Bothell, Washington
April 18, 2002

EDEN Bioscience Corporation (Nasdaq:EDEN), which develops, manufactures and markets innovative, natural protein based products for improving crop production and protecting plants, today announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted an unconditional registration for use of Messenger(R) on all food commodities, fiber-producing crops, trees, turf, and ornamentals.

In April 2000, the EPA granted Messenger a 2-year registration, conditioned upon EDEN submitting additional data to further confirm product safety. The EPA has reviewed this information and concluded that all conditions for registration have been satisfied. This unconditional approval carries no expiration date.

"EPA approval is essential, and we believe that this unconditional registration is further testament to Messenger's high level of human and environmental safety," said Brad Powell, interim president and CFO. "Messenger is applied at extremely low rates and is virtually non-toxic to mammals, birds, honeybees, plants and aquatic species, leaving no detectable residue on crops or in water."

EDEN Bioscience is a plant technology company focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative natural protein based products for agriculture. EDEN believes its technology and initial product, Messenger, provides growers with a new tool to improve crop production and protection. Messenger, which received unconditional EPA approval for full commercial use in April 2002, is based on naturally occurring proteins called "harpins," which activate natural plant defense systems to protect against disease and pests, and simultaneously activate plant growth systems, improving crop yield and quality. It has been tested in hundreds of field trials in many countries and on more than 40 crops including: citrus, cotton, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, melons, wheat, rice, corn, peanuts, tobacco, grapes and others.

(c) 2002 EDEN Bioscience Corporation. Always read and follow label instructions before buying or using this product. Messenger(R), EDEN(R), and EDEN Bioscience(R) are registered trademarks of EDEN Bioscience Corp. Messenger is not currently registered for sale or use in Colorado. In California, Messenger is labeled for disease management in strawberries, grapes, and fruiting vegetables only.