Natures Crops International has announced three varieties of Ahiflower (Buglossoides arvensis) have been registered and protected under both the European and US Plant Variety Protection programs. Five varieties have now been registered and protected across the UK, EU and US.
“The agricultural innovation demonstrated in securing PVP certification has continued to advance, and what was previously viewed as a common weed is now a high-value specialty oilseed crop grown on thousands of acres by UK farmers,” said Simon Meakin, VP of Agronomy and GM for UK operations of Natures Crops International. “Ahiflower has gained significant attention as a scientifically-validated alternative to fish oil that is sustainably and regeneratively produced. Due to the value this tiny plant offers, we have a responsibility to protect it.”
In the US, these protections are granted by the PVP Office of the USDA, while plant variety protection in the European Community is administered by the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO). These authorities employ stringent standards in the approval of plants to establish that they are novel, distinct, uniform and stable. The certifications grant intellectual property protection and provide the owner with exclusive rights.
“Brexit has placed many challenges on UK agriculture and farmers, and building a successful business around high value, low input crops like Ahiflower expands opportunities for growers and is good for the environment,” said Andrew Hebard, founder, President and CEO of Natures Crops International. “Ahiflower is expected to become an increasingly important oilseed crop in the future, exclusively grown in the UK, using regenerative agricultural practices and exported around the world as the plant kingdom’s healthiest nutritional seed oil. Achieving PVP adds important levels of protection for this emerging yet significant opportunity for UK farmers.”
Ahiflower oil is pressed and extracted from the seeds of these plants. Each acre reportedly produces as much omega-rich oil as 320,000 anchovies.
Ahiflower seeds contain the richest omega-3-6-9 oil found in nature, Natures Crops claims, and from a non-GMO plant. Ahiflower contains a complete omega profile, including ALA as found in other plant-based sources, along with the richest combined stearidonic acid (SDA) and gamma linolenic acid (GLA) content. Dietary Ahiflower oil has also been shown to convert readily to omega-3 EPA and DHA as found in algal and marine-based omegas.
