Pierre-Etienne Boin – Inari

The dual challenges of climate change and a growing global population profoundly impact every aspect of life on Earth, shaping the future in unprecedented ways. To alter the current trajectory, urgent and efficient action is paramount. Agriculture stands at a pivotal juncture – after all, few industries are as dependent on natural resources and as critical to food security. And although modern agriculture is a true success story, it has also come at a high environmental cost.

Pierre-Etienne Boin | Inari | Chief Legal Officer

Inari, a pioneering company in the agribusiness and technology space, is leveraging cutting-edge tech to directly confront these challenges. By harnessing the synergy of A.I., genomics and gene editing, Inari is developing seeds that significantly increase yields without additional inputs – enhancing the efficiency of agricultural practices and contributing to a more sustainable future. The company’s innovative approach also holds the potential to monumentally shift how we tackle issues like food security and environmental degradation, significantly reducing the resources and time required to achieve results that once required a decade or more.

Pierre-Etienne Boin, the chief legal officer of Inari, plays a crucial role in this transformative journey. As CLO, Boin is at the forefront of navigating the complex legal, regulatory and intellectual property landscapes accompanying such groundbreaking advancements. His expertise and leadership ensure that Inari’s technological innovations comply with stringent standards while maximizing their potential impact. Boin’s work is instrumental in ensuring that Inari’s mission flourishes and adheres to the regulated frameworks that govern modern agriculture and biotechnology.

“Innovation, IP strategy, and regulatory compliance must work in harmony for us to drive meaningful progress,“ Boin explains. “When these elements are aligned, we not only maximize the potential for transformation but also create a lasting positive impact on the industry and our planet.”

Inari, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, uses new breeding technology to design seeds for a more sustainable global food system. When Boin, the company’s first in-house lawyer, last spoke with Vanguard in November 2019, Inari was deep into R&D. Today, the company is on the brink of commercialization of its first product.

Unlocking seeds’ potential

With the ability to design seeds that meet the world’s needs, Inari is uniquely positioned to have broad influence and impact on Food System Sustainability. Core to the company’s DNA, Inari deploys a strategy that will help ensure food security for a growing global population, while better caring for our planet and improving farmer well-being through economically sustainable solutions.

Driving the SEEDesign™ company is a proprietary technology platform that pairs A.I.-enabled predictive design with an advanced multiplex gene editing toolbox. Using powerful data analytics that discover and analyze genetic pathways, predictive design establishes the blueprint for enhanced performance. Inari scientists then use the latest gene editing tools such as CRISPR to make the most impactful, optimal changes to plants’ natural DNA, resulting in step-change products.

This platform has the potential to transform any crop in any geography, but to achieve the greatest immediate impact, Inari’s initial focus is on soybeans, corn and wheat, which collectively cover more than 500 million acres across the Americas alone. Their goals are bold: to not only increase yields in soybeans by 20 percent, wheat by 15 percent and corn by 10 percent, but do so without escalating the plants’ need for inputs such as water or fertilizer.

“When you have a toolbox as sophisticated as ours – one that is able to make multiple modifications and edits at the same time – we can have this type of bold ambition with our products,” says Boin. “We aim high because there is no alternative. We don’t have decades to solve this problem. Food security is paramount, and climate change is here, so we must act with urgency.”

The regulatory landscape

Gene editing is an exciting new technology, but beyond its game-changing speed and potential, it is at its core simply a more precise method of plant breeding. Put another way: Any seed product developed through gene editing could also be achieved through traditional practices, just exponentially slower.

This is fundamentally different from the leading seed innovations of recent decades. For example, the process of genetically modifying crops—producing what are colloquially known as GMOs—involves the introduction of foreign DNA. By contrast, the process of gene editing only works with plants’ natural DNA.

This is a critical distinction for Boin, who in addition to his legal responsibilities oversees Inari’s regulatory team. He has watched closely as regulatory bodies across the world have carefully considered how to evaluate the safety of gene-edited products, with many already concluding that the regulatory pathway should be akin to the one for conventionally bred seed, not GMOs. Boin celebrates this perspective.

“Gene editing is a different type of new technology, one that allows for a more straightforward regulatory process,” he said. “This clarity allows us to focus on what truly matters: designing seeds that push the boundaries of innovation and sustainability.”

The importance of IP

As in all R&D-heavy sectors, intellectual property (IP) is paramount in the seed industry. Strong IP protection safeguards innovation, provides a competitive edge, and opens up potential revenue streams through licensing and partnerships that in turn support further investments in R&D.

Recognizing this, Inari has implemented robust measures to protect their IP. These steps include filing patents that cover unique genetic traits, proprietary technologies, and innovative advancements in seed development. Inari also seeks to protect trade secrets by ensuring that internal processes and proprietary knowledge are rigorously guarded. They work closely with IP attorneys to navigate the complex landscape of patent law and continuously monitor the market for potential infringements.

Boin and the team strategically integrate legal, IP and licensing approaches into their business strategy. They are proactive in conducting freedom-to-operate analyses to ensure their innovations do not infringe on existing patents, which minimizes the risk of costly litigation. They also leverage their robust IP portfolio to secure cross-licensing agreements, creating collaborative opportunities that can help accelerate market entry and drive further innovation.

By embedding IP considerations into every stage of development, from initial research to commercialization, Inari maximizes the value of its innovations.

“This holistic approach fortifies our market position and encourages a culture of continuous innovation, ensuring that Inari remains at the forefront of technological advancements in the agricultural sector,” Boin says.

While Boin and his team have been critical contributors to Inari’s progress, he acknowledges that there is still much to get done to address the challenges of operating at the intersection of food security and environmental impact.

“As we stand at this inflection point for the agriculture industry, I am confident that Inari is uniquely positioned to make a lasting impact,” Boin says. “I look forward to the role my team will play in redefining the seed industry and ensuring our planet is able to provide for generations to come.”