A new incentive program born of a collaboration between McDonald’s, Syngenta, and Lopez Foods will pay cattle producers to use a special corn designed to reduce gaseous emissions. Syngenta says its “Enogen” corn improves overall feed efficiency and helps cattle put on weight faster, and can even enhance ethanol production.
Under the new collaboration, McDonald’s and meat supplier Lopez Foods aim to scale use of Syngenta’s Enogen corn as animal feed, according to a news release. Ranchers that work with Lopez will receive 4 cents per head, per day for adding the corn to their feed rations as directed. Syngenta says they are also in talks with other “potential clients” but have not provided details.
The new corn hybrid contains an enzyme that quickly converts starch to usable sugars, providing more readily available energy that helps cattle gain weight quicker. Basically, this means Enogan-fed cattle reach slaughter weight faster, which translates to less greenhouse gases produced because the cattle should have a shorter lifespan. Syngenta says a herd of 1,000 animals using the corn as feed would produce 196 less tons of CO2, the same as removing 35 cars from the road for a year.
Marty Matlock, executive director of the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center, conducted a life-cycle assessment of beef cattle fed Enogen corn that was published in 2021. The assessment (available HERE), based on separate research trials conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and by Kansas State University, found Enogen corn can improve feed efficiency in cattle by about +5%.
Syngenta says Enogen also features the first biotech corn output trait designed specifically to enhance ethanol production. That same enzyme that improves feed efficiency also significantly reduces the viscosity of corn mash and eliminates the need to add a liquid form of the enzyme. According to Syngenta, this breakthrough reduction can lead to unprecedented levels of solids loading, which directly contributes to increased throughput and yield potential, as well as critical cost savings from reduced natural gas, electricity, and water usage.
For the “Feed Forward” opportunity, participants must commit to using Enogen as 50% or greater of the starch rations for a full turn, from feed yard entrance to exit, for a set number of days per opportunity details. Reporting requirements include a Enogen Stewardship Contract, a closeout report, a completed eLuminate contract and a seed invoice. Learn more about the Feed Forward program and Enogen corn HERE.
Eric Boeck, in an interview with DTN/Progressive Farmer , said the Feed Forward program helps food suppliers meet their climate commitments by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in livestock production. “Even more important,” he told DTN, “agriculture gets a lot of bad press when it comes to the environment, despite ranchers and farmers being the best advocates of the environment. This paid opportunity directly benefits consumers and is a way for agriculture to tell its story on protecting the environment and sustainability.” (Sources: DTN, FoodDive, Ethanol Producer)
