to multi-year partnerships to ensure a reliable supply downstream for a whole new

base of end-use customers in the value chain. The competitive nature of buy-sell diminishes opportunities. We want to multiply opportunities through collaboration.” Collaboration AdvantageNuseed embraces a true collaborative spirit, and a capability for creating and building cross-in-dustry integrated platforms for critical competi-tive advantages.

Recently, Nuseed’s collaborative business culture and combined agronomic and value chain expertise attracted a partnership with carinata developer, Agrisoma. Through this partnership, Nuseed’s Argentina team has introduced an entirely new opportunity for farmers, to grow

P L A N T- B A S E D S O L U T I O N S

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carinata specifically for use in advanced biofuels and bio-jet fuel. Grown as a cover crop, carinata provides carbon reduction beyond what has been achieved by other plant oils. The pilot project gave Nuseed the confidence to acquire Agriso-ma’s carinata based technologies and welcome their experts to the Nuseed team.

In an earlier collaboration turned acquisition, Nuseed fully purchased Brazil based Atlantica Sementes in 2018, after working with them in a joint venture capacity for over five years. The joint venture allowed the two companies to realize the potential. Today, the Atlantica business is transitioning to the Nuseed brand and has provided the company with an excellent team on the ground and instant market access. It’s a market where Nuseed sorghum is displac-ing corn acres, making the industry take notice and adding value to both growers and beef producers. The added value comes from Nuseed’s commitment to top seed and service, continued R&D to advance the benefits of sorghum as a corn replacement, and by connecting growers to end-use customers; all multiplying opportunity through collaboration across the value chain.

Another of Nuseed’s most successful and long-standing collaborations has been with the Grains Research Development Council (GRDC) and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Re-search Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science research agency.

CSIRO wanted to pursue omega-3 oil production in canola. “We were interested in exploring how we could do this with all the crop genet-ics companies that had a clear interest in this technology at the time,” says Lindsay Adler, CSIRO Executive Manager, Business Develop-ment and Commercial. “There were quite a few that we engaged with over a period of time, and we narrowed this down to a couple for various

“THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF BUY-SELL DIMINISHES OPPORTUNITIES. WE WANT TO MULTIPLY OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH COLLABORATION.”

reasons. When we started talking to Nuseed, it was well positioned in that it was an Australian company with some global reach at the time

with its canola business, but it was more than that which made it clear we should work with them. They had a vision, and it was a big vision.”

Nuseed’s Global Seeds Business is the Catalyst to New Plant-based Solutions

Started in 2006 in Australia, Nuseed is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nufarm Limited. A leading global crop protection company that has been serving farm cus-tomers for over 100 years. With over 250 employees worldwide Nuseed develops and sells canola, sorghum, and sunflower seed in 30 countries across the globe, and initiated a new carinata program in South America in 2019.

Nuseed conducts advanced trials and has facilities in Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Nuseed’s world-class R&D is based at the Nuseed Horsham Innovation Centre in Australia, with a second facility newly constructed in West Sacramento, California to further support Nuseed’s North American and global seeds business. Unique plant input and output trait development is core to Nuseed’s R&D program, includ-ing Nuseed Omega-3 Canola and the proprietary essential nutrient rich oils derived from it, Aquaterra for aquafeed and Nutriterra for human nutrition.

Through strategic vision and the rec-ognition of agriculture’s vast potential, Nuseed has built a company ready to thrive in the ‘Golden Era’ of agriculture.

Nuseed’s first decade built the founda-tion of a global seeds business serving farm customers; the next decade will also include serving end-use customers and leading the shift from supply chain to value chain. From outstanding R&D to the development of flourishing new end-use markets and the Nuseed Value Chains to supply them, Nuseed is positioned at the forefront of this shift.

Key to leading the shift is Nuseed’s clear focus on core global crops with high yield potential and the potential to deliver entirely new plant-based solutions with higher value. Nuseed’s ‘focus crops’ – canola, carinata, sorghum and sunflower – have outstanding yield, nutritional and sustainability benefits, as well as incred-ible genetic potential for entirely new high-value uses.

Strategically, Nuseed is maximizing large-scale high-yield production of these crops across both world hemispheres, using R&D trait research, plant breeding, registration knowledge, local agronomic trials, quality assurance and strong distribution partner-ships.

There is incredible opportunity in linking ‘upstream’ (plant-based innovation) with ‘mid-stream’ (farm and processing technol-ogies) and combining novel oils, proteins and plant-based solutions with new ‘downstream’ technologies in markets such as aquaculture, nutraceuticals, pharma-ceuticals, bio-energy, consumer goods and many others.

“As a business, we are focused on trans-formational leadership and evolutionary growth. We are not content to be only in established markets. It’s bold; we are de-termined to use our global seeds business as a catalyst to creating entirely new plant -based solutions and market opportunities, as well as the value chains to supply them,” confirms Nuseed Group Executive, Brent Zacharias.


Nuseed is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nufarm which has agricultural crop protection prod-uct manufacturing and marketing operations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, North America and Europe, and sells products in more than 100 countries around the world. Nufarm has served farm customers for over 100 years.

“Nufarm’s leaders had a vision to expand the business into crop genetics and seeds,” says Adler. “It was quite ambitious, but they were prepared to back that vision. The board and the CEO of Nufarm were behind it from the start and that commitment has never wavered. So, there was a vision and the engagement to make that vision reality.”

Core Crops Deliver Sustainability Benefits

“SUSTAINABILITY IS ABOUT MEETING THE NEEDS OF TODAY WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE NEEDS OF FUTURE GENERATIONS. FOR GRAIN

FARMERS, THAT MEANS THREE KEY FACTORS: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL. THIS INCLUDES RUNNING A PROFITABLE OPERATION

WHILE FOLLOWING PRODUCTION PRACTICES THAT ENSURE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY WHILE FOCUSING ON ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITIES

SUCH AS WATER MANAGEMENT AND BIODIVERSITY, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND SOIL HEALTH.”

