MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, US — Demand for low-carbon intensity feedstocks in biofuels is driving a collaboration between Cargill and the Forever Green Initiative to further develop winter camelina and domesticated pennycress as potential high-oilseed cash crops.

Cargill and the Forever Green Initiative, a research platform in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota, are focusing on the development of high-performing seed varieties and farming techniques adapted for the unique growing conditions of the Upper Midwest.

Planted in the fall and harvested in the spring, winter camelina and domesticated pennycress are typically grown as intermediate oilseed crops that provide soil cover and have the potential to address sustainability challenges in agricultural supply chains, including water quality, soil health and ecosystem improvements. The crops can be used in a rotation with corn and soy or after small seed crops like wheat.

Given the high oil content of these crops, there is an emerging revenue opportunity to grow winter camelina and pennycress as cash crops, driven by rising demand for low-carbon intensity feedstocks. The seed oil can be refined into drop-in replacements for low-carbon transportation fuels such as sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel.

“Innovations in agriculture are critical to help feed and fuel the world sustainably while also addressing climate change,” said Lyle DePauw, crop innovation director for Cargill. “Cargill has a long history of partnering with the University of Minnesota and working alongside farmers to advance new market opportunities. Winter camelina and pennycress have incredible potential to aid in the decarbonization of the global transportation system and support a more sustainable food system.”

Cargill will bring expertise in crop improvement to the collaboration — including trait discovery, high throughput genotyping, genomic selection, trait development and cellular biology — to rapidly advance the diverse genetics from the University of Minnesota. The application of these technologies will accelerate the development and commercial release of improved varieties of camelina and pennycress. 

The project builds on a previously announced $2.5 million philanthropic grant awarded to the university from Cargill to accelerate research into crop biology and management.

“This support from Cargill will take our breeding and genomics work to the next level and help us develop even better varieties of camelina and pennycress for farmers in Minnesota and beyond,” said Mitch Hunter, associate director of the Forever Green Initiative. “We are incredibly grateful to Cargill for this very generous research partnership.”

Cargill is actively working with a small number of farmers in Minnesota and North Dakota to learn more about suitable growing conditions for camelina, with the first harvest wrapping up this month. As Cargill expands its pilot, additional opportunities for farmers to explore winter camelina as an option for their operations will be available starting Aug. 1.

Minnesota farmers who participate in Cargill’s pilot program may be eligible for support through a Forever Green program called Environmental and Economic Clusters of Opportunity (EECO), which is funded by the Clean Water Council with support from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.