Arcadia Biosciences’ Hawaiian Hemp Farm in Full Bloom

Arcadia Specialty Genomics, the company’s new cannabis unit, cultivates six Hawaiian hemp strains on its 10-acre Hawaiian facility.

DAVIS, Calif. (May 7, 2019) – Just two months after announcing the launch of Arcadia Specialty Genomics™, a new cannabis-dedicated division of agricultural crop improvement leader Arcadia Biosciences, the company is releasing images of its first crop of sun-grown, Hawaiian hemp.

Arcadia Specialty Genomics focuses on the development of novel cannabis varieties possessing productivity, pest resistance and crop quality traits for license to cultivators in federal and state legal markets, and as products such as hemp-derived CBD oils for the nutraceutical and food industries.

In March, the company revealed it had been granted an Industrial Hemp Pilot Program (HIHPP) License by Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture. The license allows for the cultivation of industrial hemp for the purposes of agricultural and academic research. Hemp and hemp products produced under the program may be commercially sold.

With a 10-acre field station in Hawaii, Arcadia is producing its first research crop of hemp to test the impact of climate and geography on crop parameters like yield and quality. Arcadia Specialty Genomics’ scientists and agronomists are evaluating and characterizing the performance of a number of local strains against various climate and biological conditions to understand the attributes of each, as well as identify opportunities for improvement. In addition, the company has hired full time staff at its Hawaii facility to oversee the ongoing research and grow operations.

“It’s highly gratifying to see our first hemp research crop taking root in Hawaii, having planted six different Hawaiian strains,” said Matt Plavan, president of Arcadia Specialty Genomics and CFO of Arcadia Biosciences. “In order to solve for crop variability – a major concern for U.S. hemp farmers – we first need to understand its drivers. We’re applying the sound, scientific approaches we’ve used to improve other crops, such as wheat, to create new breeds of superior hemp.”

Hawaii is the first state where Arcadia Specialty Genomics has commenced its research and cultivation of hemp in federal and state legal cannabis markets, using non-GMO techniques to produce superior U.S. hemp crops. While traditional agricultural crops can be difficult to grow and export economically in Hawaii, the rich soil and warm climate are ideal for cultivating high-value crops such as hemp.

Arcadia Biosciences is a recognized leader bringing deep experience and established capabilities in this kind of crop innovation and optimization, delivering proven results safflower, wheat and durum such as:

  • A 100 percent increase in the production of omega-6 GLA for safflower
  • Two to six times more fiber than standard wheat and durum with its proprietary GoodWheat™ flour
  • A 65 percent reduction in allergenic gluten content in its GoodWheat flour
  • 30 percent more lysine, an essential amino acid, in GoodWheat compared to standard wheat

The company expects to harvest its first crop of Hawaiian-grown research hemp this summer. For more information, visit www.arcadiabio.com.

About Arcadia Specialty Genomics
Arcadia Specialty Genomics is a strategic business unit of Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. leveraging the market-leading capabilities of its parent company to deliver crop innovation into developing proprietary, industry-leading cannabis germplasm. Focused on productivity, pest resistance and favored quality traits, Arcadia Specialty Genomics’ innovations serve the state- and federally-legal nutraceutical, food and industrial markets. For more information, visit http://arcadiaspecialtygenomics.com.

About Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.
Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: RKDA) develops and markets high-value food ingredients and nutritional oils that help meet consumer demand for a healthier diet. Arcadia’s GoodWheat™ branded ingredients deliver health benefits to consumers and enable consumer packaged goods companies to differentiate their brands in the marketplace. The company’s agricultural traits are being developed to enable farmers around the world to be more productive and minimize the environmental impact of agriculture. For more information, visit www.arcadiabio.com.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: Arcadia Specialty Genomics’ expectations about the cannabis industry and potential demand for our products; the uncertainty of the laws and regulations relating to cannabis and products derived therefrom; the inherent uncertainty associated with the development of new projects; our ability to obtain proper licenses and successfully complete research programs related to cannabis; the acceptance of our products in the marketplace; the impact of competitive products and pricing; risks related to costs, delays and uncertainties associated with potential future scientific research, product development, clinical trials and the regulatory approval process; our partners’ and affiliates’ ability to develop commercial products incorporating cannabis related traits, and complete the regulatory review process for such products; our compliance with laws and regulations that impact our business, and changes to such laws and regulations; our future capital requirements and ability to satisfy our capital needs; our ability to develop, enforce and defend our intellectual property rights; and the other risks set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including the risks set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and other filings. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Press Contacts:
Trailblaze PR
Lisa Weser
lisa@trailblazepr.com

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