Sustainable agriculture practices make a huge difference in the carbon intensity of our process. Adding to our sustainability has always been part of our plan. Sustainability has evolved to include many different aspects of our business and how we have an impact on the greater world. Gevo makes use of photosynthesis as an energy-efficient tool for carbon recycling. Nowadays the industry standards take many different factors into account. We base our concept of sustainability on the Argonne GREET model. Many factors are taken into account:
The Argonne GREET model is the best measure we have to dial in the sustainability of processes across the entire business model. After all, sustainability needs to factor in every aspect of life.
Sustainable farming is nothing new. But what once was considered common sense to farmers to optimize the productivity of their lands is now a key tool for us to help fight climate change. Sustainable agriculture methods have been learned over our rich history of tilling the soil and ensuring a healthy crop, because back then it was a life or death proposition. If the crop didn’t produce a farmer’s family could be at risk all winter. The same thing could be said to be true today, only it’s the health of the whole planet at stake.
Gevo’s unique systems approach is focused on getting the most out of our plantbased feedstock to improve global food supply as well as cut GHG emissions from transportation. We strive to source corn feedstock from farmers who use carbon-sequestering regenerative agricultural practices, then multiply the effect by separating the protein and starch out of every kernel.
Corn is an excellent candidate for sustainable agriculture because it is an opportunity to capture carbon as it creates biomass from seed to tall stalks, season after season. Low-till and no-till techniques keep the root, and, in many cases, the stalks and leaves on the ground, where they are incorporated into the soil, adding organic material. This allows farmers to recycle many of the nutrients that the seedlings in the next crop will need, without adding soil inputs, such as synthetic fertilizer. Many sustainable agriculture practices are inspired by regenerative results. Regenerative agriculture is particularly effective with corn:
