Through sophisticated breeding and gene editing, CCI has converted a common winter annual weed - field pennycress - into a novel rotational cash crop that fits into existing corn and soybean rotation in the Midwest, allowing farmers to grow three crops in two seasons. CCI has branded this as CoverCress®.
When CoverCress grain is crushed, the oil produced is an ideal lower carbon intensity feedstock to help meet the growing demand for renewable fuels. The meal that is also produced has a protein and amino acid profile similar to canola, making it an ideal animal feed source.
This innovative crop delivers desired benefits for multiple end-uses, such as low carbon feedstock to produce renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and high-protein animal feed.
Our CropThe growth of renewable fuel demand significantly outpaces the availability of feedstock sources. Importantly, renewable diesel production is constrained by a limited number of sustainable non-food-based feedstock sources. This constraint is further exasperated by the lack of low carbon intensity feedstocks like oil produced from CoverCress grain.
The CoverCress crop sequesters carbon and prevents further organic soil carbon loss through cover-cropping, and when the CoverCress oil is used to produce renewable fuels, it also contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, it delivers the ecosystem benefits of a traditional cover crop by mitigating soil erosion, improving soil health, and reducing water and nutrient movement.
CoverCress seed technology provides farmers:
Incremental revenue opportunity
Ecosystem benefits of a cover crop
Increased utilization of land and equipment
Participation in decarbonizing fuel sources
CCI is preparing for a pre-commercial demonstration of the CoverCress crop in select geographies for the 2023/2024 season.
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In the Spring of 2022, CCI announced a unique commercial partnership with Bunge and Chevron to bring this new renewable oilseed crop to market creating a dedicated farm-to-fuel supply chain for the low carbon intensity feedstock produced from CoverCress grain.