Scoular announced that soybean producers will benefit from a new program is participating in that offers financial incentives for following sustainable farming practices.

The per-acre incentives are offered through a national Climate-Smart program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Scoular said its participation reflects the strides the company is making in sustainability, ranging from trialing emissions-reduction technology to launching a regenerative agriculture pilot program.

The Climate-Smart program rewards producers in certain regions for implementing practices that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, promote carbon sequestration and improve soil health. The soybeans Scoular sources through the program will be marketed to brands and retailers, allowing the sustainability benefits to be passed through the supply chain.

Producers in the new program must use one of the following practices to be eligible for incentives: conservation crop rotation, no-till; cover crops, nutrient management and reduced till.

Scoular recently processed its first Climate-Smart soybeans at the company’s state-of the-art grain cleaning facility in Andres, Ill.

Jake Willrett, a sixth-generation family farmer in Malta, Ill., who works with Scoular, grows soybeans that have qualified for the Climate-Smart program and said his family has used sustainable farming practices for decades. The program’s financial incentives are helpful, he said, but what is most important to him is that it promotes sustainability.

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“I’m a steward of the land,” Willrett said. “It’s my job to take care of it.”

The Climate-Smart effort is known officially as the Transforming the Farmer to Consumer Supply Chain project. The USDA funding is through Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities and represents a pioneering collaboration between industry partners led by Carbon A List. 

“Sustainability is important for our company and is crucial for the agriculture industry,” said Eric Kresin, a general manager in Scoular’s Grain Division. “We are excited we can support producers in their sustainability efforts. This program highlights our commitment to building a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system for generations to come.”

As part of its larger sustainability efforts, Scoular had also announced a partnership with Regrow last year through which Regrow will be the measurement, reporting and verification partner for Scoular’s regenerative agriculture sourcing program. Regrow enables companies in the agriculture supply chain to support net-zero objectives through science-based GHG measurement, impact reporting and program verification to reduce GHG emissions, the earlier news release noted.

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Scoular, an employee-owned agribusiness company since 1892, is headquartered in Omaha, Neb., and has more than 100 offices and facilities in North America and Asia. The company buys, sells, stores, handles and processes grain and ingredients by leveraging global networks and expertise in international trade and transportation. Scoular provides safe and reliable solutions to farmers, grain processors, renewable energy producers and manufacturers of animal feed, aquaculture feed and pet food, as well as food, beverages and supplements.