Gro Alliance Becomes the First US Seed Corn and Soybean Seed Producer Working Toward Third-Party Validation of its Sustainability Practices
CUBA CITY, Wis. – Gro Alliance announces that it has enrolled in Leading Harvest as a Program User, making it the first seed production company working to certify its sustainability practices to the Leading Harvest Farmland Management Standard.
Gro Alliance’s commitment to sustainable seed corn and soybean seed production allows every link in the seed and grain supply chain to benefit, including seed companies, food manufacturers and grain end-users. Each can improve on their sustainability efforts and work toward their ESG goals by selling sustainably produced seed or purchasing grain produced from seed grown by Gro Alliance.
The core elements are climate-smart practices that use innovation to improve soil quality, reduce chemical runoff and reduce fuel usage. These same practices are proving to benefit Gro Alliance’s clients with improved seed quality and yield.
“Sustainable seed production practices are imperative for the future of our business, the health of American farmland and the improvement of the broader environment,” said Jim Schweigert, president of Gro Alliance. “Our efforts will connect the entire seed and grain supply chain with sustainable practices that add value to the end-users and meet customer’s preferences for sustainably produced food, fuel and ag products.”
Sustainability is Profitable
According to a May 2023 article in Fortune magazine, more than 90% of the S&P 500 are publishing ESG reports for review by their employees, customers and investors. In short, sustainable practices have gone from a talking point to a decision point.
“Our entire food system starts with the seed. It is important for food and ag companies to pay attention to not only how ingredients are grown but how seeds are grown,” said Kenny Fahey, president and CEO of Leading Harvest. “We are thrilled to have Gro Alliance enroll as the first seed production company working to certify its practices to our Farmland Management Standard.”
About Gro Alliance
Founded in 1941, Gro Alliance is North America’s largest independently owned contract seed corn and soybean seed production company. It provides GMO, non-GMO, organic, regulated, popcorn and soybean seed production as well a full suite of seed corn and soybean nursery services for companies around the world. Its headquarters are in Cuba City, Wis. with additional seed corn operations in Howe, Ind. and soybean seed operations in Mount Pulaski Ill., Breckenridge, Minn. and Leland, Iowa. It has nursery operations in Chile through its joint venture, CIS Alliance, and out licenses seed corn and soybean germplasm through Breeder Direct. You can learn more at www.groalliance.com, www.cisalliance.cl and www.breederdirectllc.com.
About Leading Harvest: Leading Harvest is a nonprofit organization working to harmonize sustainability standards across the food sector and scale best practices in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. It was launched in 2020 by and for stakeholders across the supply chain, from farmland owners to companies and communities, including input from more than 50 stakeholders. Leading Harvest’s Farmland Management Standard is a third-party audited framework that has been applied across diverse farming operations and crop types globally with almost 3 million acres now enrolled. Leading Harvest Founding Supporters include Cargill, Nestlé, John Deere, and Nutrien Ag Solutions. www.leadingharvest.org