making the case to farm for tables and fuel tanks

For lifelong Iowa farmer Kevin Lucke, harvesting crops isn’t just about filling plates—it’s also a way to support lower carbon fuel growth.

During a recent World Food Prize Foundation panel discussion, Lucke and his peers highlighted how advancements in the agriculture industry have helped to support the growth of both the food and fuel sectors. He said further collaboration is needed to scale the availability of feedstocks such as corn, soybean and cover crop oils to produce renewable fuels.

“Feeding the world is very complex,” said Lucke, who also happens to be president of Chevron Renewable Energy Group. “Fueling the world is very complex. Reducing greenhouse gases is very complex, and you can’t solve any of these three challenges without collaboration.”

The shift to high-quality, lower carbon fuels depends on energy-intense feedstocks. Chevron uses feedstocks that are waste and byproducts from the agricultural industry.

Agricultural suppliers, energy companies and allies can work together to build supply chains that keep waste from landfills, increase crop yields and contribute to the development of lower carbon energy.

Chevron supports policies that guide the scaling of lower carbon intensity solutions for the transportation sector.

Lucke said, during the recent panel moderated by Billi Hunt, executive director of America’s Cultivation Corridor, that working together to find solutions will be a key part of getting there.

“It’s going to take teamwork, and it’s going to take innovation,” he said. “I’m optimistic about the future, even though they’re complex challenges. But it’s going to take all of us to be able to be successful in meeting those three challenges of food, reliable fuel and a lower carbon environment.”

Click here to watch the full panel discussion.