What does farmer-driven sustainability on 1.5 million acres of corn look like?

Last week, Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN launched a landmark sustainability initiative with global food and beverage ingredient supplier Tate & Lyle. The initiative will use ag tech to assess and accelerate sustainability on 1.5 million acres of U.S.-grown corn.
 
As a farmer-owned cooperative, we know that corn growers – and other farmers across the country – are already leading the way on stewardship. This initiative with Tate & Lyle will further bolster those efforts in partnership with corn growers in the Midwest, more effectively targeting and measuring the impact of efforts to protect the environment.
 
What started as a pilot program last November on over 300,000 acres in Illinois and Indiana has grown to include the acreage equivalent of Tate & Lyle’s entire global corn purchases – an incredible testament to the power of grower-driven stewardship.
 
How does the program work?
 
Participating growers in the Midwest will receive customized support through their local agricultural retailer focused on balancing the economic and the environmental. Together, Land O’Lakes, Tate & Lyle, ag retailers and corn growers will focus on driving measurable improvements in greenhouse gas emission reduction, nitrogen efficiency, water and wind erosion, and soil quality.
 
Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN’s Truterra Insights Engine will offer critical information for growers to support data-driven decisions about their operations, with acre-by-acre insights focused on driving environmental improvements and helping optimize their businesses.
 
As part of the program, Tate & Lyle will leverage the Truterra Insights Engine to access information on the enrolled acreage. The Truterra Insights Engine will offer Tate & Lyle greater visibility of the improvements it is helping to drive, in partnership with growers, in air and water quality and soil health and meet the demand for a more transparent value chain from its food and beverage company customers.
 
We are proud to be a part of this innovative partnership that is creating opportunities for growers to measure and communicate their environmental impact and to protect their land and businesses for generations to come. On the other end of the value chain, we’re pleased to support Tate & Lyle with the insights and grower relationships it needs to help its food and beverage company customers meet consumer demand to know more about where their food comes from and how it is grown.