Farmers spend nearly $230 billion every year on herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers designed to increase crop yields. However, most of these chemicals are leached into the environment rather than absorbed by crops, causing pest resistance to biocides, biodiversity loss, and a litany of public health impacts. Somehow, the world needs to wind down agrochemical use while expanding food production to feed an additional 1.7 billion people by 2050.

Unibaio has developed a natural microparticle that can supercharge biological crop protectants by enabling them to penetrate plants more efficiently. Unibaio’s tech can also be used to reduce the amount of conventional chemical products needed by up to 80% while retaining their full impact on crop yields. Whether they make biological or synthetic crop protectants, manufacturers can mix Unibaio particles into their products to improve their margins and minimize harmful runoff.

Unibaio was co-founded by Claudia Casalongué, PhD, economist Matias Figliozzi, and Vera Alvarez, PhD. Their team of five has nearly 100 years of combined experience in crop biology and material sciences. Currently, they are running pilot programs with a top fertilizer manufacturer and a company pioneering biological herbicides. Unibaio is proving that the world can grow enough nutritious food for billions of people without compromising human and environmental health.