Growing Returns

Selected tag(s): Smithfield Foods

How ag retailers are helping improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay

By Katie Anderson / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: September 7, 2016

Farmers in front of a tractor Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN® platform – a powerful tool that can make a real impact in improving regional water quality — is coming to the Chesapeake Bay.

The Mill®, a large agricultural retail company, today became the first business in the area to utilize SUSTAIN in Maryland and Pennsylvania. SUSTAIN provides ag retailers with tools and training in best practices for fertilizer efficiency and soil health – such as cover crops and precision ag technologies – while maintaining the potential for high yields. Retail staff then bring this knowledge to the farmers they serve, meaning that one retail location can reach hundreds of farmers.

That’s why the platform, co-developed by Environmental Defense Fund, is taking off. Thus far, 27 ag retailers across the country have been trained, and food companies such as Smithfield Foods, Campbell’s Soup, Unilever, and Kellogg are connecting to the SUSTAIN platform as a way to meet their corporate sustainability goals.

I asked Ben Hushon, owner of The Mill, to tell me what this means for the Bay, for his company, and for farmers. Read More »

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged ag retail, agriculture, agronomists, agronomy, Campbell's Soup, Chesapeake Bay, farmers, fertilizer, fertilizer efficiency, growers, Kellogg's, Land O' Lakes, Land O'Lakes, Maryland, Midwest, Partnerships, Pennsylvania, row crops, soil health, SUSTAIN, sustainable agriculture, Unilever, water quality | Comments are closed

Cover crops: a new opportunity for ag retailers

By Katie Anderson / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 18, 2016

Corn planted in cover crops. Photo courtesy of SUSTAIN.

For the fourth year in a row, a nationwide farmer survey found a boost in soybean and corn yields following the planting of cover crops. That’s in part why cover crop usage increased 350 percent from 2008 to 2012 among the farmers surveyed.

Cover crops are also great for the environment, since they help keep excess nutrients in the field and out of waterways. Yet only around 2 percent of all U.S. farmland uses cover crops, an alarmingly low figure.

That leaves a ton of room for improvement, which could result in huge environmental gains – and a new business opportunity for ag retailers.

Ag retailers that offer expertise on and sell cover crops to their famer customers can get in on this rapidly growing trend. And in so doing, gain customer loyalty and stand out from competitors. Read More »

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, Campbell Soup, conservation, cover crops, environmental defense fund, farmers, farming, fertilizer, Kellogg, Land O'Lakes, nitrogen, nutrient efficiency, Partnerships, precision agriculture, soil, soil erosion, soil health, sustainable agriculture, United Suppliers | Comments are closed

Why sustainable food can’t be a luxury

By Maggie Monast / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: August 5, 2016

Photo credit: Don Graham

The results are in, so food companies take notice: American consumers are educating themselves on our food system, and they’re increasingly asking for sustainably produced foods. That’s a key takeaway from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation’s new report on consumer attitudes toward food.

It’s an exciting trend, since what we buy sends a signal across the supply chain for farmers to grow ingredients in ways that protect our natural resources, and for food companies to source sustainably grown products. Sustainably produced food also supports food security, which is essential to our continued prosperity.

Yet sustainably grown products are almost always more expensive to produce than their unsustainable counterparts, which is why many farmers require a premium for changing their production practices to reduce environmental impacts.

To improve air and water quality and protect farmers’ livelihoods, sustainability can’t just be a luxury. Sustainable food production has to become business as usual.

Here’s why we’re well on our way to meeting that goal.

Posted in Uncategorized / Also tagged business case, Consumer Attitudes, fertilizer efficiency, fertilizer management, fertilizer optimization, food, food production, food security, food system, IFIC, International Food Information Council Foundation, Land O' Lakes, sourcing, supply chain, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, sustainable food, Trend, Unilever | Comments are closed

Two ways to reduce toxic algal blooms

By Karen Chapman / Bio / Published: July 28, 2016

Photo: Eric Vance, US EPA

For a month now, South Florida Atlantic beaches have been blanketed by a sickly green, toxic algae sludge that has kept tourists away and caused local businesses to lose millions.

Florida has a bigger headache this summer than most states, but algae blooms are hardly unique.

Last week, more than 100 people were sickened from toxic algae in a Utah lake largely fed by agricultural runoff and treated sewage water. And just two summers ago, an outbreak in Lake Erie forced the City of Toledo to close off its water supply for nearly half a million residents.

Agricultural runoff also means wasted money for farmers, who can spend approximately half of their input costs on fertilizer.

There are ways to reduce the runoff that contributes to water quality problems and kills marine life, year after year. Algae blooms can be minimized and maybe even prevented if we scale up existing efforts to improve fertilizer efficiency and soil health – practices that can also save farmers money and boost their yields.

