August 28, 2023

By Lynda Kiernan-Stone, Global AgInvesting Media

The Mosaic Company, the world’s largest integrated producer of concentrated phosphate and potash employing more than 13,000 people in six countries, announced the formation of the Mosaic Biosciences platform. 

With a foundation solidly rooted in science and as a global legacy leader in crop nutrition, Mosaic Biosciences is able to bring global scale to bear on the R&D being conducted to develop new biological technologies that enhance crop health and support the natural biology of plants and the soil. 

A shrinking base of arable farmland, tight supply of traditional agricultural inputs over the past five years, a higher level of willingness by farmers to adopt new systems that can result in higher yields while being environmentally safe, and consumer sentiment calling for cleaner supply chains and less agrochemical usage have increasingly brought the biologicals category onto the radar of innovative companies and the investors that support them. 

Agricultural pests are the root cause of social, economic, and health damage that account for $70 billion in crop losses in the U.S. alone. However, not only are traditional pesticides broadly harmful to beneficial insects alike, but also present significant harm to our environment and human health, while targeted pests continue to become more resistant to our tools at-hand.

Currently, the global insecticides market is dominated by synthetic chemicals, accounting for 94 percent of all control solutions – representing a projected market value of $27 billion, but one that pigeonholes the entire food system with few choices. 

This lack of choices has, on a global scale, led to more than 600 species of pests having developed a resistance to traditional agro-chemicals on some level – sometimes to entire “families” of pesticides, cutting a swath through what farmers have available to work with to protect their crops.

The stakes are high, but so is the potential for products that approach the challenge in a new and sustainable way. The global agricultural biologicals market, which was valued at $10.25 billion in 2021, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.07 percent to reach a value of $29.31 billion by 2029, according to data from Fortune Business Insights. 

Considering that 75 percent of food crops depend on insects for pollination, it is of the utmost importance to develop successful, targeted, and safe solutions to this problem. And as an established leader in crop nutrition, Mosaic is well positioned to bring best-in-class technology to growers. 

“Mosaic Biosciences is a natural extension of our strong crop nutrition portfolio,” said Floris Bielders, vice president, strategy and new business platforms, The Mosaic Company. “Rooted in science and proven in the field, our portfolio of biological technologies supports the existing biology in plants and soil to deliver healthier, stronger crops.”

Mosaic Biosciences’ global team of scientists is building a pipeline of new biological products designed to improve plant health, stress management, nutrient uptake, and crop yields. Its growing portfolio of proven biological products includes  biological fertilizer complements  PowerCoat® and BioPath® – both which improve nutrient use efficiency and boost plant growth and vigor, along with other products that help mitigate abiotic stress from drought, heat, and salinity.

“Our portfolio of nutrient use enhancement technologies is just the start for Mosaic Biosciences,” said Bielders. “In the coming months and years, we expect to bring additional biological products to the market – all of which will be backed by science and in-field experience. Biologicals are crucial in the evolution of crop nutrition and will elevate the potential in every field.”

~ 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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