Genective Poised for Commercial Success After Pipeline Delivered Breakthrough Insect Control Results

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. and CHAPPES, France, June 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Genective, a 100% subsidiary of Limagrain, a French Agri-food conglomerate and world's fourth largest seeds company, is poised for commercial success after its R&D pipeline for transgenic insect control delivered industry leading breakthrough results.

"It's a very exciting time at Genective," said Qiaoni Linda Jing, President & CEO. "Through extraordinary team collaboration in the last 5 years, we have made breakthroughs at different stages of our R&D pipeline.  To name a few, we created a whole new class of insect control protein that no one else in the industry has.  Our other lead genes delivered excellent results against Fall Armyworm (FAW) populations that have developed resistance to all currently commercialized solutions."

FAW is a devastating pest originating from the Americas but quickly spread to the rest of the world in the last 10 years causing an estimated 5 billion dollars annually in economic losses.  

Jing continued, "I am extremely proud of what my team has achieved and look forward to bringing our novel solutions to the farm fields around the globe through successful commercial partnership with industry partners."

"As an innovation driven company, Limagrain has unwaveringly supported Genective since its inception," said Fermin Azanza, Global Head of Research for Limagrain Field Seeds and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Genective. "We are very excited the novelty-driven strategy of Genective is bearing fruit.  We will continue standing behind Genective's innovation and foresee commercialization through partnerships with global players in the agriculture market."

Since relocating its global headquarters from Paris, France to Central Illinois in 2020 amid Covid 19, Genective has emerged as a key contributor to the industry's agtech innovation landscape.

"Genective has been an exemplary member of our innovation community," said University of Illinois Research Park Executive Director and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Laura Appenzeller. "The fast-growing company not only brought in great talent and high paying jobs but also created a winning culture that is fundamental to its success. The University of Illinois Research Park is committed to supporting Genective's continued achievements in every possible way as an agtech leader."

With scientific momentum, global and local backing, and a strong foundation for commercialization, Genective is fulfilling its vision of being a globally impactful contributor to agriculture through biotechnology for corn, soy, and cotton.

About Genective
Genective is a 100% subsidiary of Groupe Limagrain, a French Agri-food conglomerate and world's 4th largest seeds company. Genective is dedicated to the research, development, and commercialization of transgenic traits for corn, soy, and cotton.

About Limagrain
Limagrain is a global company with deep local roots. The parent company is an agricultural cooperative based in the Limagne-Val d'Allier plain, in the heart of Central France's Auvergne region, while Limagrain is an international seed and agri-food group with some 9,600 employees working in 53 countries. The company breeds, produces, and sells high value-added field and vegetable seeds, drawing on a long history of expertise in plant improvement. Uniquely, Limagrain also has agri-food chain businesses, in France and internationally, to transform the produce of the Cooperative's 1,300 farmer members. The world faces escalating climatic, environmental and demographic challenges, and the company's various businesses help address its food and farming issues. As the 4th largest seed company in the world, Limagrain achieved sales of 2.522 billion euros in 2023-2024, with additional sales of 729 million euros from activities carried out in collaboration with strategic partners. www.limagrain.com

About University of Illinois Research Park 
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Research Park is an innovation hub for technology commercialization with a unique environment that cultivates startups and increases capabilities for established companies. Located on campus, Research Park has more than 120 companies and growing, employing over 2,100 people in high-technology careers. 

Media Contacts
Genective: Erin Yarling, [email protected]
Groupe Limagrain: Michelle Cornu, [email protected]
University of Illinois Research Park: Laura Bleill, [email protected]

SOURCE Genective