AgroNetica: Developing The World's First Super-Cacao Varieties That Are Drought Resistant, Mechanized Harvest Ready, No Heavy Metal Uptake and Caffeine Free.

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- AgroNetica, a leader in applying CRISPR technology for cacao, today unveils its revolutionary "super-cacao" project. While other companies focus on solving individual problems in Chocolate, AgroNetica is the only one with a multi-directional, multi-purpose approach that addresses all the industry's critical challenges simultaneously, protected by a patent portfolio covering all essential solutions – drought resistance, mechanized harvesting, heavy metal uptake, caffeine-free, and more.

The company, spun out from BetterSeeds, utilizes advanced CRISPR 2.0 technology with 2nd-generation small CRISPR and a unique EDGE nuclease delivery platform, enabling fast introduction of novel non-GMO traits.

Tackling Record Price Hikes

Cacao yields in West Africa are collapsing by up to 40% due to drought and climate stress. These conditions have driven the steepest price increases for cacao in recorded history, destabilising the $40 billion cacao bean market. AgroNetica is gene-editing new cacao trees for drought resistance and high-yield growth, which will produce more beans per hectare while preserving farmer income.

Ending Child Labour

An estimated 1.5 million children are currently working in cacao production across West Africa, making it one of the most exploitative supply chains in global agriculture. Poverty and labour-intensive harvesting force families into dependence on child labour. AgroNetica is redesigning cacao tree architecture so that harvesting can be fully mechanised. This innovation will eliminate the need for child labour, raise farmer wages by cutting labour costs, and ensure ethical compliance for chocolate producers.

Sustainable and Healthier Cacao

Cacao farming is responsible for large-scale deforestation, particularly in West Africa, which accounts for 70% of world supply. By creating higher-yielding trees that reliably reach maturity, AgroNetica reduces the need for new plantations, helping to protect tropical rainforest and biodiversity. Its solution also prevents the uptake of toxic heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, which currently cost farmers billions of dollars annually in rejected exports. Furthermore, the company is developing a caffeine-free variety, opening up the chocolate market to millions of new consumers, including children and pregnant women.

Leading Ethical, Sustainable Innovation

AgroNetica is the first company in the world to apply "CRISPR 2.0" to cacao and the only one tackling the industry's most pressing problems. Unlike companies that rely on older, first-generation CRISPR tools, like the CRISPR-Cas9, which make introducing new traits a lengthy process with limited crop applicability, AgroNetica uses BetterSeeds' 2nd-generation small CRISPR technology. This cutting-edge approach, applied via the company's EDGE nuclease delivery platform, enables the rapid and broad application of new traits, even in challenging crops like Cacao.

"AgroNetica perfectly embodies our mission to apply gene-editing to solve critical cacao challenges, revolutionizing the industry with sustainable, ethical, and healthier products," said Ido Margalit, CEO of BetterSeeds.

With fully licensed CRISPR laboratories, dedicated R&D farms, and a team of expert scientists, AgroNetica combines cutting-edge innovation with a strict ethical commitment. Its methods edit only natural cacao genes without introducing foreign DNA, ensuring the crop remains non-GMO labelled and widely acceptable to consumers.

About AgroNetica

AgroNetica is a leading innovator in cacao gene-editing, holding an extensive patent portfolio of genetic traits that are revolutionizing the chocolate industry. By enhancing cacao, AgroNetica is tackling critical issues like boosting yields, deforestation, child labor while also delivering safer, healthier products for consumers. www.agronetica.com 

About BetterSeeds

BetterSeeds is a leading plant genetics biotech company. The company has been recognised as a top innovator in democratizing gene-editing with its 2nd-generation small CRISPR technology, EDGE nuclease delivery platform, and climate resiliency traits, all backed by a strong intellectual property portfolio. www.betterseeds.com

Contact info:
Ido Margalit
[email protected]
972-74-7400666

SOURCE AgroNetica