Frequently Asked Questions

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1. GFA is Growers Freedom Alliance (Freedom from the evolved constraints that have entangled the agrichemical supply chain. The inability to source generic agrichemicals made in the USA.)

2. Please read these FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions). 

3. Email GFA for more information: info@gfatexas.com  

4. Can a member be a non-person, such as an LLC, corporation, partnership, or joint venture? 

• Yes, an entity can be a member of the GFA Purchasing Group. 
• The entity could be a corporation, LLC, or a partnership.
• If a contact manages or participates in multiple entities, each entity can be a member.

1. Initial Membership cost: $25,000. One-time fee.
2. The annual maintenance fee is $1,250 (5%), due by the end of each year.

1. Vulpes Corp's manufacturing location is at the Reese Technology Center, Building 930, at the former Reese Air Force Base. 
2. This three-story building (95,578 SF) has east and west wings, including a cargo elevator. Each wing contains office space and four flight simulator bays, which will be used for chemical manufacturing. There are eight bays total, and they are perfect for Vulpes production. 

1. GFA will stabilize our members' agrichemical supply chain. 

2. Vulpes will provide members with high-quality generic agrichemicals, surfactants, adjuvants, and plant growth regulator alternatives. 

3. We plan to manufacture active ingredients wherever possible, and to formulate only when the price of AI dictates or the raw ingredients and intermediate ingredients are not available.

1. A patented chemical active ingredient (AI) is protected from competition by the patent for 20 years. At the end of the patent term, the product becomes off-patent, and it is then that others can manufacture the generic active ingredient of a previously patented agrichemical. 
2. Newly patented products and innovations are extremely limited in the current agricultural market for farmers. Most chemicals that are top sellers to farmers are no longer under patent protection (this represents 80% of Active Ingredients today).
3. The consolidation of agricultural and seed companies over the last decade was promoted as supporting innovation and giving input companies broader capabilities. The truth has been that farmers and others (including antitrust regulators at the Federal and State levels) have realized that greater market power has suppressed innovation.
4. Any chemical manufacturer can produce generic chemicals after the patent has expired, provided they have obtained proper EPA registration. Based on sales volume in 2024, the world’s top 20 active ingredients will be off-patent.
5. The fact that patent protection has expired only allows others to produce the chemical; however, they will need to develop a manufacturing process and obtain an EPA registration. Vulpes Corp is an expert in chemical processes, having created these processes for its own use and for others worldwide. GFA is a great partner in the chemical distribution space, and Vulpes is filing patents based on its currently developed processes. Vulpes is also filing for the needed registrations with the EPA.

1. GFA's structure is based on a “Buying Group Company” or “Group Purchasing Organization” model. 
2. Currently, most distribution groups bring the active ingredients from offshore (China and India) and formulate them into a final product. To our knowledge, no one is attempting to re-shore manufacturing of active ingredients to take advantage of a shorter distribution chain, characterized by fewer participants in the supply chain and shorter distances to the end customer.  

1. The offshore supply chain is too reliant on Chinese active ingredients. It is not “if” but “when” we will have a problem with this supply chain.
2. The current tariffs have driven many to consider US manufacturing, but they are struggling to establish it. It is a daunting task, and GFA and Vulpes are navigating these waters. We will have the option to use offshore suppliers of actives OR manufacture the AI (active ingredient) in Lubbock. That is a unique advantage.
3. Resilience is built into the supply chain when you have a partner, Vulpes, with the expertise to manufacture and innovate onshore.

1. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suspects anticompetitive behavior in the current agrichemical supply chain and filed a lawsuit against Syngenta and Corteva in the fall of 2022 to address this issue. Several attorneys general from major agricultural states, including Texas, initially joined the lawsuit. 
2. Link to the Case Proceedings at the FTC:  https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/191-0031-syngenta-corteva-ftc-v 
3. On January 12, 2024, a Judge denied the request for dismissal of the suit, and the action against these manufacturers is proceeding. The Judge found sufficient evidence not to dismiss the suit.
4. The suit is ongoing, and GFA has not found a recent update.

1. GFA recognizes that creating new proprietary, patented products by our largest companies brings innovation, and the agrichemical market is no exception. However, over the last 25 years, there has been a steady decline in the discovery of new active ingredients for crop protection, partially due to the escalating costs of R&D (Research and Development)—higher regulatory and field-testing costs, as well as increasing scientific complexity, compound this difficulty in developing new agrichemicals. The history of herbicides helps us realize that the well-known active ingredients are almost ancient in their timelines. For example, glyphosate (also known as Roundup) was discovered in 1970 by John Frantz, a Monsanto chemist. That was 55 years ago, and that timeframe helps us understand that the possibility of finding a new innovative herbicide is slim. GFA’s goal is to produce high-quality generic products with high purity of active ingredients and to support a cost structure that enables farmers to be profitable. The Vulpes brand of generic chemicals will increase confidence in using generic agrichemicals manufactured by Vulpes and distributed by GFA.
2. This leads to the realization that new patented products and innovations are extremely limited in the current agrichemical market for farmers. Most chemicals that are top sellers to farmers are no longer under patent protection (only 20% of Active Ingredients have current patent protection). 

