Verdant Bioscience Pte Ltd, Singapore (Verdant) was established to significantly increase oil palm yields (per hectare per year) as this is the single most advantageous sustainability criterion available to the global oil palm industry, and there is the physiological opportunity to at least double yields. Higher yield will take the pressure off the need for further deforestation and biodiversity destruction, reduce green-house gas emissions (which arose from the cultivation of peatlands), and increase food supply for the worlds hungry. Thus, the Company pursues ethical and significant sustainability goals, as well as commercial objectives. Higher yields will primarily be achieved by genetics but also improved agronomy and crop protection. Verdant also works on other perennial plantation crops but 95% of resources are currently committed to oil palm.
Verdant is a joint venture plant breeding/plantation science company, incorporated and head-quartered in Singapore in 2013. The company’s largest shareholders are two listed Belgium companies (SIPEF and Ackermans & van Haaren). There is also one listed Indonesian plantation company (Dharma Satya Nusantara Tbk), together with the founders’ company. Verdant Bioscience operates through its subsidiary company, PT Timbang Deli Indonesia, located at the Company’s own plantation, close to the Medan International Airport at Kuala Namu, North Sumatra, Indonesia, where the Verdant Plantation Science Centre has been built. The company employs an expatriate Chair (part-time), Managing Director and Chief Scientific Officer, together with ~30 top Indonesian graduate/postgraduate staff. Total permanent employees exceed 350.