OAK BROOK, ILL. — PureCircle will invest an additional $100 million in its PureCircle Agronomy Program to support its goal of creating the world’s largest natural stevia supply. The investment will focus on expansion efforts to more than 15 growing regions around the world and further development of the company’s farming footprint outside of China, which PureCircle said will result in a 24,000-acre pipeline to provide customers with year-round access to PureCircle stevia leaf extract.
Jordi Ferre, c.o.o. of PureCircle |
“This investment highlights our commitment to providing our customers with the largest natural supply of stevia leaf extract,” said Jordi Ferre, chief operating officer of PureCircle. “We are diversifying the countries we grow in to meet the needs of the food and beverage industry as the demand for naturally grown stevia continues to rise. Our PureCircle Stevia Agronomy Program has been the foundation for these expansion efforts, supplying us with the knowledge we needed to take this pivotal step toward year-round farming.”
PureCircle said its Stevia Agronomy Program investment will focus on three areas: Scaling naturally, research and development, and farmers.
“These three areas really encompass how we approach growing stevia,” said Faith Son, vice-president of global marketing and innovation for PureCircle. “There is real science behind how we grow the best tasting stevia naturally and do it in a way that’s sustainable and benefits farmers and their communities. This investment allows us to stay at the forefront of innovation and deliver great-tasting products at a scale that fits with the needs of global brands.”