1. GFA has a partnership with Vulpes Corp and its leadership. The Vulpes team's CEO, Rick Shang, immigrated to the United States from China 19 years ago with his father and mother. His father, Dihu Yu, is a pioneer in chemical process engineering and lean manufacturing for agrichemicals and pharmaceuticals in China and will bring that experience to the partnership between Vulpes and GFA. 
2. Vulpes Corp., a U.S. company founded in 2018, is dedicated to onshoring chemical production back to the United States. Vulpes will bring Chinese lean manufacturing expertise to the U.S. for production in this version of onshoring. Vulpes will be a strategic supplier for global chemical corporations and a direct supplier of low-cost agrichemicals to GFA members. Rick, Dihu, and the Vulpes Team want to join GFA to create a competitive generic chemical supply chain for GFA members.
3. Vulpes’s technology and R&D are led by an experienced team, headed by Dihu Yu, its CTO. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Dihu Yu pioneered offshore manufacturing (from the U.S. to China). They built a team of researchers to support global corporations such as BASF, DuPont, GSK, and others. 
4. Dihu developed the complete process for global manufacturers in China, including the development of new methods, identification of the supply chain for raw materials, and operation of factories in China. He is excited to bring onshore manufacturing back to the U.S. and be part of GFA’s efforts to build cost-competitive and innovative manufacturing infrastructure in the U.S. 
5. Greg Shapiro, Vulpes COO, manages Vulpes' operations. Greg built his family manufacturing business, Shapiro Brothers, from $1 million to more than $90 million in annual revenue before selling the company to Icahn Enterprises. Greg is experienced in low-cost, large-scale operations and skilled in assembling and disassembling chemical plants. His knowledge of this industry subsection is critical to getting the facility up and running.

1. GFA leadership has four years of due diligence with Vulpes Corp. Billy Tiller, CEO of GFA, met Rick Shang and Greg Shapiro at the 2022 Ag Innovation Challenge sponsored by the American Farm Bureau. Vulpes was a Top 10 Finalist that year for its innovative new product, Carbon Black Acid (CBA). 
2. In developing CBA, Vulpes collaborated with 15 research and agricultural extension teams across 10 U.S. research institutions to develop its patented CBA. CBA is a fertilizer and seed coating that can improve a plant’s nutrient and water uptake by up to 200%, reduce fertilizer loss and its environmental impact, and reduce fertilizer expenditure by farmers. Vulpes CBA was in worldwide CBA trials in 2025 with a significant fertilizer manufacturer.

1. YES, and let me use this example to illustrate: In 2005, Dihu Yu helped FMC, an American company, industrialize AIM (also marketed as Affinity, or by the chemical name, Carfentrazone-ethyl) in China for the first time. The product was exported to the US but manufactured in China. 
2. His main improvement was replacing the raw materials. FMC initially used Phosgene as the starting material. This organic compound is highly toxic. Dihu used Potassium cyanate (low toxicity) (not to be confused with highly toxic Potassium cyanide) as the starting material for his reaction. In 2005, potassium cyanate was not industrialized in China. Dihu industrialized the production of potassium cyanate in China for the first time using processes his team had developed. 
3. An additional improvement was the replacement of the catalyst. Dihu improved on the expensive, precious metal and Pd-based catalysts. He discovered an alternative, less expensive catalyst than the original Pd-based catalyst.
4. Additionally, he modified the process in this manner. Dihu changed the diazotization process and the use of Azides. Diazotization is an extremely explosive manufacturing process that was eventually banned in China. Azides are also highly volatile chemicals used in the process. He further shortened the manufacturing process from 7 steps to 5 steps. 
5. Ultimately, he developed a safer, higher-quality, and more cost-effective manufacturing process for Aim herbicide. The cost of production dropped by 40% from the original cost calculated by FMC, and the new process significantly reduced waste release.

1. Vulpes Corp manufactures certain chemicals for GFA on a cost-plus basis. GFA will assume the risk of forecasting demand for certain chemicals, placing orders with Vulpes Corp, receiving an inventory of agrichemicals, collecting payment from customers, paying Vulpes Corp for manufacturing, and distributing the inventory to members who request the agrichemicals. 
2. Vulpes can do “just-in-time” manufacturing in emergencies. If GFA has missed its forecast and a chemical is in short supply, Vulpes will run emergency batches. This will increase the costs, so it will not be relied upon for routine operations. Still, it would supply GFA members, and this opportunity is currently nonexistent in the agrichemical manufacturing scenario. GFA has priority in manufacturing from Vulpes, but we want to do accurate forecasting. GFA wants to be a great partner to Vulpes.