-CANADIAN ROUNDTABLE FOR SUSTAINABLE CROPS


While Nuseed’s Omega-3 Canola and Carinata Renewable Fuel programs are in demand because of their sustainability bene-fits, Nuseed’s core crops have sustainability benefits built in.

Sunflower• Commercial sunflower hybrids have

many of the characteristics of their wild relatives, such as drought tolerance and a deep root system that mines for nutrients.

• The majority of sunflowers are produced in a reduced-tillage system which prevents erosion, and by leaving the stalks standing and fields undisturbed over winter also provides an excellent food source for wildlife.

• High-stearic-high-oleic sunflower oil can now be grown sustainably in both hemi-spheres, without the ecosystem damage prevalent with palm oil cultivation.

• Sunflowers make excellent bee habitat.

Canola • New technologies allow farmers to target

pests that damage seedlings, while allow-ing beneficial insects to flourish.

• Direct seeding canola preserves soil organic matter content and moisture, plus reduces erosion.

• Canola also makes excellent bee habitat.

Sorghum • Requiring one third less water with

comparable energy and nutrition, sorghum is both a sustainable and economical corn feed ration replacement.

• Among other drought-tolerant features, sorghum has a smaller leaf to root ratio than other crops, and extensive root sys-

tem, plus a heavy wax layer on leaves/stems. • Sorghum is also a sustainable bioethanol crop

because of its water-use efficiency and ability to adapt to semi-arid regions where soil salini-ty is too high for most food crops.

• Sorghum also has potential to become a tool in land reclamation due to its hardiness and ability to improve soil.

Carinata• The key sustainability benefits of carinata are

two-fold: carbon sequestration and carbon reduction.

• An extensive deep root system, low canopy temperature, and thick, waxy leaves increase carinata’s tolerance to heat and drought. Its taproot can reach 3 feet deep to reach unused nutrients.

• Carinata is an aggressive crop and will out-compete many winter weeds.

• Growing carinata as a winter cash crop on underutilized or fallow land improves conser-vation of nitrogen and water, which reduces input costs and substantially increases ecosystem sustainability and soil health by retaining vital carbon.

• The combination of carinata being grown as a

winter crop between corn and soybean rotations, and the quality of its high pro-tein meal for animal feedstock makes it a biofuel that does not compete, but instead contributes to food production.

• Carinata as a winter crop also helps reduce soil erosion and nutrient losses to water bodies through leaching.

Adler also recognizes that Nufarm and Nuseed took some risks. “The Nuseed leadership made the decision to work with us to develop what was a big opportunity, but the tech still required a lot of development at the time,” he explains. “We’d proven omega-3 could be produced in canola, but not at the commercial scale. Nuseed leaders put their faith in us at a very early stage


and put significant investment into it. We in turn put our faith in a partner that we had not worked with in this way before in developing, commercializing and marketing a new technolo-gy from scratch. It was a company that was just building its capacity to do some of these things, like deregulation. “The progress of the science in fact the partnership itself, has really worked perfectly.”

Years on, Adler observes the “huge amount of trust built between Nuseed and CSIRO” has been maintained. “We’re still here and when there are problems, we’ve talked about them and worked together to solve them. Nuseed leaders and staff have done everything they’ve said they were going to do, some of this was treading new ground for them. So, it took enormous effort to accomplish what they’ve ac-complished. They’ve put in an incredible amount of time and effort to learn the market and build opportunities. We’ve been very impressed with the way things have progressed.”

Becoming a Successful Plant-based Solutions Company Beyond a true collaborative spirit and a highly successful global seeds business, Nuseed is dif-ferentiated by its ability to identify major market trends, to establish new models and make new value chain connections, and to achieve new end-to-end technology breakthroughs.

“The trends and opportunities in front of us today are not simple point solutions,” Zacharias explains. “Agriculture has traditionally been organized in rather distinct silos: crop inputs, genetics, grain handling, processing, markets for food and feed. By going beyond these established silo structures, we can transform our industry into agriculture-based solution platforms.”

“We are at the tip of a major agricultural rev-olution, one that multiplies its value, but more importantly, solves some of the major issues facing the world. Our focus is on being a major player in improving the vitality and value of agriculture. We will be a leader in serving the world by delivering new sustainable plant-based

solutions to major issues that aren’t currently being addressed. Nuseed Global Group Executive, Brent Zacharias, gives these critical five points that will deter-mine the company’s success:

1. Start with people. We require a unique team with distinct expertise. Already in our company today, and by extension through our collaborations, we have and will continue to build combined and unprecedented levels of expertise.

2. The right attitude. Defined by our company culture, we are here to build value for others, share, have fun, stay remarkably fast and agile and are truly committed to collaboration and being an industry leader.

3. Intense focus on core crops with huge potential. We will produce and market sustainable, innovative and unparalleled oil and protein solutions, unlocking the full value within canola, carinata, sunflower and sorghum.

