SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Schwarzenegger announced that Marrone Organic Innovations of Davis, CA has won the 2008 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for its development of a new organic weed killer, GreenMatch EX.

GEELA is California's highest and most prestigious environmental honor. The award program recognizes individuals, organizations and businesses that have demonstrated exceptional leadership for voluntary achievements in conserving California’s resources, protecting and enhancing the environment, and building public-private partnerships.

“This honor recognizes Marrone Organic Innovations’ commitment to developing socially responsible, economically viable and environmentally friendly solutions that solve major production problems for farmers in California and around the world,” said Founder and CEO Pam Marrone. “California is our nation’s top agricultural producing state, and Marrone Organic Innovations has an obligation to our families and community to protect our natural resources and promote a thriving economy for generations to come.” Marrone Organic Innovations is one of only 21 other recipients that will accept awards at tonight’s ceremony in Sacramento.

Award recipients are chosen in eight different categories based on their strength in eight specific areas including results, transferability, environmental impact, resource conservation, economic progress, innovation and uniqueness, pollution prevention, and environmental justice.  Marrone Organic Innovations won the award for the category of Technological and Market Innovation for its new product, GreenMatch^® EX.  

GreenMatch^Ò EX was developed to combat the greatest operational problem in California’s growing organic food production sector: weed control. GreenMatch is a burndown herbicide made from natural ingredients that offers organic growers an EFFECTIVE alternative to costly hand weeding, flaming, mowing and cultivation in their battle to keep crops free of weeds. It is fast-acting, non-selective, easy to apply and active on a broad spectrum of unwanted grasses and broadleaf weeds. GreenMatch EX meets the rigorous standards of the National Organic Program and is listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute for use in organic production.

The Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards program was established in 1993. The award program is administered by the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Resources Agency in collaboration with the State and Consumer Services Agency, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency.

Go to http://www.marroneorganicinnovations.com/ for more information about Marrone Organic Innovations.  For more information on GEELA and this year's award recipients, visit the Cal/EPA Web site: http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Awards/GEELA/ .  

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Marrone Organic Innovations discovers, develops and markets effective and environmentally responsible products that fill unmet needs for weed, disease and pest management.  Through a combination of in-licensed technology and its own R&D, MOI develops products that target markets needing better and safer solutions.  MOI’s own R&D finds naturally occurring microorganisms from unique habitats and develops them into products for controlling insects, weeds, nematodes and plant diseases.  MOI has an impressive pipeline of new products, including two insecticides, two herbicides and a product for controlling invasive zebra and quagga mussels in waterways. MOI currently markets GreenMatch^Ò Burndown Herbicide for weed control in organic crop production and Regalia^Ò for control of fungal and bacterial diseases of both food and ornamental crops.   

For more information, visit www.marroneorganicinnovations.com.