1. GFA Buying Group Members will have access to chemicals produced by Vulpes at a cost anticipated to be below that of other similar generic agrichemicals, with trusted quality.
2. Vulpes will produce the active ingredients in the USA when technically, economically, and legally feasible. This is usually the case, but will not include glyphosate or paraquat actives. The lawsuits surrounding these products put Vulpes on pause as a manufacturer of these active ingredients. However, Vulpes will formulate active ingredients from China for both products.
3. GFA Buying Group Members will receive rebates from GFA based on their membership status in a particular year. The rebates are based on GFA's profitable distribution division.
4. Members are at the end of the road, accepting continual chemical price and supply instability. The GFA and Vulpes partnership will drive lower costs for targeted products from the generic agrichemicals Vulpes produces. Vulpes Corp can produce on US shores at a price comparable to manufacturing in China. There are times when China sells products in markets at prices lower than the cost of production to keep its workers satisfied and to undermine other markets (Search "China Dumping" on the Internet). Vulpes will utilize those opportunities to formulate products using active ingredients sourced from offshore. This is an exciting time working with Vulpes, which can use a manufacturing or formulation strategy.
5. Grower Freedom Alliance (GFA) will focus on creating stability and sourcing options for agrichemicals. 

1. Any individual or entity classified as a farmer or an entity serving farmers and who will be buying agrichemicals. Individuals must be 18 years of age or older to qualify. 
2. GFA members cannot sell pesticides unless they hold a TDA Pesticide Dealer's License. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has strict rules regarding how GFA sells agrichemicals to its members, and we are committed to adhering to them. GFA agrichemicals to be priced the same for all members. 
3. Some entities serving farmers have joined GFA, and they currently have a pesticide dealer license. GFA will have written agreements allowing them to sell chemicals to others and provide last-mile distribution to other members linked to that specific ag retailer.  
4. Memberships are transferable; however, the party receiving the membership must qualify and be accepted by GFA. 

1. GFA believes Lubbock is the perfect place to re-shore agrichemical manufacturing. The hub city boasts a solid agricultural base, a strong research university in partnership with Texas Tech, a robust labor market, and support from the city of Lubbock, as well as the Reese Technology Center. 

1. Yes, it can be price-competitive with the current offshore manufacturing. The time is now, and let us explain why: Labor costs in China are increasing, and China is no longer considered the lowest-cost manufacturer.
2. Chemical active ingredients (AI) arriving in the U.S. from China are subject to tariffs.
3. Electricity costs are comparable in China, and natural gas is cheaper. Both of these factors make the USA a great place. 
4. During the recent pandemic, all agriculturalists realized that a global shutdown of trade could affect the price of critical farming inputs. The cost of agrichemicals escalated by 70% to 300% as demand remained constant, but access to supplies dwindled. A similar shutdown could come from pandemics or global conflicts in the future.
5. The food, feed, and fiber supply chains to major U.S. retailers are genuinely concerned about how the raw materials (our cotton and grains) are produced and the environmental impact of farmers’ production practices. GFA and its members are about to embark on an incredible journey that is a story for the ages. It is not to be organic but to farm responsibly and be concerned about when, how much, and the contents of all agrichemicals that we apply to our soils and plants.

1. The current supply chain for generic agrichemicals is a race to the bottom as there is tremendous downward price pressure at chemical production facilities in India and China. The lowest-priced Active Ingredient (AI) is sold and consumed in the current agricultural market and is then available to farmers. The low profitability of offshore manufacturing plants leaves little room for investment in R&D, quality control, or the development of safer and more environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. Therefore, offshore AI can have quality issues relating to purity. We are encouraged that state and federal regulators welcome the return of agrichemical production to U.S. shores, where there can be more stringent monitoring.
2. GFA is currently working with ag commodity research groups to quantify the purity level issues of agrichemicals in the current market. GFA leadership has personally seen enough evidence in advance of a study to be highly suspicious of why various lot numbers of offshore-manufactured generic chemicals all perform with differing levels of efficacy.
3. This article is beneficial in understanding purity issues. https://www.lawnandlandscape.com/article/special-section--pesticides--clarifying-common-misconceptions/
4. This is a transcript of an interview with Katherine Eban, who released in 2019 her book, "Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of The Generic Drug Boom." It outlines the problems in the generic drug supply, especially for Indian producers. If this is a pharmaceutical problem, you can bet the farm that it is in generic agrichemicals from offshore. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/723545864
5. Additionally, onshoring will bring significant logistical changes that impact emissions. We will no longer be shipping AI from places such as China and formulating and packaging it for distribution throughout the U.S. Vulpes is creating a chemical manufacturing facility within 250 miles of the farms GFA serves, directly from the manufacturing site. Chinese manufacturing is estimated to be 7,500 miles from Lubbock, and India is 8,700 miles from Lubbock. What a tremendous change we can make by working together.

1. The Vulpes Corp. production schedule is affected by the EPA's approval of its registrations. These registrations can take 18-24 months; these are our best estimates.
2. Please email us for our current production timeline.