Inter Biosolutions – Yesterday's Problem. Tomorrow's Solution.

Vision

How?

We envision a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future, one in which agriculture plays a key role in reducing emissions, minimizing waste, and enhancing the overall health of our planet.

Mission

What?

We develop products that reduce GHG emissions from livestock and valorize waste from the cashew industry, combining climate-smart and circular solutions that lower agriculture’s footprint.

Purpose

Why?

We find innovative uses for low-value by-products from the cashew industry, materials that are most often discarded as waste, and transform them into high-value, sustainable solutions for agriculture.

What is AnaCardex®?

AnaCardex® is an effective, natural, and affordable feed additive designed to reduce methane emissions from ruminant livestock. Based on the bioactive compound anacardic acid, extracted from cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), AnaCardex® offers a powerful solution to one of agriculture’s most pressing climate challenges.

By mitigating the problem at the very source, this product can reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and contribute meaningfully to global climate action. Although AnaCardex® is currently in development, in vitro tests have shown a promising 68-97% reduction in methane emissions from ruminants. The final product formula is expected to deliver a minimum 50% reduction. AnaCardex® is on track for full commercial readiness ultimo 2028.

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The Complex made simple

Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual Property is considered an important part of the Inter Biosolutions strategic positioning. For that reason, there is a strong focus on all aspects of Intellectual Property in the development of our technology and business.

Technical Terms explained

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases in the atmosphere that trap heat from the sun. Without these gases, the Earth’s surface would be much colder. GHGs are typically measured in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e), which provides a way to express their impact on climate change based on their relative ability to trap heat.

Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) produced mainly during digestion in ruminant animals (i.e., enteric fermentation) such as cows, sheep, and goats. Over a 100-year period, methane is about 28 times more powerful than CO₂ at trapping heat in the atmosphere, making it a major contributor to climate change.

Enteric fermentation is a natural digestive process that occurs in the stomachs of ruminant animals, such as cows, sheep, and goats. These animals have specialized stomachs with multiple compartments, including the rumen. During digestion, methane (CH₄) is produced as a by-product and released primarily through burping.

In vitro testing is conducted outside living animals, in a controlled laboratory environment. For AnaCardex, this means testing the product in conditions that simulate the cow’s stomach (i.e., the rumen) using rumen fluids in bioreactors. The in vitro tests have shown highly promising results, reducing methane emissions by 67–97%.

In vivo testing is conducted inside living animals, in a real production environment. These tests confirm whether AnaCardex® performs effectively in practice. After the success of in vitro tests (i.e., tests conducted outside living animals, in a laboratory environment), the product is soon ready to progress to in vivo testing.

TRL stands for technology readiness level. It is a scale ranging from 1 to 9 used to assess the maturity of a new product. AnaCardex is estimated at TRL5, meaning the product has been tested in vitro (i.e., simulated rumen conditions) and is soon ready to progress to TRL 6 for in vivo testing (i.e., real production conditions).

We partner with experts

The further maturation of AnaCardex® is carried out in collaboration with leading Danish research institutions as part of a research project partially funded by the Danish Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP). In addition, we collaborate with a broader network of partners across certification, sourcing, regulation, and engineering.

Impact

Building a Better Future

From waste to Value

the nut

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the global production of cashews is estimated at 4M tons. Furthermore, unofficial volumes are believed to exceed an additional 1M tons.

The shell

The cashew nut shells (CNS) account for 70% of the total weight of the cashew, resulting in 3.5M tons by-product. We source this "waste" primarily from countries like Ivory Coast, India, Vietnam, and Brazil.

The oil

The cashew nut shells (CNS) consist of ~30% extractable oil, namely cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), generating 1M tons. CNSL contains up to 90% anacardic acid, the active compound in our feed additive.

The cake

After the extraction of oil, 70% of the cashew shell remains. Crushed cashew nut shells (CCNS), known as cake, account for about 2.5M tons. This by-product can then be valorized into new products.

The Climate Challenge

Livestock farming accounts for around 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), with methane released from cattle digestion, known as enteric fermentation, being the largest contributor at 62%. Methane is a particularly potent GHG, roughly 28 times more potent than CO₂ over a 100-year period, making it a major driver of global warming.

As a result, agriculture is facing rapidly increasing pressure to reduce emissions, with regulators enforcing stricter policies and consumers demanding greener practices. Anacardic acid has unique properties that can reduce methane emissions from livestock. AnaCardex can theoretically lower global GHG emissions by 3.7% by targeting cattle.

Read about the Benefits

AnaCardex® has the potential to reduce methane emissions by at least 50%, outperforming all competing product, which typically achieve reductions of 30% or less. This superior performance is driven by an innovative nano-carrier delivery system with targeted release.

AnaCardex® uniquely combines low production costs with carbon credit financing, making it notably more affordable than competing solutions. By using cashew by-products and offsetting costs through carbon credits, it is accessible and financially viable for farmers.

AnaCardex® is based on bioactive compounds, making it suitable for both organic and conventional farming systems. On the contrary, the current market leader is synthetic, and on-farm trials indicate that it is even potentially harmful, raising concerns for the health of the cattle.