Last week, the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) jointly held the 1st Corn Sustainability Strategy Session to discuss the U.S. corn industry’s plans to leverage its sustainable practices and respond to market requirements across domestic and global supply chains.
The conference, held in Chicago, attracted growers and executives from leading agricultural organizations, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and sustainability experts to align domestic and international efforts along the U.S. corn value chain to maximize the value of sustainability attributes associated with U.S. corn and its production practices.
“Sustainability disclosures and requirements continue to expand globally across many industries that are key for U.S. corn products,” said Carlos Suárez, USGC director of global sustainability. “As such, it’s critical the U.S. industry stays focused on showcasing the sustainability attributes producers have already achieved and align on how these are measured to effectively showcase the advantages of U.S. corn origin.”
The Council was represented by Suárez, USGC Director of Trade Policy Andrew Brandt, USGC Director of Industry Relations Ellen Zimmerman and USGC Trade Policy Coordinator Dylan Biggs at the event.
Suárez presented the latest updates from the Council’s Corn Sustainability Assurance Protocol (CSAP) and its accompanying Sustainable Corn Exports (SCE) web platform, a way for international importers to be confident their purchases meet policy-based benchmarks or local market demands.
Other topics included current sustainability frameworks, responsible aquaculture farming and how U.S. corn production practices compare to other commodities worldwide.
“The Council prides itself on its relationships with U.S. producers, peer organizations, USDA and international buyers, and this meeting showcased the U.S. agricultural industry’s collaboration and collective commitment to sustainably feeding the world,” Zimmerman said.
Learn more about the Council’s work in sustainability here.
About The U.S. Grains Council
The U.S. Grains Council develops export markets for U.S. barley, corn, sorghum and related products including distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and ethanol. With full-time presence in 28 locations, the Council operates programs in more than 50 countries and the European Union. The Council believes exports are vital to global economic development and to U.S. agriculture’s profitability. Detailed information about the Council and its programs is online at www.grains.org.