Perdue AgriBusiness and ZeaKal have announced a multi-year development agreement to raise more sustainable poultry through improved soy genetics and feed quality.

ZeaKal’s PhotoSeed® trait technology increases photosynthetic capacity, converting more carbon dioxide and sunlight into energy for the plant. In soybeans, this has consistently resulted in improved oil and protein content while improving the sustainability index of the crop. As the main protein source in poultry feed, U.S. farmers and food companies have been eager to secure access to higher value soy.

“As we evaluated our supply chain, it became clear that moving upstream to access better seed genetics could improve value and sustainability in ways other solutions simply could not. As PhotoSeed soy develops, we expect it will be transformative for Perdue across soy processing and specialty oils, while improving the quality of feed,” said Perry Aulie, senior vice president of Value-Added Products for Perdue Agribusiness. “Together with our farmers, we are working towards delivering better carbon capture and overall nutritional composition using the power of the sun.”

ZeaKal CEO Han Chen said, “With operations spanning the entire soy value chain, Perdue can uniquely capture the full value of PhotoSeed. Together, we can deliver higher value crops with broad benefits accruing to growers, consumers, and everyone in between.”

Aulie and Chen talk about the partnership in the sound bites below, and more in depth in the full interview.
Han Chen, co-founder and CEO of ZeaKal 1:56

Perry Aulie, Perdue Agribusiness 1:49

Full interview with Chen and Aulie
ZeaKal/Perdue Agribusiness interview 10:00