Bothell, Washington
June 18, 2002

EDEN Bioscience Corporation (Nasdaq:EDEN) today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Rhett R. Atkins as EDEN's President and Chief Executive Officer, effective June 24, 2002.

Atkins, who has also been elected to the company's Board of Directors, has more than 27 years of experience in the strategic marketing and sales of agricultural chemicals.

"Rhett offers EDEN tremendous depth in agricultural product development and marketing experience," said Dr. William Weyerhaeuser, chairman of EDEN's board of directors. "We are confident that we are bringing on an industry veteran who will continue to drive EDEN's focus on building grower adoption of Messenger."

Dr. Atkins spent ten years overseeing national sales, marketing, and product development at Micro Flo, a Lakeland, FL. manufacturer and formulator of agricultural chemicals. Atkins was instrumental in repositioning Micro Flo's product line away from generic pesticides to concentrate on environmentally safe plant growth regulators.

"My professional experience -- both as an ag marketer and as a grower -- has taught me how to successfully develop and market new technologies to growers," said Atkins. "Most importantly, I recognize the importance of educating growers up front and providing significant follow-up in the commercialization of new products. Messenger has enormous potential, and I look forward to applying my experience to help take EDEN to the next stage by driving sales."

Prior to joining EDEN, Atkins co-founded Palmetto Ag, a South Carolina retailer and wholesaler of agricultural chemicals and seeds. Atkins also spent ten years with BASF Corporation in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, where he oversaw the development and marketing of all U.S. commercial plant growth regulators. While with BASF, Atkins repositioned the company's Pix(R) plant regulator, leading to a dramatic increase in sales. Early in his career, Atkins was also a field sales representative for a national agricultural chemicals company and an independent row crop farmer.

EDEN Bioscience is a plant technology company focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing innovative, natural protein-based products for agriculture. EDEN Bioscience believes its technology and initial product, Messenger(R), provide growers with a new tool to improve crop production and plant 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. Messenger has been tested in over 1,000 field trials in many countries and on more than 40 crops including: citrus, cotton, cucumber, peppers, strawberries, tobacco, tomatoes, grapes and corn.

(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 Corporation. Messenger is not currently registered for sale or use in Colorado. In California, Messenger is labeled for disease management for use on strawberries, grapes, and fruiting vegetables only.