| Farmers Business Network | |
| Foundation: | 2014 |
| Location City: | San Carlos, California |
| Num Employees: | 850 (approx.) (2021)[1] |
| Website: | www.fbn.com |
Farmers Business Network (FBN) is a farmer-to-farmer network and e-commerce platform based out of San Carlos, California.[2] The company was co-founded by Amol Deshpande and Charles Baron, and launched as a startup in 2014.[3] [4] Diego Casanello took over as CEO in 2024.[5] As of 2024, FBN has approximately 80,000 farmers in their network throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 2016, FBN launched an online input buying system called FBN Direct.[6] The platform aggregates data on seed prices and performances to assist farmers in agronomic resource management.
The company introduced their first non-GMO corn and soybean seed offerings with F2F Genetics Network in August 2018. Some farmer members have reported saving thousands of dollars through the purchase of FBN seeds.[7] Later in 2018, FBN announced a partnership with Amazon.
In 2019, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue attended FBN's annual Farmer2Farmer conference in Omaha, Nebraska, and gave a keynote speech. The event saw nearly 4,000 attendees.[8]
Anti-Competitive Interference by Incumbents
In February of 2020, a Canadian federal court issued subpoenas to a group of major agriculture companies in order to conduct an antitrust probe based on allegations that businesses cooperated in an attempt to block online farm-supply startup Farmers Business Network, Inc. (FBN).[9]
In 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Canadian Competition Bureau was investigating allegations that Bayer, BASF, and Corteva engaged in anti-competitive practices toward FBN in Canada.[10] The investigation found that certain market players "engaged in communications with the goal of influencing manufacturers or wholesalers with respect to FBN."[11]
Company Growth and Expansion
In 2022, FBN partnered with the Environmental Defense Fund to provide financing incentives for farmers who implemented regenerative practices.[12] In 2023, the company launched an AI agronomy advisor to provide answers to farmer questions, such as combating pests, finding seed varieties, and preventing livestock diseases.[13] Also that year, FBN opened a 198,000 square foot fulfillment center in Saskatoon.[14] In March 2024, FBN surpassed $1 billion in financing provided through its farm operating lines.[15]
Early financial backers for FBN included Kleiner Perkins and GV.[4]