Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical has announced a major step towards advancing sustainable agriculture by reorganising its U.S. operations to strengthen its biorational business

The company will merge Valent BioSciences LLC (VBS), McLaughlin Gormley King Company (MGK), and Valent North America LLC (VNA) into one integrated entity. The newly formed company, Sumitomo Biorational Company LLC (SBC), will begin operations in Libertyville, Illinois, in April 2026. This hub will lead innovation in environmentally friendly farming technologies and deliver comprehensive, sustainable solutions worldwide.

Sumitomo Chemical’s Agro & Life Solutions Sector operates on two strong foundations – crop protection products and biorationals. With growing global demand for agricultural solutions that reduce environmental harm, the market for biorationals is set to expand steadily. The company aims to more than double its biorationals sales to around 150 billion yen by the 2030 financial year, compared to 2024 levels.

According to the company, “Valent BioSciences LLC (“VBS”), McLaughlin Gormley King Company (“MGK”), and Valent North America LLC (“VNA”)—Sumitomo Chemical’s U.S. subsidiaries will be integrated into the surviving company VBS, which will be renamed Sumitomo Biorational Company LLC (“SBC”). SBC will commence operations in Libertyville, Illinois, starting April 2026, as the Group’s global hub driving innovation in this field, and it will provide comprehensive and sustainable biorational solutions across the world.”

By consolidating research, manufacturing, and sales within SBC, Sumitomo Chemical aims to build a more efficient and streamlined structure. This integration is expected to enhance collaboration, reduce duplication, and strengthen the company’s position as a global leader in sustainable agricultural technologies.

SBC will serve as the central hub for the company’s innovation in biorationals, driving new advancements that support sustainable development, environmental protection, and improved agricultural productivity. Its work will span various sectors including crop health, pest management, forestry, and animal health.

Additionally, Valent USA LLC will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SBC and continue to manage crop protection product development and sales across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Through this reorganisation, Sumitomo Chemical aims to promote regenerative agriculture and build a more sustainable global food system. The company continues to focus on delivering unique technologies that help farmers produce healthy crops, protect the environment, and ensure long-term agricultural growth.

The Philippines is intensifying its efforts to ratify a landmark international treaty aimed at protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ), reinforcing its commitment to ocean conservation and sustainable marine resource management

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has pledged full support to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in promoting the Senate’s concurrence to the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). Signed under the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the BBNJ treaty addresses the conservation and equitable use of marine resources in high seas and other regions beyond exclusive national control.

Although Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President ratified the agreement in 2024-a year after its global adoption - the treaty still requires Senate concurrence before the Philippines can officially participate.

Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., Agriculture Secretary emphasised the agreement's relevance for the Philippines, said, “The BBNJ Agreement is crucial for conserving and sustainably managing marine biodiversity in areas beyond the Philippines’ jurisdiction, allowing the country to safeguard its rich marine ecosystems while ensuring fair access to and equitable sharing of benefits from marine genetic resources.”

As a nation composed of over 7,000 islands and located near areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ), the Philippines has a strong stake in the treaty’s success. It was an early signatory and active participant in the negotiation process, aligning with global conservation goals and the principles of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award.

Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Esther Bayate stressed the strategic timing of the ratification: once approved by the Senate, the Philippines will be eligible to participate in the first Conference of Parties (COP1). This milestone event is expected to take place shortly after 60 countries submit their ratification instruments to the United Nations. As of late August, 55 nations have completed the process, with momentum building towards reaching the required threshold during the UN General Assembly from September 23–26.

The BBNJ treaty represents a critical tool for archipelagic nations like the Philippines—not only to influence global marine governance but also to safeguard marine ecosystems, promote fair benefit-sharing, and support the livelihoods of coastal communities reliant on ocean resources.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, a global leader in scientific innovation, has introduced the Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris EFOX Mass Detector — the world’s first high-resolution accurate mass (HRAM) Orbitrap system created specifically for environmental and food safety testing

This breakthrough marks a major step forward in protecting public health and agricultural sustainability, particularly in monitoring contaminants such as PFAS, pesticides, and other harmful residues in food and water.

The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX (Environmental and Food Organic Xenobiotics) is designed to deliver rapid, reliable results for laboratories that must meet strict safety standards. Traditional high-resolution systems are often adapted from research platforms, but this model is purpose-built for routine testing. It provides the same research-grade precision found in deep protein and small molecule analysis while being simple enough for everyday use. With minimal setup, laboratories can move from sample to result within minutes, maintaining both data quality and high throughput.

“As environmental and food safety laboratories face mounting pressure to deliver faster, more accurate results under tight budgets and stringent regulatory requirements, the Orbitrap Exploris EFOX significantly lightens the workload for PFAS, pesticides and other contaminant testing,” said Lidija Raicevic, vice president and environmental and food safety lead, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Offering an easy-to-use high-resolution mass detector helps ensure more labs can conduct critical full-scan, accurate mass high-resolution data monitoring, provide local testing across more areas of concern and ultimately accelerate quality controls to make our environment and food safer.”

The Orbitrap Exploris EFOX captures complete, high-resolution data from every sample, allowing laboratories to perform retrospective analysis identifying new contaminants without needing to reprocess samples. This feature saves both time and cost while keeping labs ahead of evolving safety regulations.

Built-in workflows for key environmental pollutants streamline compliance and testing, cutting months off method development and reducing operational costs. The system integrates seamlessly with Chromeleon Chromatography Data System (CDS), offering an intuitive interface for data processing and reporting. Combined with the Thermo Scientific Vanquish dual channel UHPLC, users gain greater confidence, flexibility, and productivity.

Alongside the EFOX model, Thermo Fisher continues to support triple quadrupole workflows with the TSQ Altis Plus EFOX MS, tailored for environmental and food applications, reinforcing its leadership in sustainable, safety-driven science.

Malaysian agri-tech innovator Agroz Inc. has launched a groundbreaking AI-driven farming strategy designed to transform modern agriculture into a scalable and profitable asset class

Through its new Agroz OS platform, built on Microsoft Azure’s AI infrastructure, the company is redefining how crops are grown, managed, and distributed offering a smarter, greener path for farmers and investors alike.

The Agroz OS platform merges artificial intelligence, automation, and data analytics to support vertical farming systems that use less land and water while producing clean, pesticide-free crops. This approach is particularly valuable for regions like Africa, where efficient resource use and reliable yields are key to long-term food security.

Agroz’s model treats food production as distributed infrastructure  modular, measurable, and investable. Its first commercial venture, developed with Harvest Today, LLC, uses patented Harvest Wall technology to demonstrate how vertical farming can bring fresh produce closer to urban centres while reducing environmental impact.

“We are building agriculture into the next great infrastructure class. With strong government incentives and the rapid adoption of agri-tech, this is the right time to show how technology, sustainability, and capital can work together to generate lasting economic and environmental returns,” said Gerard Lim, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Agroz.

Beyond its cutting-edge vertical farms, Agroz is introducing Agroz Copilot, an intelligent AI assistant that helps farmers make better real-time decisions - from predicting crop health to managing energy use. The system’s integration of automation and analytics means farmers can increase productivity while keeping costs low.

Agroz’s sustainable farming approach aligns with 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), earning recognition from UNDP Malaysia, ESG Malaysia, and several national innovation awards. With Malaysia’s 10-year income tax exemption for agricultural ventures under Budget 2026, the company is positioned to expand rapidly across Asia and, potentially, emerging African markets.

As Agroz continues to grow, it aims to make AI-driven, sustainable agriculture accessible for farmers everywhere - empowering them to achieve higher yields, improve soil health, and build a resilient food system for the future.