CORE CROP OVERVIEW

CANOLA• #1 canola seed position in

Australia• Top 5 position globally• Range of novel oil positions• Currently executing growth

strategy into high value Canada, Europe and Latin America markets

• Best in class canola traits capability, with leading market share within Australian market

CARINATA• Proprietary global position• Novel industrial oil• Best in class greenhouse gas

reduction • South American expansion • Unique downstream

application• High protein non-GMO source

SORGHUM• Top 3 position globally• Strength in food, feed and fuel• Recently introduced early

sorghum category• Human and animal nutrition

traits• Leading efforts to link

agronomic performance, new cropping patterns and high yield potential

• Brazil, US, Argentina are key target geographies

SUNFLOWER• Global leader in the high-

value food ingredient segment• Top-5 position globally• Growth in proprietary

categories & stacked traits• Unique offerings enable

stronger market entry with broad portfolio

• Strong volume growth trajectory

• European markets experiencing high growth

XXL


4. Targeted acquisitions. To ensure delivery of innovations and to attract more opportuni-ties, Nuseed will continue to grow our scale, infrastructure, capability and R&D pipelines, and ensure global relevance in key markets. By actively looking at all opportunities in our space, Nuseed’s growth strategy will continue to include technology acquisition in different forms, such as intellectual property creation, investment in startup technologies and more.

5. Solve big problems. At Nuseed, we seek to add and share value. Our vision is to go beyond input agriculture, to integrate indus-tries – and in some situations, we will disrupt and make certain technologies and practices obsolete. We will solve big problems never served by agriculture before.

Case in Point: The Need for Omega-3The problem: World demand for the essential nutrient omega-3 is much greater than wild fish stocks, the current source, can sustainably supply.

The Nuseed solution? Collaborate with the best in the industry. Nuseed, a recognized canola industry leader in Australia, partnered with the GRDC and CSIRO to develop Nuseed Omega-3 Canola technology.

Develop commercial production. Nuseed’s global footprint; management, regulatory, canola plant breeding and R&D ex-pertise; world class canola germplasm; and, Nuseed Value Chain experience are all key to commercial omega-3 canola production.

Prove the advantage to end-use cus-tomers. Independent and customer trials Have proven Nuseed’s product advantage to aquaculture customers. Clinical trials are underway for the human nutrition market.

Bring innovation to market. End-use customer brands Aquaterra for aquafeed and Nutriterra for human nutrition are already capturing the markets’ attention.

Make business better. Nuseed is com-mitted to being the employer and partner of choice for growers, industry and end-use customers.


Looking AheadThese are exciting times for Nuseed. Nuseed is pursuing new plant-based solutions and value beyond yield at a fast-paced global scale.

They will continue strategic collaboration, with a focus on crops with exceptional potential and a commitment to adding value to every acre and step in the supply chain.

Zacharias focuses on the probelms that Nu-seed’s core crops solve: - The human and aquaculture deficit- Global dietary protein deficits- Barriers to the growth of evolving farming systems such as aquaculture- World carbon footprint

“We are solving these problems and more, by harnessing the power of crop DNA as well as the powerful ‘DNA fabric’ of our company. There are great opportunities to empower agriculture as a solution-maker and we are realizing those opportunities.”

“OUR FOCUS IS ON WHAT PROBLEMS OUR CORE CROPS

CAN SOLVE.”

Collaboration with local growers in Montana and North Dakota enabled the first production of Nuseed Omega-3 Canola in the U.S.

“NUSEED WAS A COMPANY THAT WAS JUST BUILDING ITS CAPACITY TO DO SOME OF THESE

THINGS, LIKE DEREGULATION. AND EVERYTHING, THE PROGRESS OF THE SCIENCE AND THE

COMMERCIALISATION, IN FACT THE PARTNER-SHIP ITSELF, HAS REALLY WORKED PERFECTLY.”

First Nuseed Carinata Field Day during initial pilot project with Agrisoma.


OCEANS TO AIR Sustainability is essential.

End-use customers are embracing our plant-based solutions for sustainable sources of omega-3, and fossil-free fuels.

©2020 Nuseed is a trademark of Nufarm Limited. BEYOND YIELD® is a trademark of Nuseed.


the world


VALUE BEYOND

YIELD®


Seeds have always been the backbone to the agriculture industry. It is rare that a seed company, who is a relative newcomer, makes a global impact.

Enter Nuseed. With a rich global germplasm bank and a strong focus on research and devel-opment efforts - focused on canola, carinata, sunflower and sorghum - Nuseed has rapidly expanded over the past decade. At 250 employ-

ees worldwide, Nuseed is not that large, but has strategic global reach from facilities in four key regions; Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Each hemisphere has a Nuseed Innovation Center to drive progress helping to identify markers and traits for seed develop-ment, top-performing hybrids and new plant-based solutions.

Being agile allows Nuseed to have a more

SCanola R&D in the Horsham Nuseed Innovation Center greenhouses in Australia.

COMMERCIALIZING HIGH-POTENTIAL CROPSR&D and commercial success are mutually dependent.

M A R K E T P O T E N T I A L


Global Commercial General Manager. “We are unlocking the genetic potential of these crops with both input traits for agronomic benefits and output traits for new plant-based solutions and added value. We are investing more technology and molecular breeding in those segments to develop a value package where farmers and the end-user of the product both win.”

Sunflowers“One of our key strengths is the ability to use trait integration to add traits into the germplasm. We use recurrent parent percent selection and molecular markers to introduce traits or back cross traits into germplasm. Plus, we use genomic markers to recall the genomic parent at a quicker pace,” says Leon Streit, Nuseed Global Research & Development Lead. “It is important that we have that ability, it is what enables us to meet the needs of growers in different regions.”

For example, the key sunflower market is in Europe. Because sunflowers are native to the U.S., the diseases and insects that go along with the crop have co-evolved for thousands of years, so they have had to endure a tougher selection environment than sunflower germplasms grown in other parts of the world.

“The expertise of our breeding team at the Nuseed West Sacramento Innovation Center enables us to identify the genetics that can meet specific market needs, develop molecular markers for selection, and identify key input traits that may be limited to specific production geographies,” says Jim Gerdes, Nuseed Global Sunflower Research & Development Supervisor. “We’ve also been able to rapidly create a genet-ic map for those traits to follow them through our breeding program quickly.”

