A Success Story in Ag

Today, a domestic agriculture trade success story, a recent update from Japan presents a major opportunity for the Illinois Corn check-off. Japan has been scoring us ethanol using outdated carbon intensity data. Now with updated figures in hand, the playing field is shifting. Lindsey Croke, Illinois Corn’s Communications and Marketing director explains what this one means for corn growers.

“The Corn Check Off was able to work on updating the data in terms of efficiency and carbon intensity. Of US produced ethanol. They continue that work even today, and that work applies to a lot of other areas, like 40 5z and some of the other spaces where we're rating the carbon intensity of us ethanol. But we were able to update the numbers for the Japanese government, and once they re evaluated based on correct recent numbers about corn in US production of ethanol, they found that US ethanol meets their standards, so they opened their market up to us. It has been a really great success story, and the power of like what a bunch of farmers working together can really do and fund and accomplish. And we are excited to see ethanol exports grow to Japan because of the opportunity to compete in their sustainability story and their pursuit of low carbon transportation.”

Illinois Corn Communications and Marketing Director Lindsay Croke.