Pomona Farming Receives SEDEX Sustainability Award for Data & Insights: Semios
Bakersfield, June 16, 2023 – Pomona Farming is thrilled to announce that it has been honored with the prestigious SEDEX Sustainability Award for Data & Insights in recognition of its outstanding use of data and insights to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges. The award highlights Pomona Farming’s commitment to leveraging innovative technology and practical applications to improve sustainability across global supply chains.
Pomona Farming’s mission has been to revolutionize the production of clean, nutritious food by setting a higher standard for food purity and safety. Through extensive investments in every step of the farming process, the company ensures the delivery of the highest quality food ingredients while prioritizing the well-being of its employees and communities. This commitment led Pomona Farming to embrace Semios, a cutting-edge solution, as an integral part of its sustainable practices.
Semios provides farming operations with a powerful toolset to predict and manage insect and disease pest pressures, monitor weather-related risks, and optimize the timing and frequency of applications & irrigation. By harnessing the Semios pheromone (biocontrol) technology, Pomona Farming has significantly enhanced the quality of its fields and reduced the need for spray applications. Tracking degree days allows precise timing of pest control measures, whether using conventional or biocontrol chemicals, effectively targeting pests at their peak timings.
The adoption of Semios at Pomona Farming’s Oakdale ranch in 2019 heralded a significant transformation. Initially implemented on 6,400 acres, this innovative technology has now been extended to over 21,000 acres across California. The impact has been profound, particularly in reducing chemical usage. By precisely targeting sprays and incorporating biochemical applications, Pomona Farming achieved a remarkable reduction in pesticide usage at the Oakdale ranch, leading to a substantial decrease in gallons of pesticides used from 2018 to 2021.
Furthermore, the implementation of the Semios pheromone mating disruption program at the Oakdale ranch has yielded remarkable results, showcasing a significant 133% reduction in insect damage since the introduction of Semios in 2019. This impressive data serves as strong validation for the effectiveness of pheromone technology in enhancing crop quality, minimizing the reliance on spray applications, and precisely targeting pest control measures through meticulous degree day tracking. The success of this program highlights the potential of innovative solutions to drive sustainable and efficient pest management practices in agriculture, revolutionizing the way we protect and nurture our crops.
What sets Pomona Farming’s submission apart is its ability to capture insect life cycles, efficiently control pests before they cause damage, and ultimately reduce crop damage and aflatoxins in the finished product. This groundbreaking approach results in a cleaner consumer product, while also fostering employee safety by reducing the need for re-entry into treated fields. Building on this success, Pomona Farming is actively collaborating with industry leaders to further develop similar programs. Additionally, the company is exploring the creation of a Pesticide Residual Free (PRF) almond, initiating trials with two fields aiming for PRF certification by the 2023 production cycle. Throughout this journey, Semios will continue to be an essential component of Pomona Farming’s integrated pest management plan.
Pomona Farming takes great pride in its dedication to leveraging technology and data analytics to advance the production of clean, nutritious food. This prestigious SEDEX Sustainability Award for Data & Insights recognizes the company’s relentless pursuit of sustainable practices and the tangible results it has achieved. By prioritizing the well-being of consumers and the environment, Pomona Farming is driving positive change in the agriculture industry, one field at a time.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Deanna Eakin
Managing Director, Sustainability
Pomona Farming
(650)549-8097
farmsustainability@pomonafarmingllc.com
Laura Ehman
Marketing & Communications Manager
Semios
509-860-0028
lehman@semios.com
About Pomona Farming:
Pomona Farming is a renowned agricultural company committed to sustainable farming practices, environmental stewardship, and producing the highest quality, safe, and nutritious food. Over the years Pomona Farming has pursued growing exceptional quality food through sustainable practices, resulting in becoming a leader within the almond industry. With a focus on regenerative agriculture, Pomona Farming strives to create a positive impact on the environment, promote biodiversity, and contribute to the well-being of communities. Through innovative farming techniques and strategic partnerships, Pomona Farming is shaping the future of sustainable agriculture. Their product portfolio includes premium California almonds (organic and conventional), along with other crops such as pistachios, olives, raisins, and walnuts. Learn More
About Semios:
Founded in 2010, Vancouver-based Semios offers Precision Agriculture as a Service™ that includes real-time crop data and pest management tools for growers of high value crops. Leveraging a network of sensors that provide more than 500M data points measuring climate, soil moisture, insect and disease activity daily, we apply big data analytics and machine learning to reduce and mitigate crop risks for growers who are committed to sustainable farming practices. Semios has been named to the Global Cleantech 100, an annual list of the 100 most innovative cleantech companies globally, and the Thrive Top 50, list of the 50 leading global AgTech companies. Semios continues to grow its crop management platform by partnering with other leading decision-aid farming solutions and recently acquired Agworld, Altrac and Centricity to deliver more value to growers under one login. Learn more about Semios at www.semios.com.