Decarbonization and Farming

Decarbonization is key when it comes to combating climate change, and agriculture plays a major role in it. To support farmers in driving sustainability across the entire value chain, Bayer collaborates with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Bushel in Project Carbonview – a data solution that will help ethanol producers in the United States report, analyze and assess their end-to-end supply chain carbon footprint. This new solution marks the latest development by Bayer – who is working to build a portfolio of farmer-facing programs to complement our existing Bayer Carbon Initiative, a program which incentivizes the adoption of climate-smart practices, creating new revenue streams for growers who use technology to keep carbon in the soil – and out of the atmosphere.. Join Max Dougherty- Carbon Business Development Lead for Bayer- Crop Science as he chats carbon, farming, and what this could mean for the value chain.

Transcript

Phil: 0:06

Welcome to RDBA's Morning Fix. Today, my guest is Max Dougherty, business development lead for Bayer carbon. Max, welcome to the Morning Fix

Max: 0:18

Phil, It's a pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me.

Phil: 0:21

So I gotta ask you the first question. What does decarbonization mean? And especially for retail dietitians who want to know more about sustainability, why is this important?

Max: 0:34

Well, I, I think Phil starting at at a high level decarbonization is the recognition that as a society, we need to transition away from carbon and highly intensive fossil fuels across all industries. If we aim to have a hospitable planet for the future and many generations to come. And in the case of the agriculture and food sector, I, I, I think that means clearly recognizing the fact there is a fundamental tension that we need to embrace and that tension is we have a growing planet of up to 10 billion people by 2050 that we need to continue to nourish and feed while at the same time, recognizing that, um, the agri food sector all the way down to the retailer and to the consumer has a real environmental footprint. And so it's not just about how do we produce more it's how do we produce better? So we can ultimately nourish this growing world while at the same time transitioning the agri food sector, retail and consumer foods to net zero.

Phil: 1:38

So Max, you know, fossil fuels are in the news just about every day. Um, and I think that the average person, and certainly the average shopper thinks about fossil fuels in our food supply, being petrochemicals for packaging. What are fossil fuels role today, um, in agriculture and how does that need to change?

Max: 2:00

Well, here's the thing, Phil, um, you're right to say that there are fossil fuels and fossil fuel related inputs associated within the agri food system. Uh, but agriculture's also one of the greatest carbon sinks that exists out there. So what we're working on at Bayer carbon is how do we provide farmers with the tools, support and incentives to ultimately adopt climate smart farming practices, as well as even inputs that help them further reduce the carbon emissions associated with providing the commodities inputs into our food system, such that we can ultimately sure that agriculture is sustainable and a much greater carbon sink. So taking emissions outta the atmosphere and bringing them into the ground and into plants rather than creating and emitting emissions.

Phil: 2:57

So we read a lot about the time is running short to do all this. How long will it take realistically for Bayer to be able to work with farmers to make this change

Max: 3:11

We're working day in and day out, you know, one of the things about Bayer crop science and why we're so well positioned, um, to re I think lead the sustainable transformation of agriculture in the agri food sector. I is the unique confluence of capabilities that we have in digital farming, as well as an R and D innovation. And so look, it's going to take years, and this is going to be a process that will occur step by, but, um, we're already working today across millions of acres globally to help farmers through this conservation journey and believe we're, we're well equipped to not only scale this up for farmers and across the bay ecosystem, but also to make sure that decarbonization is scalable for consumer foods and retail companies as well, that are ultimately connected to the farmers in the value chain.

Phil: 4:06

So we see a lot of companies, CPG companies, um, really having initiatives as it relates to sustainability, everything that, that you're pointing out. So they're on board, but as you point out, it starts with the farmer. So when you go to a farmer and you talk to them about these kinds of changes, uh, that Bayer can help them with what's your reaction?