This means that Nuseed will be able to decrease the cycle time and increase the number of gener-ations produced per year.

Gerdes has been instrumental in helping build the sunflower breeding program, which has tripled in size over the past six years.

“We’ve developed a good testing pipeline,” Gerdes says. “Initiating the molecular lab from ground zero has been a major milestone. We also brought the analytical chemistry aspect onboard, which helps us analyze oil profiles and other quality traits. Getting that analytical team in place as well, has been a major achievement.”

Nuseed’s plant breeding and innovation centers are strategically located to best advance the business regionally and globally.

“The area around Sacramento is a garden spot for growing sunflowers,” Gerdes says. “Most of the U.S. sunflower seed production is in this area. We support the production in California with that of our sunflower breeders in Brecken-ridge, Minn., to use their skills for plant breeding and more manually intensive processes. Our Breckenridge program is in the heart of sunflow-er country so the regional work there ensures

“OUR CANOLA PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON COMBINING INPUT TRAITS FOR DISEASE AND WEED

MANAGEMENT FOR HIGH YIELDS, WITH OUTPUT TRAITS FOR

COMPLETELY NEW VALUE AND MARKET OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE

OUR OMEGA-3 CANOLA PROGRAM.”

Leon StreitNuseed Global R&D Lead

With his Ph.D. in plant breeding from Iowa State University, Leon’s 25-plus year

R&D career has focused on advancing plant-traits from breeding, to leading research teams and programs, and infrastructure development. He’s held leadership positions in both North America and Europe, includ-ing Global Soybean and Oilseed Platform Director and Global Sunflower R&D Director. Leon has lead R&D activities and teams of scientists across multiple research centers to drive process, innovation and product improvements and holds several variety and trait IP patents. Leon joined Nuseed in 2017 and serves on the Nuseed Steering Team, Nuseed Global Innovations Board and leads the global R&D strategy and programs

collaborative approach throughout the product pipeline, providing a unique advantage and abil-ity to deliver value beyond just product yields. Nuseed is exceptionally positioned to face the challenges of the agriculture industry now, and in the future.

“Nuseed’s growth has been driven by being extremely focused on four crops with great genetic potential,” says Brent Javra, Nuseed

focused on developing unique input and output traits across canola, carinata, sorghum and sunflower portfolios. Leon’s direction and management are instrumental to the Nuseed Innovation Center, recently completed in West Sacramento, Cali. where he is now based.

What are Nuseed’s R&D advantages? “Our R&D advantage is our rich bank of global germplasm focused on four crops with incredi-ble genetic potential, that can be grown across all our four regions and our plant scientists working at our world-class Nuseed Innovation Centers in each hemisphere. Our focus in combination with our industry collaboration and commercial teams on the ground in each region enables efficiency and considerable advancements proven in local conditions.”


“If you have better weed control, less competi-tion with the crop for inputs such as water and nutrients, then yields will improve,” he says. “Our canola program is focused on combining input traits for disease and weed management for high yields, with output traits for completely new value and market opportunities, like our Nuseed Omega-3 Canola program. Van Ripley is heading the North American R&D program for variety and hybrid advancements with both input and output traits.

Nuseed is using the best of global germplasm and the same commitment to top seed and ser-vice as built the business in Australia, to grow the seeds business globally. From this founda-tion, in combination with industry collaboration, they are also delivering output traits. Through their R&D collaboration with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Grains Research and Develop-ment Corporation (GRDC), Nuseed is now com-mercializing their proprietary Nuseed Omega-3 Canola, with approximately 35,000 acres planted in 2019 in Montana and North Dakota.

Sorghum“Sorghum growers prefer earlier maturing varieties, but most of Nuseed’s competitors are offering later maturing sorghum varieties,” Streit says. Between the development of early and ultra-early sorghum hybrids allowing expansion into new climatic regions and growing acknowl-edgement of sorghum’s cost advantage to high priced, high input corn, the global demand for sorghum is growing.

Nuseed’s sorghum research is lead by Nuseed Sorghum Research Leader, Diego Duretto, based out of the company’s Argentina R&D facilities, in collaboration with Texas-based, Richardson Seeds, a wholly owned Nuseed subsidiary that has been in the sorghum business for over half a century. The combined expertise is leading the way in sorghum advancements including yield, maturity, digestability, agronomic performance as well as drought and saline tolerance.

Sorghum’s status as an ancient grain is also appealing to consumer markets. Nuseed’s R&D teams have already developed Wholis for human consumption and are exploring the white sorghum segment, which allows the crop to be made into non-GMO, gluten-free flour for tortillas and other food products.

M A R K E T P O T E N T I A L

we have strong agronomics for local growers. We have similar regional breeding and testing programs in all our global regions.”

“The California sunflower breeding team uses their environment to again select for disease and other pressures,” Gerdes adds. “The team also plays a significant role in the sunflower trait introgression program, which entails identifying a hybrid that needs a trait and adding that trait into the parent lines.”

Nuseed’s R&D and breeding teams are also ad-vancing sunflower output traits to meet specific consumer preferences in key markets like Europe and the Middle East. Attributes like larger shell and kernel size are bred into Nuseed’s new category of Onyx Premium Confection and XXL sunflower hybrids.

Canola“While novel oils are a primary opportunity for canola development, the primary production challenges for canola are disease related,” explains Van Ripley, Nuseed Canola Research & Development Lead in Canada. Based in Saskatoon, Sask., Ripley is heading the North American R&D program for variety and hybrid advancements with both input and output plant traits.

“Blackleg, sclerotinia and clubroot are probably the three highest potential ones,” he says.

From 2010 to present, Nuseed has seen a significant escalation in their canola research and development program, becoming a market leader in Australia. After several years of local field trials Nuseed is now poised to enter the North American canola market.

