AlgaEnergy: Bending the Arc of Agricultural Innovation

Having known AlgaEnergy and D. Ry Wagner for several years, the first time when Ry gave a speech was at the second BioEx: Biopesticides And Novel Fertilizers International Summit of Agropages, where he brought microalgae into the visions of global growers. The second time, he talked about the innovative solutions for regenerative agriculture. Ry is now invited for an interview to discuss the development of AlgaEnergy, and how the company works synergistically to deal with the present challenges regarding climate change and nutrition efficiency, as well as its ambitions to expand in the markets of India, Asia and Latin America.

D. Ry Wagner, Ph.D. 

President, AgriBusiness

How has AlgaEnergy’s global presence and core competitiveness evolved over the last few years? 

AlgaEnergy has rapidly established itself as a global leader in delivering innovative and natural biological-based solutions for agricultural markets around the world. 

We hold as a guiding principle that the solutions we create and bring to market should provide key elements for building a sustainable future for the planet by addressing the three main challenges of society: food security, environmental sustainability, and energy efficiency. 

Over the last few years we have established subsidiaries in a dozen countries and brought our unique product portfolio to over 20 countries across all continents. 

AlgaEnergy's approach to the global market has been to establish subsidiaries as 'hubs' in key geographic regions and utilize those as centers to support the adoption of our solutions in that region. Our founders and shareholders have supported this approach to the global markets. Implementing this strategy during Covid has not been without significant challenges, but there is a steadfast commitment by everyone at AlgaEnergy to realize our vision of delivering the best-in-class solutions to benefit growers, consumers, and the planet. Our progress toward this goal is both rewarding and inspiring. 

We have successfully created strong partnerships with some of the best regional agricultural companies in the world, and we continue to develop these relationships as we grow. A critical component of our growth strategy is aligning with partners that share our integrity, commitment to service, and dedication to excellence; values exemplified by AlgaEnergy recently becoming a Certified B Corporation, making us one of the first B Corp organizations in the agricultural inputs sector.

One of AlgaEnergy's production facilities. 

(AlgaEnergy © Copyright 2022 | All Rights Reserved)

How has AlgaEnergy developed its portfolio of products? 

AlgaEnergy provides solutions that promote regenerative approaches to increasing agricultural productivity. We harness the power of single-cell microalgae, commonly known as phytoplankton and other naturally occurring microorganisms and plant extracts to create disruptive, innovative products that deliver superior performance for our customers. 

Our diverse and expanding portfolio includes natural biofertilizers, biostimulants, and biocontrol products that work synergistically with other crop inputs to deliver the long-term benefits of regenerative agricultural practices and the near-term benefits of a strong return-on-investment (ROI) for the grower. 

We have tailored our product portfolio to address the specific needs of each geographic region. Our Global Product Development Team has the extensive industry experience and uses this knowledge to design the best possible formulations for our markets. 

For example, our Product Development Team has developed and patented unique combinations of phytoplankton and microbial extracts that deliver superior performance across various crops. These novel products, which bring together synergistic modes of action, are created and marketed only by AlgaEnergy and are formulated as both liquid and solid (granular and powder) formulations, allowing seamless delivery to the field and crops based on regional agricultural practices. 

AlgaEnergy is focused on bringing the best solutions to all markets across all crops, from broad-acre crops to horticultural crops. These solutions are created with the grower and consumer in mind and are designed to increase and sustain yield and crop quality in challenging growth environments and with limited applied nutrients. 

University and research institute studies have demonstrated dramatically increased recovery from water-stress (drought) conditions using AlgaEnergy biostimulant products. They have also confirmed that the yield and quality increases delivered with our solutions persist even using 20% less applied nitrogen or phosphate fertilizer. These results demonstrate that by using AlgaEnergy's unique and natural solutions, growers can protect their crops against extreme and unpredictable weather conditions, as well as limitations that may result from reduced use of applied fertilizer, providing peace of mind and confidence that growers are doing everything possible to ensure the best possible harvest. 

Similarly, our natural biocontrol products have been shown in third-party trials to provide superior crop protection against bacterial and fungal pathogens with no residual compound issues and no limitations on field reentry, allowing for applications just before harvest. Based on natural plant extracts and formulated for ease of application, these products complement our biofertilizers and biostimulants to provide a full range of biological-based products in the AlgaEnergy portfolio. 

