Now let’s say you’re stationed in a foreign country, in a desert-like environment and all you’ve got to eat is your basic MRE’s. What would you give to have a nice bowl of salad with a little ranch dressing? How about $2.9 million dollars? That’s what Arcadia Biosciences has snagged from the DOD and I say “git ‘er done.” Get them boys some fresh veggies!!

Arcadia Biosciences, an agricultural biotechnology company focused on products that benefit the environment and human health, today announced that it has secured a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center, for $2.9 million to develop longer-lasting fresh produce. Under the agreement, fresh tomatoes and lettuce are the first products of focus. The purpose of the DoD contract is to develop fresh produce for field troops in areas where frequent supply deliveries are difficult to make. Successful development of these products will contribute to the nutrition, health, and morale
of warfighters on the front lines by providing them with better fresh food choices. Arcadia also will commercialize the technology to the general public so consumers can benefit from longer fresh food life and reduced spoilage.

And in separate news today:

Arcadia Biosciences and Monsanto Company today announced a licensing agreement for the development and
commercialization of Arcadia’s nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) technology in canola. Under the agreement, Monsanto gives Arcadia an upfront payment, as well as milestone payments and a royalty rate structure in exchange for global licensing rights. Additional financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.