How Primient Supports Sustainable Agriculture & Ingredients
The World Economic Forum (WEF) says that switching to plant based diets could prevent the loss of thousands of wildlife species.
Rising demand for cheap food puts pressure on farmers to adopt unsustainable, intensive methods that could overuse resources like energy, land and water, the WEF says.
Primient is a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources.
The company has four key focuses:
- Safety - optimising safety, quality and prioritising the environment
- Excellence - working towards excellence in all aspects of the business, not just the end product
- Integrity - using this as a guiding principle of how colleagues work together
- Growth - growing the people, company and its facilities
The company was founded in 1906 by A.E Staley, and now is committed to advancing plant-based solutions with cutting edge science and technology.
Laura Kowalski, Head of Global Sustainability and Marketing at Primient, says “This year, we focused on ensuring our programs are making an impact and decreasing risk within our value chain
“I am proud of the difference we’re making and believe we will continue to demonstrate meaningful change for years to come.
“Despite a dynamic global environment, Primient’s growth strategy remains rooted in sustainability.
“We are honoured and prepared to continue helping our customers meet their sustainability ambitions and drive shared value for years to come.”
Primient's sustainability progress
Primient has had a 30% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2019, setting a goal of 2030 to reach its science based target of 1.5°C.
Primient has partnered with Truterra since 2018 to gain insights and enable regenerative practice improvements through education and outreach across the company.
It supports an intervention program that provides incentives for farmers to implement no-till practices or planting cover crops.
As part of the programme, the company reports that it has 8,600 tonnes of carbon reduced and removed in 2024.
During 2024, the company says it funded 20,000 acres of regenerative agriculture interventions in its corn supply shed during the growing season.
This allowed the company to collect data on water quality impact factors and carbon metrics.
Jim Stutelberg, CEO, Primient says “Our sustainability record is industry leading.
“We feel confident that our focus areas are the right ones to help drive excellence within our plants and in our supply chain.
“We are making progress toward our science based targets and continuing to invest in our agricultural footprint.
“Many of our customers have bold sustainability ambitions and we are well positioned to help them achieve their goals.”
Primient's people strategy
Primient says that it connects with its employees via employee resource groups (ERGs).
It has six key focuses:
- Support neurodivergent and physically disabled employees
- Support black employees
- Involvement in PRIDE, supporting LGBTQIA+ employees
- Supporting military veteran employees
- Unidos- supporting Latino/Latina employees
After a review of 2024, the company has found some areas of improvement for inclusion in the company.
These include providing a private and equipped area for breastfeeding/pumping, implementing automatic doors, creating ADA-compliant ramps with handrails and adjustable comfortable seating for staff.
How is Primient making its supply chain sustainable?
The company says it wants to have zero deforestation in its supply chain by 2050.
Primient announced the beginnings of a partnership with Sustainea Bioglycols that will provide corn syrup feedstock which will be converted into bio-based monoethylene glycol (bio-MEG).
Bio-MEG is a plant based alternative for petroleum-based chemicals, often making up around half the carbon footprint of products.
It is used in the production of beverage bottles, food containers, apparel, footwear and antifreeze.
The companies are based next door to each other, making for optimised manufacturing rates and eliminating the need for trucks to transport products.
The company says that one of the key technologies that allows Primient’s corn wet mills to operate efficiently is natural gas-powered combined heat and power units.
Gustavo Sergi, CEO at Sustainea Bioglycols, says: “With sustainability at the core of our go-to-market strategy, we feel confident that Primient is the right partner to provide a low-carbon dextrose for our bio-MEG manufacturing process.
“Primient has proven to be collaborative, reliable and data-driven, all assets that will position Sustainea to make an impact in the market both locally and globally.”