March 18, 2024

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

Combining impact with innovation, iyris (formerly RedSea) is advancing commercial farming for low-to-mid-tech farmers in arid climates through its patented and proprietary technologies that reduce water and energy consumption by up to 90 percent.

Launched in 2018 with a mission to reduce food insecurity, the carbon footprint, and water usage in both the Gulf and global food systems, the company began with a patented system of cutting-edge solar and growth monitoring technologies that enable the replacement of fresh water, typically used to cool greenhouses and irrigate crops, with salt water.

In December 2023, the company announced it had agreed to sell its six-hectare, controlled environment agriculture (CEA) production facility in Saudi Arabia, along with 40 hectares co-located with the facility in partnership with Alajaweed Farm, to UAE-based Pure Harvest Smart Farms (Pure Harvest).

This strategic sale of its fresh produce business, which operates under the Red Sea FarmsTM brand, was the beginning of a larger plan on the part of iyris to transition to a pure-play technology company focused on the development and commercialization of AgriClimate technology solutions – and this rebranding symbolizes the completion of that evolution.

Along with the new identity, iyris also has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Magrabi Agriculture, the leading Egyptian provider of fresh produce to more than 60 countries. This adds to its deployed business in 16 countries across five continents, from Spain to Saudi Arabia, and its high profile collaborations with the UAE’s leading agtech company Silal and plastics manufacturers such as Armando Alvarez.

Through this newest partnership, iyris’ cutting-edge technologies, including its award-winning SecondSky greenhouse covers, their data platform, and access to all upcoming iyris innovations, will be made available to Magrabi Agriculture for deployment in its Egyptian farming facilities and to leverage in support of its international operations. 

“I am thrilled to announce this MoU with our valued partners at Magrabi Agriculture,” said Bruno De Oliveira, vice president of East Africa and Egypt, iyris. “This builds on our rapid growth in Egypt – a market that knows, firsthand, the impact of accelerating climate change, and where growers can benefit from our suite of AgriClimate technologies.”

“Today’s news shows our commitment to partnering with sustainable operators – and we are excited to have Magrabi in our portfolio of esteemed, market-leading partners.”

This partnership builds upon iyris’ existing presence in Egypt, where 30 hectares of iyris SecondSky roofs are already installed on a major government-owned site. And the addition of this MoU is a key step in advancing commercial farming in the region, and other arid climates globally. 

For Magrabi Agriculture, the integration of SecondSky covers alone has the potential to reduce energy consumption by more than 40 percent, water usage by 30 percent, and to raise profitability by 28 percent, representing the possible transformation of its farming operations through improved sustainability, enhanced produce quality, and greater profit margins. 

“Innovation, quality and resource efficiency are key drivers across the Magrabi business,” said Ehad El Maghraby, director of planning & development, Magrabi Agriculture. “In iyris, we have a partner that has developed a suite of hot climate agriculture technologies that will contribute significantly to our capability to sustainably serve our international client base.”

“iyris’ technologies are targeted to hot climate agriculture, extending the growing season, reducing crop inputs and improving the quality of produce delivered, and that aligns completely with our business objectives,” continued El Maghraby.

“We are excited about how this partnership will enable us to grow our business and meet the increasing need to supply high quality produce to all our export markets that have suffered from the impact of increasing high heat on yield.” 

~ Lynda Kiernan-Stone is editor in chief with GAI Media, and is managing editor and daily contributor for Global AgInvesting’s AgInvesting Weekly News and  Agtech Intel News, as well as HighQuest Group’s Unconventional Ag. She can be reached at lkiernan-stone@globalaginvesting.com.

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