CHICAGO — ADM, a global leader in alternative protein and nutrition products and solutions, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Benson Hill, Inc., a food technology company focused on the natural genetic diversity of plants.
Together, the two companies will develop solutions to scale soy ingredients for meeting the rapidly growing demand for plant-based proteins. The partnership will serve a variety of plant-based food and beverage markets to meet savory, sweet and dairy customer needs.
Through the collaboration, ADM will process and commercialize a portfolio of proprietary ingredients derived from Benson Hill Ultra-High Protein (UHP) soybeans through an exclusive North American licensing partnership. The collaboration will scale ingredients enabled by Benson Hill genetics that feature less-processed proteins with sustainability benefits for water and carbon. The goal is new innovation in taste, texture, nutrition and functionality for alternative protein solutions.
“We’re excited to launch this collaboration with Benson Hill, building full seed-to-fork capabilities with cutting-edge technologies that will allow us to offer new, innovative products to our alternative protein customers,” said Leticia Gonçalves, president of global foods for ADM. “The global trends of food security and sustainability are driving significant and ongoing demand growth for alternative proteins. Now, working with Benson Hill, we’re taking the next step, expanding our value chain and adding new technologies that will power our ability to offer differentiated, high-value products to meet consumer demand for delicious, nutritious alternative proteins.”
The two companies will jointly engage farmer partners seeking opportunities to participate in what ADM coined the “seed-to-fork food revolution.”
“The global trends of food security and sustainability are driving significant and ongoing demand growth for alternative proteins.” —Leticia Gonçalves | president of global foods | ADM
Demand for plant-based proteins has resulted in food producers’ need for high-value and high-growth protein ingredient markets. To meet this need, Benson Hill is focused on delivering solutions that impact the entire agri-food value chain, including farmers, food companies and consumers.
“Seed innovation underpins the seed-to-fork movement by solving food formulation challenges in the farmer’s field, creating ingredients that are better from the beginning,” said Matt Crisp, Benson Hill CEO. “This partnership with ADM represents a major milestone in advancing our business to its next stage of growth, which also will serve to broaden our proprietary product portfolio and drive significant scale of ingredients derived from Benson Hill genetics.”
When combined with ADM’s capabilities in origination, applications and formulation for solutions human food markets, Benson Hill’s technology platform of food science, data science and plant science will create a pathway toward commercial-scale seed-to-fork production of higher-value alternative protein products.