“At the Nuseed Horsham Innovation Centre in Australia, we are continuing to explore trait introgression and advancement of novel canola improvement technologies, such as double haploid and molecular markers,” says Nelson Gororo, Global Canola R&D Lead in Horsham, Australia. “Since the development of the first herbicide resistant tolerant canola in 1995, yields have steadily improved, due in part to better weed control,” says Ripley.

CarinataCarinata is a new and exciting crop recently add-ed to Nuseed’s global portfolio through acquisi-tion of specific technologies in 2019 from Agriso-ma (the crop’s developer), following a successful joint pilot project initiated in Argentina. With the potential to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions up to 100% dependent on the region and production practices, end-use customers are embracing the opportunity to adopt this non-food oil feedstock for a reliable and sustainable supply for low-carbon renewable fuel.

The Nuseed carinata breeding program is based out of Saskatoon, Sask. is led by Rick Bennett.

OUTPUT TRAITSEnd-use/consumer benefits

Plant-based Omega-3 Sources

Healthier High Oleic Oils

Improved Animal NutritionBMR Sorghum

New markets SOLUTIONSEntirely new

Consumer Preferences

Renewable Fuels

INPUT TRAITSGrower/agronomic benefits

Existing markets HYBRIDSTop performing

VALUE BEYOND YIELD®

WORLD-CLASS R&DGlobal germplasm• Proprietary• Trait sources

Molecular capabilities• Sequencing and genetic mapping• Breeding: marker assisted breeding/

double halpoid/trait stacking and introgression/disease and trait screening

• Gene discovery

GLOBAL SEEDS BUSINESS• Industry collaboration• Global market reach• Strategic alliances• Regionally empowered teams• Customer focused• Agronomic expertise• Regulatory stewardship• Sales in over 30 countries

DELIVERING PLANT-BASED SOLUTIONS

Proven performance• Early stage trials• Regional trials worldwide• Extensive product testing• Consumer testing

• Drought tolerance• Low inputs• Disease/weed management• Carbon sequestration• Crop rotation and diversity

• Land-based replacement to fish oil

• GHG reduction• Feed and protein

conversion

SUSTAINABILITY

NUSEED VALUE CHAINSR&D ➔ GERMPLASM ➔ TRAIT DEVELOPMENT ➔ BREEDING ➔ REGULATORY ➔ PRODUCT TESTING ➔ GLOBAL SEEDS BUSINESS ➔ INDUSTRY COLLABORATION ➔ TRACEABLE LOGISTICS ➔ PRODUCT DELIVERY


OUTPUT TRAITSEnd-use/consumer benefits

Plant-based Omega-3 Sources

Healthier High Oleic Oils

Improved Animal NutritionBMR Sorghum

New markets SOLUTIONSEntirely new

Consumer Preferences

Renewable Fuels

INPUT TRAITSGrower/agronomic benefits

Existing markets HYBRIDSTop performing

VALUE BEYOND YIELD®

WORLD-CLASS R&DGlobal germplasm• Proprietary• Trait sources

Molecular capabilities• Sequencing and genetic mapping• Breeding: marker assisted breeding/

double halpoid/trait stacking and introgression/disease and trait screening

• Gene discovery

GLOBAL SEEDS BUSINESS• Industry collaboration• Global market reach• Strategic alliances• Regionally empowered teams• Customer focused• Agronomic expertise• Regulatory stewardship• Sales in over 30 countries

DELIVERING PLANT-BASED SOLUTIONS

Proven performance• Early stage trials• Regional trials worldwide• Extensive product testing• Consumer testing

• Drought tolerance• Low inputs• Disease/weed management• Carbon sequestration• Crop rotation and diversity

• Land-based replacement to fish oil

• GHG reduction• Feed and protein

conversion

SUSTAINABILITY

NUSEED VALUE CHAINSR&D ➔ GERMPLASM ➔ TRAIT DEVELOPMENT ➔ BREEDING ➔ REGULATORY ➔ PRODUCT TESTING ➔ GLOBAL SEEDS BUSINESS ➔ INDUSTRY COLLABORATION ➔ TRACEABLE LOGISTICS ➔ PRODUCT DELIVERY

“Years of research and development has maxi-mized carinata’s agronomic, non-food low-car-bon renewable fuel feedstock and high protein meal performance. Nuseed has the global reach and grower connection to commercialize the technology acquired while we continue to make breeding advancements,” explains Bennett.

Brent Javra explains how the addition of cari-nata fits perfectly with Nuseed’s value beyond yield strategy. “The reach of our seeds business-es, and our ability to connect grower production

to end-use customer demand in key regions will be our advantage in commercializing carinata globally. Our carinata breeding program will fo-cus on getting the best results in the field, first in South America with plans to expand production to additional global regions, and as an excellent low-carbon, non-food oil feedstock for end-use customers.”

What’s AheadThe future of plant breeding is very exciting, as more technologies are introduced to help

advance all areas of agriculture. New techniques will also enable plant breeders to understand the underlying causes and controls of various traits in plants, Ripley adds. Nuseed’s global footprint and ability to develop value chains to commercialize R&D innovations is key today, and vital to long-term success.

Nuseed’s success in delivering sustainable plant-based solutions starts with world-class R&D committed to top-performing seed and developing both input traits with agronomic benefits and output traits with end-use or consumer benefits. In combination with the global reach and commitment to top service for farm customers in each region, Nuseed is able to deliver proven and sustainable new end-use products, plus market opportunities, and, develop the Nuseed Value Chains to supply them.


R O U N D TA B L E


GROWING BEYOND YIELD ADDS VALUE FOR ALLThe Nuseed Value Chain demonstrates that providing end-to-end value pays dividends for growers and end-users alike.

ROUNDTABLE PROFILES

Eleanor LeeSpecialty Oils Operations Manager, Nuseed Australia

Eleanor has strong roots in Austra-lian agriculture, her family farms

in southern Queensland. She studied agribusi-ness in Victoria and came onboard with Nufarm, Nuseed’s parent company, over ten years ago. Her experience across business development, including interstate regions, territory manage-ment, sales and marketing plus, relationship management with growers, industry and end-use customers are all key strengths she brings to managing Nuseed Australia’s Monola program.

What inspires you at Nuseed? “The team I work with at Nuseed is very inspiring. We deliver products and service with value beyond yield, and we are bringing even more innovation to the marketplace. The food sector in Australia is switching to the oil profile of our Monola oil, derived from our identity preserved canola for a healthy replacement to hydrogenated oils that are high in trans-fats. I’m inspired that the work we do improves the health of our country and provides opportunity to our farm customers and industry partners.”

Alex ClaytonNuseed Global Business Development Lead, Carinata

Alex’s career focus on developing the end-use market for carinata

started in 2016, he has since travelled and built business relationships with biofuel end-use customers worldwide. Alex’s experience and expertise includes commercializing novel re-newable hydrocarbon products as replacements for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. His degree in biochemistry and masters in bioscience company management are key strengths to making break-through science into commercial solutions. Alex joined Nuseed in 2019 when carinata was added to the global portfolio, acquired from the devel-oper and his former employer, he now leads the carinata global business development.

Why is commercializing carinata important? “The ability of carinata to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequester carbon is incredible, and, through Nuseed’s R&D capabilities, we intend to continue to improve. Carinata is a sustainable biofuel feedstock that when grown as a cover crop doesn’t compete with food production, it contributes to it with high protein non-GMO meal for animal feed. Carinata’s production system achieves certi-fication with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomass (RSB) and has complete traceability and accountability throughout the supply chain. Now, with Nuseed’s global reach and connec-tion to growers and industry, we can efficiently commercialize it globally and have a tremendous impact on greenhouse gases.”

Clint MunroNuseed Global Lead, Omega-3 Supply Chain

Clint’s extensive career experience managing the commercial opera-

tions and trading teams for large scale oilseed processing, including canola purchases and oil and meal marketing, provides the knowledge and network needed to build the Nuseed Value Chain to produce and process Nuseed Omega-3 Canola to supply Aquaterra and Nutriterra end-use customers. His coordination of sustainability certification programs for a previous employer provides valuable insights into the importance of traceability, stewardship and regulatory protocols to his current role. Clint joined Nuseed three years ago and his industry experience is backed by his education at Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia.

What makes your work at Nuseed rewarding? “Being part of the Nuseed team and building our Nuseed Value Chain with R&D, growers and industry partners, to produce and process Nuseed Omega-3 Canola, and deliver new sustainable plant-based solutions to end-use customers is really rewarding.”


Eleanor Lee, Speciality Oils Operations Manager Nuseed Audstralia works with Monola contract growers, and the entire Nuseed Value Chain to deliver a healthier and safer cooking oil to end-use customers like KFC.

ROUNDTABLE FEATURE

Q: To you, what is the meaning of value BEYOND YIELD®?

Eleanor Lee: “Specific to Australia’s Monola program, growers need the value to be more attractive than simply growing commodity canola. To also ensure identity preservation and the delivery of a quality product, there needs to be incentive for the grower. To do that, we have to add value beyond yield, adding it means more value at every step in the Nuseed Value Chain.”

Alex Clayton: “It means our greatest opportu-nity lies in the value we as Nuseed, can provide that may be completely different from yield, whether that’s a better business service, an en-tirely new end-use for a crop or a production sys-tem based approach that addresses a developing market need. It’s a hedge for agriculture, and Nuseed is invested in delivering value beyond yield which is exciting for the entire company, as well as for industry partners and our farm and end-use customers.

Clint Munro: “It’s quite unique in the canola industry that the same company that develops the genetics is the same company selling the oil to the end customer. There are many steps along the way to achieving that, from grower contract-ing, regulatory, harvesting and storage, to the rail system, shipping to crush, actual crushing itself and quality management. By developing or customizing our Nuseed Value Chain the focus at every step is to add value beyond just the yield of the crop.”

Q: How does Beyond Yield deliver value?

EL: “Monola is a canola variety with a high-sta-bility oil profile. Restaurant chains were seeking an oil with extended frying time, and Monola oil delivers that. For KFC, for example, the initial step for them was safety for their staff — they were using oils that were dangerous for staff to handle. They wanted high quality oil with healthy and high levels of unsaturated fat that was easy to use. In terms of us working with KFC, we wanted to help them understand how this product is a benefit to them but also keep the grower in mind as well. The R&D team have been instrumental in delivering value on both those aspects.”

AC: “Yields are a basic requirement, but Nuseed is focused on adding more value than just yield. Growers need to be able to get ROI and fulfill their contracts, and my end-use customers need

confidence there’s consistent adequate supply to use it as a major biofuel feedstock. In this context, yield remains a primary focus. However, where we can really differentiate our company is what we do to add value above and beyond, while the entire crop production industry has been focused only on yield. Carinata is a great example of developing a crop beyond its yield capabilities by enabling a new advantaged use as a sustainable biofuel feedstock and high protein, non-GMO meal for livestock.”