Two initiatives and private-sector partnerships are making real headway in doing just that. And if these efforts are replicated at scale, they could have a national – and even international – impact. Read More »

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, algae, algae bloom, Campbell's Soup, environmental defense fund, farmers, fertilizer, fertilizer efficiency, Florida, Kellogg's, Lake Erie, Land O'Lakes, nutrient efficiency, nutrient management, NutrientStar, Ohio, pollution, runoff, supply chain, supply chain sustainability, SUSTAIN, sustainable agriculture, sustainable supply chain, toxic algae, Unilever, United Suppliers, Utah, Walmart, water pollution, water quality | Read 6 Responses

How this ag retailer is changing the entire U.S. food production system

By Katie Anderson / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: July 13, 2016

United Suppliers’ Matt Carstens

In 2014, Walmart challenged its suppliers to find ways to reduce fertilizer runoff from farms – which can cause air and water pollution and mean wasted money for farmers. The target was food companies whose supply chains use large quantities of fertilizer for commodity crops like corn, and the goal was to improve efficiency in their supply chains. Two years later, nearly 20 Walmart suppliers have signed on to the initiative, spawning a trend in which supplier commitments drive tangible changes on American farms.

At the heart of this fertilizer efficiency trend is Matt Carstens, VP of Crop Nutrients for United Suppliers and the force behind a sustainability platform for farmers called SUSTAIN, developed in coordination with Environmental Defense Fund.

SUSTAIN trains ag retailers on the best practices for fertilizer efficiency and soil health. As ag retailers are a primary source of advice for farmers, the retailers then bring this important knowledge to the farmers they serve.

SUSTAIN is proving to be popular as a way for food companies to connect directly with farmers in their sourcing areas. Thus far, Smithfield Foods, Campbell’s Soup, and Unilever are all using SUSTAIN as part of their sustainable sourcing efforts. And Kellogg’s is the latest big brand to jump on board, with an announcement today that they, too, will be using SUSTAIN.

I asked Matt to explain the reason for this trend, why ag retailers believe in SUSTAIN, and how he got involved in the ag retail world. Read More »

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged ag retail, agriculture, Campbell's Soup, conservation, crop nutrients, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farmers, farming, fertilizer, food production, food security, Kellogg, Land O'Lakes, nitrogen, nutrient efficiency, Partnerships, soil health, SUSTAIN, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, United Suppliers, Walmart | Comments are closed

From Southwestern India to Iowa: Why farming is at the heart of sustainability

By Katie Anderson / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: May 17, 2016

Studying in the Western Ghats region of India.

When I was younger, I fantasized about becoming a Jane Goodall for the millennial generation. I imagined living in the wilderness to study animals’ behavior and help conserve land. During college, I briefly lived out my dream when I spent a summer in the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats region of India, living and working on a private wildlife sanctuary where I studied the local flora.

The sanctuary was an island of preserved land, surrounded by vast farms that dominated the region’s landscape. While there, I had an epiphany – one that brought me back to my own family’s agricultural history on a farm in Iowa.

I realized that if we don’t work with farmers to conserve wild places, we will never be able to create truly sustainable environments for animals and humans. If I really wanted to make an impact on the Ghats region and its biodiversity, I’d need to move beyond a private sanctuary and back toward my family’s farming roots.

India showed me first-hand the need to partner with farmers. Spending summers on my family’s farm in Iowa and steering the tractor with my grandfather taught me to appreciate the integral role farmers play in maintaining balance in the ecosystem – and that farming is incredibly hard work. Both of these experiences still influence my agricultural career, which is focused on deploying the SUSTAIN™ platform, developed by United Suppliers, Inc. in coordination with EDF, to assist growers in improving fertilizer efficiency and soil health. Read More »

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged ag retailer, Campbell's, corporate social responsibility, crop management, CSR, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farmers, fertilizer, food companies, India, iowa, Kellogg's, nitrogen, Partnerships, stewardship, SUSTAIN, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, United Suppliers, Western Ghats | Comments are closed

Want to bring ag sustainability to scale? Collaboration, not confrontation.

By Suzy Friedman / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: May 11, 2016

One year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced 10 “building blocks” for climate-smart agriculture and forestry, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by over 120 million metric tons by 2025.

The agency’s focus on partnering with farmers and ranchers – as well as with the private sector – was a huge step in the right direction toward widespread implementation of climate-smart agriculture techniques and programs.

Tomorrow, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will announce another big investment in conservation stewardship and climate-smart agriculture approaches to advance the building blocks agenda. I’ll be joining Secretary Vilsack to talk about EDF’s partnerships within the agricultural supply chain and our collaborative approach to ag sustainability.

Working across public-private sector lines, through a collaborative approach, and with the entire ag supply chain is the only way to bring sustainability to scale while protecting farmers’ livelihoods.

