Tyson Sets Largest-Ever Sustainable Corn Benchmark
Tyson has announced its commitment to supporting best environmental practices on two million acres of corn by the close of 2020, representing the largest-ever land stewardship benchmark set by a U.S. protein company.
Although the company does not own any grain farms outright, it believes that its commitment will drive grain farmers that supply the company with corn, soybeans, and grain-fed cattle and hogs to adopt more environmentally sound production practices in relation to their use of fertilizers, soil loss, and runoff. The two million acre goal represents enough land to produce sufficient corn to feed all of Tyson’s broiler chicken production as well as some of the pigs and cattle bought for its beef and pork operations.
Tyson states that it plans to work with at least one third-party organization in the establishment of a program that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions along its supply chain, and will collaborate with environmental groups such as the Nature Conservancy and academic experts to achieve its goals.
Tyson is currently increasing the amount of grain it buys through its Local Grain Services program, which sources grain in proximity to where the birds that will be eating it are raised. And within the past few weeks, Tyson’s Local Grain Services acquired three grain elevators from The Andersons in Humboldt, Kenton, and Dyer, Tennessee.
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