The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is partnering with Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) to underscore the many uses of corn, including opportunities in plant-based packaging, chemicals, and nutraceuticals. The Market Development Action Team funded this effort.
“This is a way for us to enter into a conversation with an audience we don’t get to engage with on a day-to-day basis,” said Market Development Action Team Chair and Nebraska farmer Dan Wesely. “This is one of the many efforts we have in the new uses space. Being able to share corn’s story, that we are an abundant, affordable, sustainably grown and versatile crop with this audience is important to future corn demand.”
C&EN subscribers will test their knowledge on corn production and uses by taking a quiz with questions ranging from “How much corn does the U.S. produce each year?” to “Which organic acid produced from corn is used in shampoos, conditioners, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals?”
An infographic showcases how corn is utilized in several ingredients in packaging and dietary supplements.
“This platform helps us open the door for researchers and scientists to learn that corn can be used for everything for everybody from food, fuel, fiber, and chemicals,” said Iowa Corn Growers Association Industrial Innovation Manager, Dr. Alex Buck. “For many fermentation chemicals, you can use any sugar, and this will be an opportunity for scientists to realize that corn is an economical and commercially-available feedstock they could use as a feedstock in their research. Researchers need to know corn is already an industrial chemical feedstock.”
You can test your knowledge by taking the quiz here and view the infographic here.
Chemical & Engineering News has been published by the American Chemical Society since 1923. It is a weekly print and digital publication, with a subscription base made up of individuals involved in chemistry and related fields. You can learn more about C&EN here.
COVID-19 Resources
NCGA is taking a series of actions to do our part to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic fallout it is creating for corn farmers and our customers. Short term, this means instituting policies to protect the health and safety of our stakeholders and the broader communities we serve. Long term, we’re focused on creating solutions to help corn farmers and our customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.
