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Farmers have an important role to play helping non-farmers understand food and food systems during the current global pandemic. Illinois Farm Families is helping. Through Illinois Farm Families, IL Corn and our collation partners (Illinois Beef Association, Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Soybean Association, and Midwest Dairy) are reaching out to non-farmers in Chicago and all over Illinois to help them understand our food production systems and take advantage of this time when non-farmers are very interested in how food gets from farm to fork. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve published and shared articles about food safety and the expectation of food delivery remaining constant. We’ve also capitalized on the requirement for people to stay at home and the resulting additional time on social media to bring virtual farm tours to our audience.

Illinois farmers are partnering with PepsiCo and other large corporations across their supply chain to achieve large reductions in carbon emissions. In the first two years of the project, participating farmers have reduced CO2 emissions by 8,155 metric tons, equivalent to taking 1,762 cars off the road. The project is part of PepsiCo’s efforts to help build a more sustainable food system. As a global food and beverage company, agriculture makes up the largest portion of their footprint. The company’s climate strategy related to agriculture goes hand in hand with their sustainable sourcing goals. Through PepsiCo’s Sustainable Farming Program , they promote and support practices that lead to better yields, improved soil health, lower deforestation and productivity for farmers, which also leads to GHG emission reductions.

State farm associations understand how important ag retail stations are to farmers during spring planting season and they have purchased and donated locally made hand sanitizer to prove it. Hand sanitizer began rolling off the assembly line at Marquis Energy in Hennepin, IL this past week and will be distributed throughout the state. The sanitizer comes as COVID-19 cases are starting to increase in rural parts of America. Mark Wilson, Illinois Corn Marketing Board member, went to the Marquis Energy plant and tried out the product firsthand. Illinois Soybean Association and Illinois Corn Marketing Board decided to partner together to help their farmers who depend on ag retailers. (picture of mark Wilson)

This week, the Illinois Corn Growers Association prepared and delivered a list of opportunities for the State of Illinois to invest in the agriculture industry as we face turbulent markets and extremely low prices post COVID 19. From the letter to Illinois Director of Ag Costello: Illinois farmers are facing two crises – the implications of COVID19 on their health and the implications of COVID19 on what is already an extended period of below-cost-of-production prices. We know you will want to help farmers and ethanol plants remain solvent during this global crisis. Attached are some ideas that you and Governor Pritzker’s administration could consider to provide opportunities for the agriculture industry to thrive.