NCGA’s Program Roadmap: A Pocket Guide to Sustainability

The Market Development Action Team funded a study with the American Feed Industry Association and IFEEDER, to analyze the economic and environmental impact of a completely non-GMO feed supply chain.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 7.1 By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services. 7.2 By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in...

The grant program is supported by NCGA and offered to state cattle associations ranging from $2,000 - $4,000. The series is a collaborative effort to advance grassroots education on topics that improve cattle production efficiency, profitability, and sustainability.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. 6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems,...

MDAT sponsored a collaboration with C&EN, to help promote the performance advantages of corn in the new uses space. Through C&EN's platform, we were able to provide our content directly to scientists and engineers within the biotech community through a series of interactive infographics, social media content, and online quizzes.    Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution contamination. 9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all counties, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural...

In order to use the surplus of corn, we are meeting with government agencies and companies to further connect the whole value chain and position corn as a sustainable, abundant and economical feedstock.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution contamination. 9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all counties, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. 13.1  Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. 15.1  By 2020,...

NCGA is a member of the Dairy Sustainability Alliance, searching for new ways to partner in sustainable dairy and dairy product production. This partnership also serves as means to interact with our customer and better learn how to service their needs to address industry questions around feed inputs.    Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. 6.6 By 2020, protect and...

MDAT commissioned a report to explore an existing hypothesis if sustainability could act as a barrier to trade and market access. This report illustrates a pro-science, Agro-Innovation counter philosophy to the EU's Farm to Fork prioritizing technological innovation, sustainability and food security.     Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 2.b Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies, and export measures with equivalent effect. 6.6 By 2020, protect and restore...

NCGA co-chairs MAIZALL with U.S. Grains Council, Abramilho and Maizar. MAIZALL, the International Maize Alliance, is an initiative that communicates the benefits of modern agriculture, addresses asynchronus approval of biotechnology products, and promotes regulatory harmonization to confront trade barriers to important agricultural technologies. MAIZALL’s farmer directors meet regularly with high-level government officials and engage with international multilateral institutions to ensure the farmer perspective is heard on these important topics. Recently, MAIZALL’s U.S. directors met with U.S. government trade and agriculture officials in Washington D.C.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather,...

MDAT supports educational and outreach efforts around a national incentive bill that opens opportunities and limits barriers to biobased, renewable, and sustainable chemicals and materials production in the United States. This effort aims to incentivize biobased production and infrastructure by providing federal funds for production credits and capital offsets and will work to leverage state incentive efforts as well.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution contamination. 9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all counties, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. 12.2 By...

The purpose of this MOU is to build upon the established general framework for cooperation between National Pork Board (NPB), United Soybean Board (USB) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) on mutually beneficial sustainability research, including completed, current and planned research and communications. "Sustainability Research" is research directly related to environmental sustainability indicators of carbon (greenhouse gases), water use, land use, water quality, and soil health. The key goal for communications is to increase the education, capacity, and motivation of farmers to adopt conservation measures that deliver benefits to the environment and to farm resilience and profitability.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for...

This collaboration with National Pork Board (NPB) funded in part by NCGA's Market Development Action Team (MDAT) is a multidisciplinary, coordinated research approach that spans multiple regions of the U.S.  While some of the data has been collected and is available for various sectors of the cycle of nutrient transfer from pigs, to soil, to manure to grain crops in turn used for pig feed, there has never been a systems approach to better understanding the efficiency of nutrient transfer from one segment of the cycle to another.  The intent is to identify and fill the many gaps in knowledge that exist to complete our understanding of the cycle through a phased request for proposals (RFPs) broken up over a 3.5-year process.  Those awarded any phase of the research will be invited to participate in a Task Force with other researchers and producers in order to build upon knowledge gained along the way. It is expected that these efforts will be closely coordinated with the Real Pork...

In partnership with the National Pork Board (NBP) NCGA provided funds for this research to help update the National Academics Nutrient Requirements of Swine, which hasn’t been updated since 2012.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. 6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers, and lakes. 12.2 By...

NCGA's Market Development Action Team (MDAT) supported and was an involved member of this Coalition to coordinate a U.S. food and agricultural industry-wide coalition to direct U.S. strategic active engagement in the United Nations (UN) Food Systems Summit which met to make key recommendations to the United Nations with regards to farming techniques, productions systems that would have global trade implications should artificial trade barriers around sustainability be recommended.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 2.b Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural...

NCGA continues to be a member of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (USRSB) and most recently participated in their Feed Task Force. USRSB enables corn to have a platform in addressing a critical feed input discussions, ensuring that what happens in the field helps promote sustainable beef production beyond the gate.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. 6.6 By...

As of 2022, NCGA is now a member of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs (US-RSPE) and has provided feedback from a feed perspective on their sustainable poultry production protocol.    Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   2.4 By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality. 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity. 6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers, and...

There are now several demonstratable bio-advantaged molecules (PDO, FDCA, Malonic Acid, PLA) that compete on performance and can be derived from corn. We propose to bring stakeholders from both the supply and demand side together to identify those attributes that customers need and want. The goal of this meeting is to develop networks between renewable materials suppliers and increase knowledge of what is possible and what is needed.   Alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:   3.9 By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution contamination. 9.5 Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all counties, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development...