CM: “Nuseed Omega-3 Canola provides a new market for growers in Montana, for example, where they currently do not have a local canola market of any scale. This means some farmers who would like to grow canola do not. Because we arrange the pickup of our Nuseed Omega-3 Canola and on-farm, coordinate delivery to the crush plant, it becomes a viable cropping option. This allows producers to expand their cropping rotations and the agronomic and environmental benefits that come with that, as well as the profit opportunity from the Nuseed Omega-3 Canola contract for their business. Nuseed is managing the full value chain which allows efficient delivery to the end market. The market signals provided by end oil customers can be acted upon to provide the right quantity and

“OUR STRATEGY IS TO NOT ONLY

PROVIDE GOOD YIELD BUT ALSO TO

ENHANCE THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN.”

Alex Clayton, Nuseed Global Business Development Lead, Carinata, recently accepted the Raw Material Bio-diesel Award from Avril, a key biofuel end-use customer.


Clint Munro (left) is Global Lead, Omega-3 Supply Chain, he works across regulatory, grower contracting, processing and logistics to supply Aquaterra and Nutriterra end-use customers.


R O U N D TA B L E

quality of Nuseed Omega-3 Canola production the following season. The shared learnings from growers can be acted upon swiftly also, with Nuseed providing feedback to plant breeders for future improved varieties.”

Q: What are the benefits of the Nuseed Value Chain?

EL: “It ensures the best quality oil possible. We enter contracts with growers to produce the crop; our agronomists manage it throughout the season and facilitate delivery to the specific grain accumulator where it’s stored, and after processing it’s delivered to our end-use cus-tomers. We have commitment from the grower to contract protocols so we get the best crop

production and stewardship. Nuseed is involved at every step of the process to ensure the best product possible.”

AC: “Nuseed is removing many barriers to large scale adoption throughout the supply chain by facilitating from R&D trials, to growers’ fields, through regulatory and logistics, to delivering a very specific end-use market. The result is more efficiencies, improved quality control and more value to growers, processors, customers and really the entire population wanting low-carbon fuel and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Nuseed has taken a position within the supply chain that really aligns all the players on where and how value is created to maximize value for every participant. In the biofuels industry, trace-

ability and how you do things matters more and more. Being able to represent those principles all of the way to the end-use of the supply chain is becoming extremely important.”

CM: “Nuseed has worked with multiple end-use customers to conduct large scale trials using the Nuseed Omega-3 Canola oil in aquaculture feed rations. This involved a full year of grower production under USDA permit, several small crush runs and shipping oil in one-ton interme-diate bulk containers and 20mt containers to allow customers to use it in trials. This required intensive management and significant invest-ment by Nuseed, but enabled customers to gain confidence in adding a new product to their com-mercial feed, and enabled Nuseed to prepare for commercial scale production and manufacturing.”


Q: How does the Nuseed Value Chain demonstrate a collaborative approach to business?

EL: “The Nuseed Value Chain is entirely about collaboration, working with the best partners at each step to facilitate an efficient and effective supply of high quality product and service. We don’t try to be everything to everyone, nor do we limit ourselves to only a very specific part of the

seeds business. By partnering and collaborating we know we can deliver successful outcomes with greater scope faster and with less cost. It’s taken collaboration across our Nuseed Value Chain to deliver a unique end-use product like Monola. From understanding the end-use cus-tomers’ needs to the farm customer’s contract and production needs, to facilitating the process-ing logistics, our Monola program wouldn’t have been successful for the last ten years without

collaboration and strategic partners. It’s also driving our R&D pipeline, to always be listen-ing and developing varieties for both our farm customers and our end-use customers.”

AC: “We wouldn’t be able to deliver a plant-based solution like carinata for sustainable low-carbon fuel without collaboration, worldwide. The opportunity is huge and so is the effort. From collaboration with growers and the ag

Excellence Through Stewardship

Nuseed’s closed loop production and commitment to Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS) protects the value of Nuseed Omega-3 Canola.

Mike ConnellyRegulatory, Stewardship and Compliance Manager, Nuseed Americas

Mike has gained wide-rang-ing, global experience and expertise in plant biotechnology and crop protection registration, before and regulatory affairs over his 24-plus year career. He first took an interest in agriculture as a teenager working on local farms and went on to earn a Master of Science in Entomology from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Florida International University. Mike joined Nuseed’s regulatory team in 2016 based out of the U.S. Chicago area office and manages product registration, stewardship and compliance of our biotechnology crops, including production protocols for Nuseed Omega-3 Canola, and the Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS) certification.

Why is the work you do for ETS certification so important?“The independent third-party ETS certifi-cation process aligns with Nuseed’s com-mitment to stewardship by protecting our proprietary crops, strengthening industry compliance and building public trust.”

Nuseed is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship (ETS) and has achieved ETS certifi-cation under the extensive ETS protocols.

ETS is a global non-profit organization that promotes the universal adoption of product stewardship programs and quality management systems for the full life cycle of agricultural technology products. The ETS Stewardship Audit Process involves independent third-party audits of operations to verify that stewardship programs and quality management systems are in place.

Nuseed Omega-3 Canola is traced through the identity preserved system with set checkpoints with lot number, seal number, field and bin GPS and sample testing for quality, genetics and fatty acids at every point of transition from field to receiver. This protects the value of Nuseed Ome-ga-3 Canola that our Aquaterra (for aquafeed markets) and Nutriterra (for human nutrition) are derived from.

ETS certification aligns with our business com-mitments to stewardship and is a responsible way to manage biotech plant products through their life cycle, discovery, and development through to commercialization.

ETS has been honed over years to provide members with a focus on what is import-ant, and it’s always improving. It provides a platform for adopting tried-and-true stewardship best management practices. It’s important to Nuseed because it ensures the stewarded production of our novel oils, helps us limit liability, and positions us as a professional partner in our collaborations with other seed companies who are also ETS members.

Furthermore, ETS certification helps strengthen public trust.

The process validates the qualities we promise to our end-use customers, so they can assure their own customers that they’re getting a quality product. Isolation and stewardship prevent other traits from getting into our product and vice-versa.