Here’s what key sectors of the ag supply chain are doing – and can do – to improve water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase agricultural resilience. Read More »

Posted in Carbon Market, Climate Resilience, Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, Campbell's Soup, Carbon Offsets, climate change, conservation, corn, cover crops, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farmers, farming, fertilizer, Field to Market, food production, food security, General Mills, Kellogg's, nitrogen, nutrient efficiency, Partnerships, soil health, SUSTAIN, sustainable agriculture, Unilever, United Suppliers, USDA, Walmart | Comments are closed

USDA gives big boost to sustainable farming in North Carolina

By Maggie Monast / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: March 31, 2016

Environmental Defense Fund’s efforts to improve sustainable farming practices through the grain supply chain received another boost, thanks to a USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) grant of $500,000 in North Carolina.

The award supports EDF’s collaboration with Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, and brings in university and grower organization partners. In 2014, Smithfield’s hog production division made a commitment to engage 75 percent of its grain sourcing acres, or about half a million acres, in sustainable farming practices by 2018. These practices reduce fertilizer losses to the water and air, thereby improving water quality and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2015, through a sustainability program called MBGro, Smithfield helped farmers plant cover crops, use efficient nitrogen sensors, and employ other conservation practices on nearly 100,000 acres in the Southeast. Earlier this year, the company announced the expansion of its sustainable grain program to its Midwest sourcing region with ag retailer United Suppliers.

And now, the RCPP project officially kicks off this week – and will directly engage producers to expand conservation practices in agriculture. Here’s what it entails. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, conservation tillage, cover crops, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, Farm Bureau, fertilizer, GHG emissions, grain, NC State, NCGA, North Carolina, Partnerships, Pork Council, RCPP, SUSTAIN, sustainability, sustainable agriculture, tillage, U.S. Department of Agriculture, UNC, United Suppliers, USDA, water quality, western water | Read 2 Responses

Animal feed is at the heart of grain sustainability

By Maggie Monast / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: February 23, 2016

Building my energy-efficient home in North Carolina.

My passion for improving the food system for the health of my family, my fellow citizens and our planet is in my genes.

My grandmother ran a natural foods business out of her kitchen in the 1950s, a time when the country was moving towards more processed food. My parents, who took me on annual Earth Day trash walks to pick up garbage alongside the road by our house, instilled in me a deep respect for the environment. My mother, a teacher, also started a composting and gardening program at her school that incorporates what the students grow into the school menus.

I draw on my family’s heritage in my life and work. That’s why I’m proud to be part of the team that helped Smithfield Foods establish and deploy a program to improve the sustainability of the grains they feed their hogs.

EDF and Smithfield don’t agree on everything, but we do agree that farmers growing animal feed have an important role to play in reducing the climate and water impacts of agriculture.

Here’s why a career focused on feed grain sustainability is a perfect fit for me – and why I believe that momentum in animal feed sustainability is a great way for protein companies across the supply chain to make tangible improvements to air and water quality. Read More »

Posted in Climate Resilience, Supply Chain / Also tagged agriculture, conservation, corn, ecosystems, environmental defense fund, farmers, farming, farms, fertilizer, food, food production, Partnerships, sustainability, sustainable agriculture | Comments are closed

Meet the young Smithfield agronomist who’s turning the feed grain industry on its head

By Maggie Monast / Bio / Twitter profile / Published: January 7, 2016

EDF's Katie Anderson (left), Rachel Carr (center), and EDF's Maggie Monast (right) explore how Smithfield can use SUSTAIN in their Midwest sourcing areas.

EDF’s Katie Anderson (left), Rachel Carr (center), and EDF’s Maggie Monast (right) explore how Smithfield can use SUSTAIN in the company’s Midwest sourcing areas.

Forty million acres of U.S. land are dedicated to growing corn for animal feed. That’s roughly the land equivalent of the state of Florida. As the global demand for meat swells, so does the demand for feed grains.

Growing this corn requires a lot of fertilizer, yet up to 50 percent of fertilizer applied is lost, leading to air and water pollution as well as high costs for farmers.

MBGro, an innovative sustainability program developed by Smithfield Foods’ Hog Production Division, is helping solve this problem. MBGro offers free agronomic consultation to farmers, with a goal of keeping more nitrogen in fields and out of waterways, while maximizing profits along the way.

As a story in today’s Farm Journal noted, “Smithfield … hopes 75% of its grain sourcing acreage in the Southeast and Midwest will participate in [MBGro] by 2018.”

At the heart of MBGro is 25-year old agronomist Rachel Carr. I asked Rachel to tell me about her passion for sustainable agriculture, why she believes MBGro is a model for other protein companies, and about how cover crops played a role in her recent engagement. Read More »

Posted in Supply Chain / Also tagged agronomy, animal feed, ecosystems, EDF, farming, feed grains, fertilizer, Murphy Brown, North Carolina, SUSTAIN, sustainable agriculture, United Suppliers | Read 1 Response