German chemical giant Bayer has acquired camelina germplasm, intellectual property assets (IP) and materials from Canadian camelina company Smart Earth Camelina.
The aim of the acquisition was to increase the supply of crops to be used as feedstock to meet growing demand for low carbon fuels, including renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Bayer said on 9 January.
“We are committed to supporting farmers’ ability to deliver on growing demand for low-carbon biomass-based feedstocks, through investments and development of new intermediate oilseed crops like camelina and advancing sustainable cropping systems,” Bayer’s crop science division’s head of strategy & sustainability, Frank Terhorst, said.
Bayer said it planned to develop the product further using its expertise in oilseeds.
“The acquisition of camelina germplasm from Smart Earth Camelina enables us to offer farmers a … low-carbon intermediate crop option,” Bayer’s crop science division’s head of crop strategy, soy & biofuels, Jennifer Ozimkiewicz, said.
Headquartered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Smart Earth Camelina supplies camelina-based omega-3 products for the pet and equestrian markets.
The company’s camelina range includes a non-genetically modified (GM) variety resistant to group 2 herbicides.
