Key Takeaways:
- Farmers Business Network (FBN®) and ADM (NYSE: ADM) have launched a new joint venture, Gradable, to expand their technology platform for sustainable and regenerative grain production.
- Gradable tracks sustainable agricultural practices, offering financial rewards for farmers and reliable data for grain buyers.
- Gradable currently serves over 20,000 farmers and partners with major companies like ADM, POET, and Attebury Grain, LLC.
- The new joint venture aims to expand Gradable’s reach, helping more farmers and buyers meet the growing demand for sustainably produced crops.
- Gradable’s expansion will enhance sustainability efforts across the grain supply chain, from production to end customers.
Introduction of the Gradable Joint Venture
Farmers Business Network (FBN®) and ADM (NYSE: ADM) have announced the formation of a new joint venture, Gradable, aimed at significantly expanding the capabilities of their existing technology platform. This venture is set to help farmers and grain buyers better capitalize on the increasing market demand for sustainably and regeneratively produced grain.
The Gradable platform, first introduced in 2020, has already made substantial inroads in promoting sustainable farming practices. By offering an accessible system for tracking agricultural practices and outcomes, Gradable enables farmers to earn financial incentives based on their sustainable practices. For grain buyers, it provides reliable, farm-level data, making it easier to identify and purchase sustainably produced grain that aligns with consumer and corporate demand.
Current Impact and Expansion Plans
As it stands, Gradable is a leading grain procurement platform in North America, serving over 20,000 farmers who collectively manage more than 12 million acres. The platform has assessed more than 200 million bushels of corn and soybeans, analyzed 48 million acre-years of agronomic data, and facilitates over $30 million annually in financial incentives for sustainable farming practices.
The new 50-50 joint venture between FBN and ADM will allow Gradable to scale up its operations, reaching new partners and customers at every stage of the grain supply chain. This includes expanding its services across ADM’s extensive network of facilities in the U.S. and Canada and increasing the number of commercial partners and regions served.
“Gradable is rapidly becoming one of the industry’s leading and largest technology platforms enabling sustainability scoring at scale. We welcome all partners from the CPG and grain buying industries and look forward to serving new markets and more farmers,” said Steele Lorenz, the newly appointed CEO of Gradable.
Driving Value Creation Across the Supply Chain
The demand for sustainably produced crops is on the rise, driven by consumer preferences, corporate sustainability commitments, and public policy initiatives. In response to this growing demand, Gradable plans to enhance its platform’s reach and capabilities, allowing the grain supply chain to meet the global need for more sustainable food, feed, fuel, and industrial products.
“We’re excited to partner with an agricultural leader like ADM to launch Gradable, providing thousands of farmers with powerful sustainability solutions,” said FBN CEO Diego Casanello. “By combining our expertise, Gradable will enhance insights, incentives, and support to help growers profitably adopt regenerative practices. We believe Gradable can become the industry-leading platform.”
ADM, which enrolled over 2.8 million acres in regenerative agriculture programs last year, sees this partnership as a pivotal step in expanding its sustainability efforts. “The continued expansion of this work requires a strong technology platform that enables farmers to easily participate and provides farm-level data for grain buyers and end customers. This new joint venture paves the way for the continued growth of Gradable, opening the door for even more farmers, commercial grain partners, and end customers to benefit from regen ag practices and the growing demand for sustainably sourced products,” said Greg Morris, president of ADM’s Ag Services and Oilseeds business.
