From the Chilean forest to the world: Desert King® Details Its Global Impact on Science and Sustainability
In a conversation with renowned science communicator Gabriel León for the TXS Radio program “Rockstars,” Andrés González, General Manager of Desert King Chile, discussed how the company, through science and innovation, has become a key player for at least six global industries.
A Transformation Built on Science and Collaboration
Desert King has experienced exponential growth, expanding its production capacity from one to four plants in Chile and increasing its sales from 4 million to nearly 100 million dollars in just eight years. This development is built on a management model that fosters collaboration and creativity, allowing the talent of its six PhDs in biochemistry and their teams to drive solutions that now reach nearly a thousand clients worldwide.
In this regard, González stated, “Desert King Chile is the smallest company to have made the largest global impact in the history of Chile.”
Industry-Changing Innovations
The core of Desert King’s success lies in the saponins extracted from the quillaja tree, a compound with revolutionary applications:
- Global Health: The company is a key supplier of vaccine adjuvants, which are present in globally approved immunizations against shingles, malaria, COVID-19, and RSV. They work with clients such as GlaxoSmithKline and Novavax, and collaborate with the Vaccine Formulation Institute (VFI) and the Serum Institute of India to create a “plug-and-play” adjuvant that aims to make vaccines more accessible and effective worldwide.
- Sustainable Food: Its flagship product, an immune response enhancer for animals, has successfully reduced antibiotic use by up to 70% in pork, poultry, and salmon production globally.
- Mining and Consumer Goods: Quillaja saponins also solve industrial challenges, such as eliminating acid mist in mining processes and serving as a micro-foaming agent for clients in the beverage industry.
A Virtuous Cycle from the Root
Desert King’s business model is based on a deep commitment to the environment. The company extracts saponins from biomass generated through sustainable forest management that revitalizes the Chilean sclerophyllous forest, without the need to harm the tree, explained González.
“The sclerophyllous forest is sick, it’s dying, and urgently needs management plans. At Desert King Chile, we not only manage the Quillaja tree, but all species. We perform selective pruning across all species to help restore the ecosystem,” he added.
We invite you to listen to the conversation between Andrés González and Gabriel León here.