24 VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM24 VALUE BEYOND YIELD NUSEED.COM

industry, to developing new business models with end-use customers that aligns everyone to achieve the most important goals, improve prof-itability and to meet growing demand; we need to be collaborating as a global team, with our partners in production, and with the industry.”

CM: “At the very beginning of 2018, when we were looking to start growing canola in Montana and growers didn’t know who we were or what Nuseed Omega-3 Canola was, we developed a relationship with Dry Fork Ag, who have a strong reputation and farmer client base. Dry Fork recognized the opportunity in the Nuseed Omega-3 contract for their grower clients. We recognized the value in finding the right partner to work with. Collaboration is essential to our business model. Where Nuseed doesn’t own the infrastructure for part of the value chain, we will manage it with oversight to coordinate each step with the best partners available in the industry to provide the particular service.”

R O U N D TA B L E

Q: What’s coming down the pipe that really excites you?

EL: “We are really excited for the growth opportunity that will come from our two new commercial Monola varieties for release in 2020. They will deliver value to the grower and oil customers, with both a stable oil profile and increased yield, resulting in a competitive advan-tage in the high-oleic segment.”

AC: “Having Nuseed’s global footprint and connection to growers is really going to enable carinata to scale rapidly to become a major low-carbon fuel feedstock – grown as a cover crop it doesn’t compete with food production, and unlike waste-based biofuels, we can produce an expanding, reliable supply. We’ve re-moved major barriers to sustainable renewable fuel, are increasing commercial production with growers, and have initial off-take agreements with end-use customers. We are demonstrating carinata is a very real and viable solution to

reducing greenhouse gas emission through both emissions reduction and carbon sequestration. Nuseed is poised to make a huge global differ-ence in ag and the environment and that is truly exciting.”

CM: “Signing a major toll crush agreement with a large crusher was a major milestone. The trials completed previously at a pilot scale plant confirmed that we could crush Nuseed Omega-3 Canola at a large-scale commercial plant with only minor adjustments to operating parameters to maintain oil quality and shelf life. This will optimize oil yields and reduce the overall cost to produce Nuseed Omega-3 proprietary products: Aquaterra and Nutriterra. The manufacturing is a key component to the success of the business and this agreement secures this step in the value chain. It’s going to be very exciting as we replicate this success to scale up production.”

“WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DELIVER A PLANT-BASED SOLUTION LIKE CARINATA FOR SUSTAINABLE LOW-CARBON FUEL WITHOUT COLLABORATION, WORLDWIDE. THE OPPORTUNITY IS HUGE AND SO IS THE EFFORT.”


S

INTEGRATED BUSINESS PLANNING KEY TO GLOBAL BUSINESS SUCCESSNuseed’s rapid global growth and business complexity makes integrated business planning (IBP) an essential requirement, and key for their value Beyond Yield® commitment to business excellence. Silvana DeLima is Nuseed Global Supply Chain and IBP Lead for the company, providing important leadership as the company continues its growth trajectory.

S U P P LY C H A I N

Silvana DeLimaNuseed Global Supply Chain Lead

Silvana is a member of the Nuseed Steering Team as the

Global Supply Chain Lead, responsible for four regions and over 60 people. She leads Nuseed’s integrated business planning, glob-al quality assurance and operations teams.

Silvana’s agriculture engineering degree, MBA and her 25-plus year career experience enables her to drive growth, build high performance teams and efficient business processes. Her previous work at Fortune 500 companies in Mexico, Asia and the U.S., and her start in sales in Brazil, with advancement through marketing, product management, finance and supply chain roles, provides a wealth of diverse experience.

What is the culture like at Nuseed? “Nuseed has an entrepreneurial spirit and leadership team. We look for innovation that provides products that bring grower, con-sumer and environmental benefits; what our growing world needs. There’s a high degree of professionalism and commitment that our teams show daily and that makes for a relaxed and highly productive workplace.”

Every function should work with the same inputs, use broad business perspective, different scenarios to make better decisions, and agility as competitive advantage.”

The biggest challenges Silvana has seen companies face in her career are:1) Engaging internal stakeholders in “business

management cross functional teams” to stop working in isolation and build trust.

2) Building the right platforms for data manage-ment and analytics to enable better and faster decisions.

3) Maintaining strong governance for continuous improvement.

How do you measure if IBP is being successfully implemented?“When IBP is successful there is a significant evolution in the transparency of decisions, re-sulting from situation awareness and alignment. Success provides more time for strategic and valuable conversations about the business. It also allows the teams to focus on efficiency gain and profit opportunities.

Success shows as the business starts being able to anticipate challenges by building assumptions with different scenarios and metrics which en-able transparency of both failures and successes in strategies and action plans put in place by different functions. When the business is at that level of collaboration, alignment, data analysis and agility, from my perspective IBP has been successfully implemented.”

Silvana, why is IBP so essential to compa-nies operating globally? And what are the biggest challenges?“Companies are increasingly working globally to expand the horizon of opportunities in different markets. Another great global advantage is to find locally unique expertise, diverse experience and perspective from different geographies and leverage it across the company’s regions.

As teams often work on common and synergistic businesses across global locations, not sharing the same offices and maybe never even meeting in person, it is critical that communication happens smoothly. There has to be transparency and collaboration across regions with the same business goals in mind. IBP processes and tools are designed to allow that to happen.


FIELDS TO NEW MARKETSHigh yields are just the start.

We’re working to deliver growers, industry

and end-use customers high yields plus

entirely new value and opportunities.

©2020 Nuseed is a trademark of Nufarm Limited. BEYOND YIELD® is a trademark of Nuseed.

VALUE BEYOND

YIELD


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