By Trish Svoboda

Radicle Growth, a company dedicated to fostering early-stage agriculture and food technologies, unveiled “The Radicle Corn Value Chain Challenge sponsored by US Corn Farmers.” Kansas Corn, a partner in this initiative, joined the announcement during the recent Commodity Classic event held in Houston.

The Challenge sets out to invest a minimum of US $1.5M in start-up and growth companies from around the world whose innovative technologies and business models create new uses for corn and long-term sustainable demand for corn production.

These companies are anticipated to develop new applications of corn, aiming to substitute fossil fuel-derived materials with plant-derived alternatives like sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), drop-in chemicals and plastics, compostable materials, and potentially new products and categories that could utilize corn-derived materials, which have not been identified yet.

During a recent meeting, the Kansas Corn Commission decided to allocate funds towards the Radicle Corn Value Chain Challenge.

Kansas Corn has joined forces with Iowa Corn, the National Corn Growers Association, and state corn organizations from Illinois, Kentucky, South Dakota, and Colorado in this collaborative endeavor.

Corn cultivation spans nearly 100 million acres in the United States, with 48% allocated to animal feed, 30% to biofuels, and 22% for exports and miscellaneous purposes. This production yields over $80 billion in annual value. The Midwest’s corn farmers play a pivotal role in sustaining rural communities and driving the economy.

With ongoing advancements in AI, biotechnology, and innovative business models across the corn value chain, project partners expect to pinpoint companies capable of enhancing the corn crop through modification, advancing biological and thermochemical processing methods, exploring high-value health applications, developing sustainable fuels, and creating environmentally friendly bioproducts.