[Editor’s Note: Although this press release doesn’t mention genetic engineering specifically, recent news concerning industry groups aligning to push for the commercial release of genetically modified wheat makes this announcement seem a little suspect.]
INDIANAPOLIS and PHOENIX, June 2 /PRNewswire/ — Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), and World Wide Wheat (W3) LLC of Phoenix, Arizona, announced today a collaboration agreement for the development and commercialization of advanced germplasm and traits in wheat.
The concept of the collaboration is to couple Dow AgroSciences’ expertise in seeds and traits with W3’s proprietary wheat germplasm and robust breeding capabilities. Dow AgroSciences’ experience in seed and trait commercialization will be leveraged to bring the next generation of wheat to market. W3 brings more than 40 years of plant breeding to the collaboration and will be able to leverage Dow AgroSciences’ reach in key global markets such as North America, Latin America, Europe and Australia.
“We are very pleased to be working with W3, an industry leader in wheat breeding, to launch a portfolio of new products in the near future,” said Jerome Peribere, president and CEO of Dow AgroSciences. “This collaboration will build upon our current seed portfolio by expanding into wheat — a very important global crop which supplies a significant amount of the daily nutrition in human diets. And, we look forward to utilizing our R&D breeding and trait technologies such as EXZACT(TM) Precision Technology to bring advancements in productivity and quality to market.”
“We are excited to collaborate with Dow AgroSciences, a significant player in seeds and traits,” said Sheldon Richardson, chairman and CEO of W3. “With Dow AgroSciences as our partner, we can leverage customer relationships within the food chain and their marketing and commercialization expertise. Our four decades of plant breeding experience brings a wide diversity of germplasm offering of high yielding varieties developed for markets around the world.”
About World Wide Wheat (W3)
World Wide Wheat (W3), headquartered in Phoenix, is one of the world’s leading independent plant breeding companies whose research is devoted to the improvement of wheat, barley and oats – major food crops of the world. World Wide Wheat operates research stations in 18 countries, producing superior varieties of cereal grains that are not genetically modified. For more information see www.worldwheat.com.
About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to serve the world’s growing population. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $4.5 billion. Learn more at www.dowagro.com.