Report on Landus Sustainability Initiatives and Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Executive Summary

Landus, an agricultural solutions company, has launched a series of initiatives designed to enhance farm profitability through sustainable practices, directly contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By creating premium markets for crops grown with regenerative methods, Landus is advancing goals related to clean energy, economic growth, climate action, and responsible production. In 2025, these programs generated nearly $2 million in premiums for participating farmers for their 2024 crop, demonstrating a viable economic model for sustainable agriculture.

Initiative 1: Clean Fuel Regulation (CFR) Program

Landus has expanded its Clean Fuel Regulation (CFR) initiative, capitalizing on new Canadian policy to create a premium market for Iowa soybeans. This program directly supports the following SDGs:

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The program incentivizes the production of soy oil for the liquid biofuel market, increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: It provides a new, high-value revenue stream for farmers. For the 2024 crop, participants earned approximately $750,000 in additional premiums.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The initiative establishes a sustainable supply chain, verified through chain-of-custody documentation, ensuring responsible production patterns.

Program Enrollment and Projections

Enrollment for the 2025 crop will open in August. The process is streamlined to maximize participation and collective impact.

1. Farmers complete a brief online harvester declaration.
2. Signed chain-of-custody documentation must be submitted prior to delivery in early October.
3. Soybeans are delivered to a qualifying Landus location.

Landus anticipates quadrupling premium payouts in the next year, significantly scaling its contribution to farm profitability and sustainable agriculture, thereby furthering SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) by strengthening the resilience of food producers.

Supporting Sustainability Programs

Landus has implemented additional programs that reinforce its commitment to the SDGs through strategic partnerships and technological innovation.

Carbon Intensity Supply Chain Program

This program, in partnership with Verity, Friona Industries, LP, and Hereford Ethanol Partners, LP, focuses on creating a transparent, low-carbon supply chain.

• Financial Impact: Paid $420,000 to over 40 farmers for the 2024 crop.
• SDG Alignment:
  • SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Utilizes Verity’s digital platform to track, trace, and validate carbon intensity (CI) data, upgrading agricultural systems with clean and environmentally sound technology.
  • SDG 13 (Climate Action): By generating credible CI scores for grain, the program directly measures and rewards climate-friendly agricultural practices.
  • SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Demonstrates a multi-stakeholder partnership between agriculture, technology, and energy sectors to achieve sustainability outcomes.

Carbon Ready Program

In partnership with Arva Intelligence, this program provides direct financial incentives for the implementation of regenerative farming practices.

• Financial Impact: Paid over $670,000 to more than 40 farmers for the 2024 crop, with average payments of $20.08 per acre.
• SDG Alignment:
  • SDG 15 (Life on Land): Directly promotes practices such as no-till farming, cover cropping, and nutrient management that protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems and improve soil health.
  • SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Fosters sustainable food production systems and resilient agricultural practices.
  • SDG 13 (Climate Action): Incentivizes proven methods for carbon sequestration and reduced emissions in agriculture.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article focuses on sustainable and resilient agriculture. It discusses programs that encourage “regenerative practices” to build a “stronger, more resilient agriculture system,” which is central to ensuring long-term food production and security.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The core initiative mentioned is the Clean Fuel Regulation (CFR), which aims to increase demand for “liquid biofuel” made from soy oil. The article also mentions a partner, Hereford Ethanol Partners, which operates an ethanol refinery, contributing to “renewable energy efforts.”

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The programs create “new market opportunity” and increase “farm profitability” for Iowa farmers. By providing “additional premiums” (e.g., $750,000 for the 2024 crop), the initiative directly supports the economic growth and financial well-being of the farming community.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article emphasizes sustainable production patterns through the promotion of “regenerative practices” such as no-till farming and cover cropping. The partnership with Verity to “track, trace, and validate sustainability attributes” establishes a transparent supply chain, which is a key component of responsible production.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The “Carbon Intensity (CI) Program” is a direct climate action initiative. It tracks the carbon intensity of corn feedstock and rewards farmers for practices that lower emissions. This helps in “building a stronger, more resilient agriculture system” capable of adapting to climate change.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The entire initiative is built on multi-stakeholder partnerships. The article explicitly names the collaborations between Landus and other entities like Verity, Arva Intelligence, Friona Industries, and Hereford Ethanol Partners to achieve shared sustainability and economic objectives.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 2.4: Sustainable food production and resilient agricultural practices

  The article directly addresses this target by promoting “regenerative practices” like “no-till farming, cover cropping, nutrient management, integrated pest management.” These practices are designed to create a “stronger, more resilient agriculture system” and ensure the long-term viability of farming.

• Target 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

  The Landus initiative is driven by policy changes expected to increase “Canada’s demand for liquid biofuel.” The production of soy oil for clean fuel and the mention of an ethanol facility with a “production capacity of approximately 115 million gallons per year” directly contribute to increasing the share of renewable energy.

• Target 8.2: Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation

  The article highlights how farmers can “profit from using regenerative practices,” turning them into new revenue streams. The use of Verity’s “digital platform built to track, trace, and validate sustainability attributes” is a technological innovation that adds value to agricultural products and increases economic productivity for farmers.

• Target 12.2: Achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

  The “Carbon Ready Program” incentivizes farmers to implement or maintain “at least two regenerative practices,” which represent more sustainable management of land and natural resources. The goal is to reward “good stewardship of the land.”

• Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

  While not a national policy, the article describes corporate strategies that integrate climate change measures. The “Carbon Intensity (CI) Program” is a clear example of a business-level strategy to measure, report, and reduce the carbon footprint of the agricultural supply chain, rewarding farmers for transparency and low-carbon practices.

• Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships

  The article is a showcase of private-sector partnerships. It details the collaboration between Landus (an agriculture solutions company), Verity (a tech platform), Arva Intelligence (an environmental market solutions provider), Friona Industries (a cattle feeder), and Hereford Ethanol Partners (an energy company) to create value and advance sustainability.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicators for Target 2.4 & 12.2

  Progress can be measured by the adoption rate and scale of sustainable practices. The article mentions that “more than 40 farmers” enrolled in the Carbon Ready Program and implemented practices like “no-till farming, cover cropping, nutrient management.” The total acreage under these practices is an implied indicator.

• Indicators for Target 7.2

  The volume of renewable energy produced is a direct indicator. The article mentions the “production capacity of approximately 115 million gallons per year” for the Hereford Ethanol facility. The amount of soy oil sold into the “premium clean fuel markets” is another key metric.

• Indicators for Target 8.2

  Financial returns to farmers serve as a clear indicator. The article provides specific figures: “$750,000 in additional premiums” from the CFR initiative, “$420,000” from the CI Program, “$670,000” from the Carbon Ready Program, and an “average payments of $20.08 per acre.” The goal to “quadrupling premiums by this time next year” is a forward-looking indicator.

• Indicators for Target 13.2

  The primary indicator is the “Carbon Intensity (CI) scores” generated for the grain. The article states that these scores “differentiate the grain and qualify it for market premiums.” Tracking these CI scores over time would measure progress in reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture.

• Indicators for Target 17.17

  The number and scale of partnerships are indicators. The article identifies at least four key partners (Verity, Arva, Friona, Hereford). The growth of these programs, such as the expectation for the Carbon Ready Program to “more than double in scale for the 2025 crop year,” measures the success and expansion of these collaborations.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: prnewswire.com