By Scout Nelson
Cargill has bestowed a $2.5 million grant upon the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota to advance research on two innovative oilseed crops—winter camelina and domesticated winter pennycress. These crops not only produce seed-based oil for low-carbon transportation fuels but also contribute to soil protection, improved water quality, and additional revenue streams for farmers.
Mitch Hunter, Associate Director of the Forever Green Initiative, expressed enthusiasm for the transformative potential of winter camelina and pennycress, highlighting their positive impact on farmers, the environment, rural communities, and the economy of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. The support from Cargill is expected to significantly advance research, bringing these crops closer to reality for farmers.
The seed oil derived from winter camelina and pennycress can serve as drop-in replacements for jet fuel and diesel, offering a major climate solution for hard-to-electrify segments of the transportation sector. Grown in the off-season with minimal inputs, these crops produce seed-based oil with a small greenhouse gas footprint. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from these crops could potentially reduce emissions by over 60% compared to conventional jet fuel or diesel.
Demand for SAF is rising, driven by state and federal incentives and initiatives like the Minnesota SAF Hub. The versatility of the oil extends to applications in food, biopolymers, and other industrial uses, with the high-protein meal suitable for animal feed.
Forever Green, recognized internationally for its work on winter camelina and pennycress, is advancing a portfolio of over 15 new perennial and winter-annual crops. The integration of these crops with common Midwest crops allows for "continuous living cover" agriculture, providing year-round soil coverage. A recent report suggests that widespread adoption of continuous living cover agriculture could significantly reduce nitrogen loss and soil erosion while increasing on-farm profits.
Cargill's commitment to sustainability aligns with the goal of making regenerative agriculture practices commonplace. Winter camelina and domesticated pennycress hold the potential to address key sustainability challenges in agricultural supply chains, including water quality concerns and the demand for low-carbon fuel feedstocks.
The five-year grant from Cargill will expedite research into crop biology and management, with all research findings shared publicly. The collaboration between Cargill and the University of Minnesota underscores their shared commitment to accelerating sustainable solutions in food and agriculture, as members of the MBOLD coalition. The ongoing collaboration with Forever Green aims to illuminate economic, environmental, and agronomic factors for scaling up camelina production.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-richard-7
Categories: Minnesota, General