CovationBio, Primient Covation LLC Announce Partnership to Support Sustainable Agriculture

CovationBio, a global leader in innovative bio-based material solutions, and Primient Covation LLC, the largest global producer of 100% plant-based 1,3-propanediol (Bio-PDO®), today announced their participation in Primient’s Sustainable Agriculture Program and partnership with Truterra, LLC, the sustainable agriculture business of Land O’Lakes and program delivery partner.

As a farmer-driven program, Truterra is a groundbreaking continuous improvement initiative that supports the adoption and success of sustainable, regenerative agricultural practices at scale in the United States. Truterra uses cutting-edge technology to enable farmers to effectively target and measure the impact of efforts to protect the environment. The program helps to ensure that corn, the feedstock used in CovationBio’s and Primient Covation’s products, meets the highest standard of sustainable practices.

CovationBio’s and Primient Covation’s participation supports U.S. Midwestern corn growers to implement sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices on a scale equivalent to 100% of the agricultural footprint of corn used in the production of their products, Susterra® PDO, Zemea® PDO, and Sorona® polymer.

“The work of the transformative Truterra program aligns perfectly with our commitment to unlock transparency throughout the supply chain. This commitment is core to what we do and why we work so hard to provide renewably sourced alternatives to traditionally petroleum-based materials,” said Michael Saltzberg, CEO, CovationBio. “Making a product from plant-based feedstock is not enough—the feedstock needs to be grown responsibly. Our enrollment in the Primient program is a critical next step in empowering our customers and partners to better track their contributions to reducing the environmental footprint within their supply chain.”

This commitment would not be possible without Primient’s pioneering partnership with Truterra. In 2018, Primient (formerly Tate & Lyle) became the first corn wet-mill ingredient supplier to launch a sustainable agriculture program with Truterra, with an acreage scope representing 100% of the corn it buys globally each year. Now, under the program, Truterra allocates the equivalent number of enrolled acres to Primient Covation’s total annual consumption of corn-based feedstocks. This established a 2021 baseline for measuring the impact Primient Covation will have on an annual basis.

The program provides visibility of environmental-impact-related data on 100% of acres vs. the industry standard of 10%, and the program’s year-over-year results demonstrate incremental improvements against established baselines.

Truterra supports regenerative and sustainable farming operations, introducing novel approaches and practices that have been proven to improve soil health in the long term when implemented correctly and in the right environment. Participating farmers use the Truterra sustainability tool and a network of agronomy advisors to establish a stewardship baseline for each field they farm, identify improvement opportunities, and model the impact of various conservation practices and management changes on field stewardship and profitability. The program’s digital platform, the Truterra sustainability tool, delivers holistic insights to farmers for each agricultural field, putting them in the driver’s seat of advancing sustainable practices that benefit them, the feedstock users, and the environment.

Sustainability tool insights offer recommendations designed to address sustainability factors including GHG emissions, wind and water erosion rates and soil quality trends.

“By participating in this program, we can enable our customers to improve transparency, set goals, and track progress through responsibly sourced agricultural feedstock to make products like Sorona®, Zemea® and Susterra®,” added Saltzberg. “This is increasingly important to our valued partners and customers. Our partnership provides us with the assurance that the corn we use is responsibly sourced.”

CovationBio and Primient Covation are striving to change the game by helping the textiles and materials markets eliminate linear production in favor of a renewable and circular economy. CovationBio is currently home to three products:

• Sorona®, a partially bio-based polymer that answers the global call for high-performance, renewably sourced consumer products, bridging the personal and societal at a defining moment in our ecological stewardship. Sorona® polymer is an eco-efficient polymer containing sustainable, biobased PDO. Fabrics made with Sorona®-based fibers are ideal for fashioning attractive apparel and Sorona® is also used to make soft, durable, and stain-resistant carpet.
• Susterra® propanediol, a 100% plant-based building block used in performance polymer and industrial applications that reduces the need for petroleum-based components while enhancing product performance. Its applications range from polyurethanes used in footwear, to outdoor apparel, to coatings, inks, and functional fluids.
• Zemea®, a plant-based and biodegradable material that helps brands reach sustainability goals without compromising quality or performance. Zemea® meets exacting standards in a variety of key consumer markets, from personal care and home care, to pharmaceuticals, to enhancing flavors and foods.