Monsanto has established a facility at the US-based North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) – a one-of-a-kind facility under development in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and a strategic alliance with the David H. Murdock Research Institute – to jointly develop new and improved plant varieties.??The NCRC offers a unique opportunity for new partnerships between academic institutions and companies like Monsanto to foster collaborative research into seeds and thereby offer new, healthy choices for consumers, according to the group.
?Envisioned and founded by David H. Murdock, owner of Castle & Cooke, and majority owner of Dole Foods Company, the NCRC brings together academia and industry, and fosters collaborative research in nutrition, agriculture and biotechnology to accelerate the development of foods with enhanced flavor and greater nutritive value to improve human health.
?Monsanto has signed a long-term lease to establish research facilities focused on the taste and nutritional composition of vegetables, and enhanced nutrition in food-focused row crops such as soybeans.
?“I commend David for his vision in pulling together such diverse institutions that are leaders in their fields” said Robb Fraley, chief technology officer for Monsanto.
“The research center holds great promise and the potential to make a significant contribution to human health, nutrition and agriculture. The synergy that exists at a campus like this could lead to truly innovative research and products with long-term benefits for consumers.”
?Teamwork and third-party alliances are at the core of Monsanto’s R&D leadership in agricultural biotechnology.
?“Monsanto’s presence on the NCRC constitutes yet another critical piece in ensuring the success of the campus,” Mr Murdock said. “I am proud to have a company with the outstanding reputation of Monsanto, a leader in the field of agricultural biotechnology, as our newest partner. I look forward to great collaboration and scientific breakthroughs between Monsanto and our other academic and industry partners on the campus.”
?Last year Monsanto announced a five-year collaboration with Dole to develop vegetable varieties with consumer-focused attributes such as flavor, texture, aroma and nutrition.
That collaboration is a great example of the types of unique partnerships that can be developed through such a campus and how consumers can benefit from organizations with complementary strengths working together, according to David Stark, vice-president of consumer traits for Monsanto.?
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