Beyond The Headlines: Cargill hits emissions target, ADM spotlights regenerative agriculture potential

10 Nov 2023 --- In industry news this week, Cargill released its 2023 ESG Report, in which it outlined that it has reduced emissions from its operations by 10.97%, achieving its 2025 goal. Also, ADM highlighted the growth potential of regenerative agriculture in a new report, and the European Vegetarian Union (EVU) unveiled the “Plant-Based Manifesto” ahead of the 2024 European elections.

New reports
Cargill released its 2023 ESG Report. The company’s sustainability strategy is designed to deliver on its “purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way, by creating products, partnerships and programs in the prioritized areas of Climate, Land and Water and People.” Highlights from fiscal year 2023 included:

• Investing US$78 million in efficiency and sustainability projects within Cargill’s operations.
• Reducing emissions from its operations by 10.97%, achieving its 2025 goal of reducing operations from its emissions by 10% against a 2017 baseline.
• Advancing regenerative agriculture practices on 880,000 acres of North American agricultural land since 2020.
• Restoring more than 9 billion liters of water in fiscal year 2023.
• Distributing more than US$115 million to support partners and local communities, and together, providing more than 20 million meals globally in fiscal year 2023.

ADM published “Farming for the Future: The State of Regenerative Agriculture Program Adoption.” The comprehensive report, based on survey data from both consumers and consumer product and retail decision-makers obtained via ADM’s proprietary consumer insights platform — Outside VoiceSM — builds on earlier ADM research by assessing the business drivers, opportunities and challenges for companies looking to adopt regenerative agricultural practices. Earlier this year, ADM research showed that sustainability sourcing claims — and particularly sourcing claims regarding regenerative agriculture — positively impacted consumer purchase decisions. Now, ADM’s newest research report reaffirms the promise and potential of regenerative agriculture practices to meet growing consumer demand for sustainably sourced products while building business resilience for the companies that meet those needs. The focus and opportunities are significant: Industry-wide, revenue from regenerative agriculture is expected to grow from US$8.70 billion in 2022 to US$32.29 billion by 2032.Divaks’ insect protein plant, developed by Bühler.

The EVU, representing 46 civil society organizations from across Europe, unveiled the “Plant-Based Manifesto” in anticipation of the 2024 European elections. The manifesto underscores the urgency of transforming Europe’s food systems to meet the targets of the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The “Plant-Based Manifesto’’ was unveiled at a roundtable event titled “EU Food Systems: Tabling Sustainability to Plant the Future’’ on November 7 in the presence of various high-level EU stakeholders. The manifesto’s core policy recommendations are:

1. Set successive targets to increase the total share of plant protein in European Diets to 60% by 2030, 70% by 2040 and 80% by 2050.
2. Make sustainable and healthy food accessible and affordable.
3. Adopt an ambitious Sustainable Food Systems Framework that sets an ambitious definition of “sustainable food systems.”
4. Ensure a just transition when promoting the production of sustainable and healthy food.

Insect protein
Divaks selected Bühler to develop its first industrial-scale yellow mealworm plant. The plant is expected to produce up to 15,000 tons of insect-derived products annually and scheduled to go into operation in 2025. Bühler will be responsible for planning and executing the plant and providing solutions for the entire supply chain. We recently spoke to Bühler about the emerging insect protein market after it partnered with technology company Entocycle to drive the adoption of large-scale black soldier fly farms.Kalsec opened its SPICE Lab in the Dutch Food Valley.

Dutch Food Valley
Kalsec expanded its existing footprint on the European continent with the opening of its Savoury Product Innovation Centre of Excellence (SPICE Lab) in Wageningen, Netherlands. This new facility will demonstrate Kalsec’s leadership in developing taste and sensory solutions derived from nature, with an emphasis on sauces, dressings and condiments applications. “We chose to locate our new SPICE Lab in the heart of the Wageningen Food Valley to strengthen our position in the region and reinforce our commitment to our European customers,” said Julie Heine, Kalsec’s president and chief commercial officer. “We are excited to tap into the abundance of agrifood innovation clustered at and around Wageningen University & Research.”CP Foods’ egg production facility in Thailand, powered by waste-to-energy.

Sustainable egg production
Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP Foods) implemented cutting-edge waste-to-energy technology in its layer farm operations, enabling egg production with a substantially lower carbon footprint. The company’s Jakarat and Phoprathabchang layer farms were recognized with the Thailand Energy Awards 2022 by the Ministry of Energy for their use of alternative energy sources. The biogas system, which transforms chicken manure into energy, significantly reduces odors and achieves a zero-waste effect on local communities. Additionally, the farms support agricultural sustainability by supplying sludge to neighboring farmers as a substitute for chemical fertilizers, improving soil quality and cutting costs.

By Joshua Poole