By Antoine Abrieux
The University of California, Davis Innovation Institute for Food & Health (IIFH) today announced two new strategic partnerships; one with ofi, a global leader in food and beverage ingredients and solutions, and the other with The ScottsMiracle-Gro Company, the world’s leading marketer of garden products and branded lawn. These collaborations will advance science-driven innovation across the food system — from soil to ingredients to human health — to make the food we love healthier for people and the planet.
Through its collaboration with ofi, IIFH will explore the health potential of widely consumed global ingredients, including cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices. The partnership combines UC Davis’s expertise in food science, nutrition, and metabolic health with ofi’s global sourcing network and agile innovation at scale, to accelerate research and commercialization of functional ingredients that may help support metabolic, gut, and brain health, as well as healthy longevity.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to advancing scientifically sound, evidence-based innovations and the intersection of food and health,” said Justin Siegel, Faculty Director of the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health and Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Molecular Medicine at UC Davis. “By working with ofi, we are able to rigorously evaluate the health potential of widely used ingredients and translate high-quality science into practical solutions that can meaningfully improve nutrition while supporting sustainable food systems.”
With ofi’s global footprint, supply chains, and ingredient expertise, discoveries emerging from the collaboration have the potential to move beyond the lab and into products and practices that may deliver impact at scale. This global reach strengthens the ability of the partnership to reach its ambition of making science-based innovations more accessible, accelerating progress toward healthier and more sustainable food systems.
“At ofi, we believe in being the change for good food and a healthy future and collaborating with leading academic institutions are essential to making that vision a reality,” said Brijesh Krishnaswamy, Chief Commercial Officer – North America at ofi. “Partnering with UC Davis and the Innovation Institute for Food and Health enables us to unite scientific rigor with our global ingredient expertise, driving innovation and delivering meaningful impact at scale.”
Through its collaboration with ScottsMiracle-Gro, IIFH will explore the scientific foundations of soil health, plant biology, and the nutritional potential of garden-grown produce. The partnership combines UC Davis’s expertise in microbiome science, multi-omics technologies, artificial intelligence, and translational health research with ScottsMiracle-Gro’s leadership in lawn and garden innovation to accelerate research that connects soil ecosystems, plant performance, and human wellbeing.
“This partnership reflects our commitment to advancing rigorous, science-based innovation across the entire food system — starting with the soil in your backyard,” said Justin Siegel, Faculty Director of the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health and Professor of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Molecular Medicine at UC Davis. “By integrating advanced analytics, microbiome research, and nutritional profiling, we can generate actionable insights that help improve plant health and enhance the nutritional quality of food.”
With ScottsMiracle-Gro’s broad consumer reach, product innovation capabilities, and deep expertise in garden science, discoveries emerging from the collaboration have the potential to translate beyond the laboratory into scalable solutions that support growers and gardeners across diverse environments. This translational approach strengthens the partnership’s ability to convert scientific insight into practical applications that deliver measurable environmental and nutritional benefits.
“Our purpose is to GroMoreGood everywhere, and we manifest this through innovative solutions that help consumers grow healthier plants and more nutritious food while supporting resilient ecosystems,” said Shaun Berry, VP, Innovation and Growth. “Our partnership with UC Davis will further these efforts, enabling us to deepen the science behind soil health and capitalize upon advanced analytics and AI to unlock even greater opportunities for consumers to achieve gardening and growing outcomes that meet their individual needs.”
Together, these partnerships represent a systems-level approach to food and health innovation, integrating expertise across soil, crops, ingredients, and human wellbeing. By combining UC Davis’s scientific excellence with industry leadership, IIFH, ofi, and ScottsMiracle-Gro are advancing scalable solutions that drive measurable impact across the food system.
Media Contacts
Antoine Abrieux, Innovation Institute for Food & Health
+33 6 17 39 61 90 | [email protected]
Marissa Pickard, Innovation Institute for Food & Health
916-599-5551 | [email protected]
