Developing a Market Entry Strategy for Natures Affinity Inc’s innovative horticultrual products

Within the horticultural industry, plastic containers continue to dominate as the industry is reported to generate around 500 million plastic plant containers and seed trays annually [5]. StatsCan reports that more than 45 million nursery trees and plants were produced in containers in Canada for the 2024 period [6]. Natures Affinity Inc. (NAI) (www.naturesaffinity.ca) is a Canadian nanotechnology company located in Toronto, Ontario that has developed a novel, proprietary binding agent, BIOBINDER® that is 100% biobased and made from industrial and agricultural by-products. One of the features of BIOBINDER® is that it imparts a level of hydrophobicity to both virgin and / or recycled fiber, enhancing material stability and durability in wet conditions allowing it to be used successfully in the nursery industry. NAI has further developed two products that can be used in the horticultural industry, called Plant-EE™ pots and Plant-EE™ sleeves both utilizing BIOBINDER®. Plant-EE™ sleeves act as a propagation cell that holds soil substrates together in a plant tray while Plant-EE™ pots were designed to act as a growing container for plants in loose fill soil substrate. The key to these products is that while they are made from 100% biobased material, as certified by USDA BioPreferred® program, they are completely biodegradable when planted in the soil, with the innovative material enhancing the growth of the plant/tree. Because the Plant-EE containers are plantable there is zero plastic waste during tree planting, there is NO root circling, the roots are not disturbed on transplanting and the material is favourable to the growth of the plant. End result is a healthy tree with better ability to survive and flourish. The aim of this project is to develop a Business plan for full commercialization of NAI products.

Faculty Supervisor:

Rasoul Yousefpour

Student:

Partner:

Natures Affinity Inc

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Toronto

Program: