From the Field to Fido’s Bowl: Our Partnership with Nestlé Purina PetCare to Bolster Sustainability on 50,000 Acres

More than ever before, consumers are aware and conscious of their food choices. They want assurance not only that the ingredients in their food are safe and healthful, but that they were grown by farmers in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. Many companies across the food and agriculture supply chain are working with farmers and ag retailers to answer this call.


It's only natural that consumers would be interested in the same issues when they feed their furry friends. They, too, want to make sure the food they feed their pets includes healthy ingredients that are sustainable for the long term.

Nestlé Purina PetCare has teamed up with Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN to launch a major new initiative to bolster stewardship on farms, in a quantifiable way, in regions where the company sources ingredients for its dog and cat food products.

This initiative, which begins initially on farms surrounding Nestlé Purina PetCare’s Davenport, Iowa, and Clinton, Iowa, production facilities, will support environmental stewardship practices on 50,000 acres of farmland, driving sustainability in the company's grains supply chain to the scale of more than 9 million bushels annually over the next two years.
 
Participating farmers will work with local retailer Innovative Ag Services (IAS) to use the Truterra Insights Engine, our on-farm digital sustainability platform, to benchmark the environmental impact of their current practices, and see areas for potential improvement.
 
By measuring stewardship outcomes and backing them up with data, this initiative aims to support long-term conservation and productivity on farms and quantify the impact of conservation practices across many areas, including nitrogen efficiency, erosion, soil quality, GHG emissions and carbon sequestration, on farms in regions where Nestlé Purina PetCare sources its grains.
 
This announcement closely follows Nestlé's commitment to climate action and the company joining the 'One Planet Business for Biodiversity' (OP2B) coalition, dedicated to scaling up regenerative agriculture practices to protect soil health. The Truterra Insights Engine offers Nestlé Purina PetCare a metrics-based approach to working with farmers to scale up practices that protect soil health throughout its supply chain, supporting the company’s commitment to climate action and involvement in OP2B.
 
At Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN, we know that farmer-driven stewardship is key to protecting the land and supporting the long-term profitability and viability of farm businesses, while growing enough food for us all – and for our pets.
 
If you’re an Iowa farmer interested in learning more, we want to hear from you. For more information, contact Innovative Ag Services or visit www.innovativeag.com.