Layn Sustainable Agriculture Progams Benefit Product Quality, Supply Chain and Local Farmers

Press Release

Layn Corp., a global leader in the vertically integrated production of premium-quality, natural sweeteners, flavors, and botanicals, today unveiled details about its sustainability and agriculture programs.

Layn’s cutting-edge agriculture methods work to increase stevia and monk fruit yields considerably, help preserve the environment, and provide economic and social benefits to local farm families, and surrounding communities. For over 17 years, Layn has continuously enforced sustainability and best practices in agriculture. Prior to starting the extraction business, Layn’s founders had over 20 years of personal experience growing and trading monk fruit and ginkgo biloba. Today, the company unveiled details about its programs and initiatives that reinforce its unwavering commitment to sustainability and agricultural best practices.

Cutting-Edge Research and Development

Layn has a dedicated team, including three PhDs and eight professional agronomists that oversee its agriculture program. It commits 2 percent of its annual revenue to go directly back into the agriculture program on a long-term basis. Specific research programs take place in a 2,000 sq. meter greenhouse ensuring that they can conduct the agriculture research year-round. Monk fruit research includes investigating ways to increase both overall yield, and increase MogV levels. Additional research projects are underway to help lead improved taste profiles and other product innovations. Layn partners and customers are invited to tour its 4,000 sq. meter small-scale demonstration farm to get in-person experience with the program. Layn works directly with East China University of Science and Technology for research and to help to validate its cutting-edge science and viability of its agricultural practices.

Extending Annual Harvests

Layn begins with optimization of quality seedlings. It goes beyond simply acquiring seedlings from growers, and instead is deeply involved in seedling-improvement research and education. Layn’s Second Harvest initiative has enabled the company to increase crops from one to two harvests per year, and is moving into commercialization, which will further increase and stabilize the fruit supply. Previously, Layn was able to plant only in March, and harvest in October. Now, planting takes place in March and October, yielding harvests in both Autumn and Summer. This initiative doubles yield and helps to ensure a continuous supply.

Expanding Cultivation Regions

Previously, there were industry concerns about monk fruit supply chain because it grows only in one region of China (Guilin) and produced only one harvest per year. Layn is expanding cultivation to neighboring provinces that are identified as having similar environment and climate to Guilin. Pilot programs have been conducted, and validated that the fruit quality and yield in these other regions are similar to that in Guilin.

Supporting Local Farmers

Layn works to support 4,000 farming families for monk fruit, and over 2,500 families for stevia leaf. It provides extensive training programs for local farmers, and has developed standardized cultivation process procedure guides. It has programs in place to assist low-income farm families.

Improving Preservation Techniques

Layn has also introduced improved freezing capabilities and increased storage capacity enabling it to store more fruit longer, and preserve a full year supply. This additional step further ensures more stability in the monk fruit supply chain. Improving its storage and preservation capabilities supports scaled up cultivation and additional yields.