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Variable Interest Entity
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Equity Method Investments And Joint Ventures [Abstract]  
Variable Interest Entity

5. Variable Interest Entity

In February 2012, the Company formed Verdeca LLC (“Verdeca”), which is equally owned with Bioceres Crop Solutions Corp. (“Bioceres”), a U.S. wholly owned subsidiary of Bioceres, S.A., an Argentine corporation. Bioceres, S.A. is an agricultural investment and development cooperative owned by approximately 300 shareholders, including some of South America’s largest soybean growers. Verdeca was formed to develop and deregulate soybean varieties using both partners’ agricultural technologies.

The Company determined that a de facto agency relationship between the Company and Bioceres exists. The Company considers qualitative factors in assessing the primary beneficiary which include understanding the purpose and design of the VIE, associated risks that the VIE creates, activities that could be directed by the Company, and the expected relative impact of those activities on the economic performance of the VIE. Based on an evaluation of these factors, the Company concluded that it is the primary beneficiary of Verdeca.

Both the Company and Bioceres incur expenses in support of specific activities, as agreed upon by joint work plans, which apply fair market value to each partner’s activities. Unequal contributions of services are equalized by the partners through cash payments. Verdeca is not the primary obligor for these activities performed by the Company or Bioceres. Under the terms of the joint development agreement, the Company has incurred direct expenses and allocated overhead in the amounts of $243,000 and $286,000, for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.