Adding value across entire grain chain

David Perry, Indigo Ag chief executive officer, sees the grain sector ripe for the kinds of value-add opportunities that have successfully taken hold in many segments of the food and beverage industry.

In a blog offering deeper background on the Grain Craft initiative, Mr. Perry suggested the same kind of underlying demand that exists for premium single-origin coffees or certified Angus beef may emerge for identity-preserved grain produced with qualities sought by consumers.

“Through Indigo’s microbial innovations, it is not hard to imagine water-friendly, sustainably sourced, chemistry-free and reduced fertilizer crops making their way into the specialty market on a large scale, as well as improved standards of Fair Trade that better ensure that U.S. and international farmers turn a profit,” he said. “This system fundamentally aligns agricultural practices with consumer preferences. Premised on farm-to-fork traceability, specialization gives us the opportunity to dramatically improve the quality and sustainability of our food system — to the benefit of growers and consumers alike.”

Mr. Perry is an entrepreneur who has established three companies in the last 18 years. Most recently he was co-founder and c.e.o. of Anacor Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company acquired by Pfizer, Inc. in 2016 for $5.2 billion. The other businesses he established were Chemdex and Ventro Corp.

Indigo Ag was founded in 2013 by Flagship Pioneering and has commercial operations in Memphis, Tenn. The company has international offices in Sydney, Australia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. In addition to wheat, Indigo has launched branded corn, soybeans, cotton and rice.

Flagship Pioneering is a venture capital firm established in 2000. The firm said it “conceives, creates, resources and grows first-in-category life sciences companies.”