Max: 4:32

Well, I, I, I think Phil, uh, there's a lot of enthusiasm, um, among farmers to find ways to be more productive and to be or sustainable, you know, ultimately, uh, a decision that a farmer makes it's never in a vacuum. Um, I, if they're deciding to adopt a new climate smart farming practice, like introducing cover crops to their operation, uh, that's a decision that has to be made on balance within the broader context, agronomic context of their operations. So at Bayer, we have thousands of individuals globally, as well as many more partners, um, across the countryside of the us and in other regions, working with farmers to really make those decisions, considering the entire agronomic system of their farm. So all to, they can be more productive, profitable, and resilient. And that's something that, um, just about every farmer's on board with.

Phil: 5:31

So max, probably the toughest question that I'm gonna ask you is how do we communicate this to our shoppers? Um, certainly when we look at retail dieticians being on the front line, whether it's through these days or in person, um, they're a great carrier for these kinds of messages to shoppers from a sustainability standpoint, but what is it that we really want to communicate to that shopper so that we don't overwhelm them? Uh, you know, when I talk to shoppers in, in soup markets and I talk about sustainability and so on, you can almost see their eyes, you know, glass over, um, that, that it's above their head. So how do we communicate this as effectively as possible to the ever every day shopper and underscore the importance of it?

Max: 6:19

It, it's a really great, great question, Phil, and, and it, it gets at the heart of why we at Bayer have launched project carbon view, which really aims at developing the digital infrastructure for not only footprinting the, um, missions and sustainability profile of the farm and ultimately the commodities that are produced on that farm, but actually being able to seamlessly track the emissions associated with a product that starts at the farm gate, but that goes all the way through the value chains, to ultimately land on a retail shelf and in a consumer's shop cart. And it's through, I believe this type of digital infrastructure to connect the value chain that we can get at what you asked about Phil, which is how do we clearly communicate to consumers? What truly is sustainability? I think concepts like actually having an eco score that describes environmental attributes associated with a given product like the total G HG emissions associated it with it from cradle to grave is a great way to, to really get clear with consumers, your retail, dieticians, and, and everybody else involved, um, on why a given product is aligning with their personal preferences of having a responsible environmental footprint comes a on to the technology and how we bring them. I think that these key information points like the GEG associated with the given product production and we think project carbon view could be a big part of that solution.

Phil: 7:49

I think you're a thousand percent correct. And the most important way that we can empower consumers and CPG companies is to align with their values and everyone that I speak with, uh, from CEOs of retailers down to, you know, the consumers and, and the people who work in store all have, um, the winded our back, if you would, on this, we know that we've gotta do things we know we've gotta make these changes in order to have a planet to survive on and to have the, you know, best tasting best quality foods available. Um, so, you know, I, I think you're a thousand percent correct. Um, I also know that you've developed a partnership with Amazon. Tell us a little bit about that.

Max: 8:34

Yeah, absolutely. This is the project carbon view that I refer to it's in conjunction in with Amazon as well as another one of our, our partners bushel. And as I mentioned, it's really aimed at creating the digital infrastructure for connecting the entire value chain. So ultimately that when Phillip farmer institutes, climate smart farming practices and, and really works to improve the sustainability and stewardship of their operation, that those improvements, those emission reductions that are associated with the concrete action that they're taking can ultimately connect to a processor to a food manufacturer and to a retailer. So that, as we mentioned in our just prior discussion, consumers can, can be aware of the fact that the product that they're buying comes with these environmental attributes that are prioritizing sustainability,

Phil: 9:31

And when the consumers aware of it, um, they're much more likely to, to buy those products from those farmers and from those brands that have this alignment with, with what they want. So I think education is key to this and max, thank you for doing a great job, um, on this with every farmer that that's out there and changing our world for the better.

Max: 9:57

Thank you, Phil. I, I really appreciate having the time to have the conversation with you. I think you summed it up very well. Uh, companies are invested in this, not because it's, it's obviously the right thing to do, but also because consumers increasingly are expecting that the brands that are presented to them, um, have sustainability at the core of their brand promise. And, and we're really pleased to be a part of enabling that future all the way across the value chain from farm to consumer

Phil: 10:27

Max, thank you today for joining us on the Morning Fix.

Max: 10:30

It's been my pleasure. Thanks for having me.