As we continue expanding our presence in global markets, AlgaEnergy is also expanding its product portfolio through both internal product development and the licensing of the most innovative products and technologies available. We look forward to expanding our offerings and services to growers in the current and new markets we will enter in the coming years.

Italian tomato producer proud of his production treated with AlgaEnergy's solutions     (AlgaEnergy © Copyright 2022 | All Rights Reserved)

What have you experienced regarding growth and/or changes in the biostimulant market? 

The global biostimulant market is undergoing several essential changes. First, there is a strong interest in the use of biostimulants by growers who are looking to both optimize their nutrition inputs – especially considering the recent volatility in the fertilizer markets – and take proactive steps to minimize the potential negative impact of changes on crop yield and quality due to uncertain weather and climate events. We see limitations in the ability to use applied fertilizer due to pricing, shortages, reductions in water availability for agriculture, and increasingly harsh temperature changes on a global scale. Traditional inputs and agricultural practices are no longer enough to manage in this rapidly changing world - biostimulants are increasingly seen as a new technology to stimulate yield and quality and protect against an uncertain environment. 

Additionally, we have noticed the need to more accurately define ″why″ biostimulant products deliver the results promoted by various technologies in the market. AlgaEnergy is leading the way in this effort by investigating our phytoplankton-based biostimulants' mode of action. In our Genergy™ Program, we explore the changes in plant gene expression following the application of our biostimulants. We have discovered that with AlgaEnergy bio-solutions critical plant genes are rapidly upregulated (within 2 hours) in a coordinated manner that facilitates more efficient utilization of nutrients, such as applied nitrogen, and mitigates the impact of water limitation (e.g., drought conditions), leading to the immediate and sustained recovery of plants that have experienced reduced available water. 

AlgaEnergy's leadership in understanding how our biostimulants work to improve the yield and quality of crops under normal and stress-related growing conditions is a hallmark of our dedication to excellence and our commitment to the education of the agricultural sector. Not only do we protect our discoveries through patents, but we also diligently work to bring this information and understanding to growers and customers worldwide. We believe that with a deeper understanding of biostimulants and their mode of action, there will be an increased value associated with this segment of products and increased transparency and clarity in the regulatory processes related to reviewing and approving biostimulant products used in markets around the globe.

AlgaEnergy is planning to expand the Asia and Latin America market, could you share your insights on the market prospects? 

Our perspective on entering new markets is based on the guiding principle that we need to develop these opportunities with the right "People, Products, and Partners" (our "3 P's" of business development). We embrace this philosophy each time we decide to enter a market region, following our evaluation of the market opportunities and the potential benefits we can bring to a market. 

We are confident in our products, as they have been developed for a wide variety of markets. Whenever we enter a new market, we look for adaptations to make our products more effective in that region and our Product Development Team will undertake the research and development necessary, often in the form of new delivery mechanisms, in order to bring the best possible products to the new market. In concert with these efforts, we explore partnerships aligned with AlgaEnergy's core values and that will provide a long-term benefit for both our partner and AlgaEnergy. 

We see India & Asia, and Latin America, as markets that are quickly adapting new agricultural practices and are very receptive to unique and best-in-class solutions for the specific challenges faced in these markets. Improving soil health is critical in these regions. The growers are often long-term farmers who see the value in regenerating their soil for future years of continued productivity improvements. This is especially critical as fertilizer supply is more limited and fertilizer costs have dramatically increased. Optimizing fertilizer use and balancing that use with products that enhance soil regeneration is of tremendous interest in India & Asia, and Latin America. 

Another area of increasing need in these areas is safe and natural control of crop pests. Either through pest resistance and growing government oversight aimed at reducing chemical pesticide use, new modes of action and reduced crop residues realized through biocontrol solutions are increasingly in demand in India & Asia, and Latin America. 

AlgaEnergy sees tremendous opportunities in these regions and is actively engaged in expanding our presence in collaboration with key partners to develop and deliver the best solutions available for these markets. We will continue growing in India & Asia, and Latin America, and we look forward to sharing our success there with our partners and customers.