Identify, Select, Grow & Extract
We support customers in their search for the right species and varieties of plant for specific commercial end-uses. Once the botanical material is selected, we may either work with local people (smallholders and forest dwellers) to obtain the plant products, or establish a controlled environment (greenhouse or indoor/LED) growing facility. The natural material is then extracted by an industrial process for the required active compound ingredient.
Identify and
select
While our business is not agriculture or rural development, we recognise that many of the high-value botanical extracts originate from plants grown by smallholders or gathered in the forest. Our connection with FoodWorks Co. Ltd., which does work in this field. makes us uniquely placed to assist end-users in identifying sources of botanical material. In particular, we emphasise sensitivity to local livelihoods and sustainable cultivation or collection from the forest. Our knowledge of Asian agronomy and botany is unsurpassed and based on many years of experience working in the region.
Black Pepper, Piper nigrum, Laos
Grow
In many cases it will not be appropriate to gather wild plants, or there may be financial advantages in growing a crop intensively rather than relying on smallholders for volume and quality. In these circumstances we grow the required varieties in a controlled environment greenhouse (CEG). This approach maintains a preferred ranges of environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, light and water and nutrients. Hydroponics provide more control over the levels of heavy metals than does a soil-based system.
Greenhouse hops
Extract
The core of our business is the extraction of biomolecules from Asian plant species. State-of-the-art Supercritical CO2 extraction provides the most efficient extraction rates (yield per unit of raw material).
The advantages include:
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Highly concentrated products free of solvent residue
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Mild operating temperatures for stability and quality
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selective separation of compounds
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Lower operating costs than traditonal methods