Breaking: Edison Agrosciences lands fresh funds to make natural rubber from sunflower crops
Summary
The founders of Edison Agrosciences knew there was a potential issue with the supply chain of natural rubber, says company CEO David Woodburn. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, The need to develop quarantine measures against the disease is urgent, as synthetic fungicides have failed to prevent large scale losses and dieback of trees. Because of its high tensile (the amount of stress it can withstand before breaking) and resistance to tears and heat, its typically viewed as superior to synthetic rubber made via petroleum-derived hydrocarbons. Marsh has held a number of executive roles in companies within the rubber supply chain.Hes basically spent his entire his entire career in the rubber industry, says Woodburn, who adds that March is known for being passionate about onshoring the supply of natural rubber.The biggest challenge at the moment for the company is generating demand for a product that essentially solves a future need, not a current one.The South American leaf blight hasnt hit Southeast Asia yet, so its not a problem today, says Woodburn. To avoid that, Edison Agrosciences is targeting more specialty applications that have higher pricing and are clearly lower volume before eventually moving on to commodity rubber.On the demand front, the companys sustainability angle may help.