(Bloomberg) -- Commodities trader Bunge Global SA and molecular farming company Moolec Science SA will jointly edit genes in safflowers with a view to making the oilseed better for biofuels.
The Argentina units of the two companies aim to “unlock all the potential of safflowers” by developing strains that bolster the crop’s productivity for use in biofuels and other markets, according to a joint statement distributed by Moolec.
“Bunge is continually looking for new sustainable feedstock options for biofuels,” Jorge Bassi, Bunge’s head of business development in Argentina, said in the statement, adding that the Moolec venture may extend to soybeans.
The collaboration is part of an industry push to formulate new ways to get more out of crops to help satisfy the booming demand for cleaner fuels. Renewable diesel, a biofuel that’s chemically equivalent to petroleum-based fuel, is often touted as one of the best ways to cut emissions from the hard-to-electrify heavy transportation sector.
Moolec has already been working to make safflowers fit for regions where they’re not widely planted by farmers, said Martin Salinas, Moolec’s chief technology officer. It’s not the first time the company’s scientists have engineered safflowers: In the past, they’ve developed strains to produce an enzyme for cheese-making and a fatty acid with medical uses.
Moolec is better-known for its efforts to insert animal genes into plants to make protein-rich crops that can be used in alternative meats. The company is a part of the Bioceres Group, which, through another of its units, is on a quest to bring the world’s first gene-modified wheat to market.
Other agriculture giants have also experimented with biotechs and startups to focus on the environment and health. Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. last year struck partnerships to develop laboratory-grown meat and make foods that improve gut health. This year, Cargill Inc. announced a distribution venture for cocoa-free chocolate after having previously invested in plant-based meat.
--With assistance from Gerson Freitas Jr..
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