The Alliance is committed to food waste reduction and repurposing and decarbonization goals.
By Ainsley Andres, Farms.com
The Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA) represents a collaborative movement to boost food waste reduction and recycling and expand renewable energy production across America.
It was founded in December 2020 by Vanguard Renewables. Members of the FPSA include Dairy Farmers of America, Starbucks, Unilever, Cabot Creamery, Stonyfield Organic, and most recently, Smithfield Foods.
The FPSA was recently named as one of Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas.
The alliance enables U.S. food manufacturers and retailers to recycle unavoidable food waste on farms. It is combined with farm manure in a farm-powered anaerobic digester to generate renewable natural gas (RNG).
The FPSA is a circular approach that reduces the detrimental environmental impacts of CO2 emissions and offers a direct pathway to a carbon-neutral footprint.
Working alongside farms, Vanguard’s goals are to:
- Recycle animal manure into renewable energy utilizing farm-based anaerobic digesters;
- Recycle food waste into renewable energy and low-carbon fertilizer via farm-based anaerobic digestion;
- Support regenerative agriculture best practices, improve soil health, and increase crop yields;
- Protect watersheds by controlling the constituent values of the low-carbon fertilizer;
- Significantly reduce farm generated greenhouse gas emissions
“We are building a coalition of like-minded companies that are committed to our country’s low-carbon future,” says John Hanselman, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the FPSA.
“There are many alliances and sustainability targets; this alliance offers a tangible road map with action steps to fulfill sustainability targets and make a real difference.”
Smithfield Foods recently announced its decision to join the alliance. Smithfield Foods commitments include reducing waste sent to landfills, increasing renewable energy sourcing and creation, and becoming carbon negative in its U.S. company-owned operations by 2030.
“Our aggressive sustainability goals and programs are the foundation of how we carry out our commitment to produce ‘Good food. Responsibly.’ with respect for our people, animals, communities and planet,” explains Stewart Leeth, chief sustainability officer for Smithfield Foods.
“We’re excited to join the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance and accelerate progress toward our leading goals, including our pledge to achieve a 75 percent reduction in waste and certify 75 percent of our U.S. facilities zero-waste-to-landfill by 2025.”
More about Farm Powered Strategic Alliance Founding Members
Starbucks
As a founding member of the FPSA, Starbucks repurposes food waste within its supply chain into renewable energy via farm-based anaerobic digesters. The process produces low carbon fertilizer that host farms use to support regenerative agriculture practices. Starbucks, in turn, helps contribute to a low carbon economy.
Dairy Farmers of America (DFA)
DFA’s multi-year strategic alliance with Vanguard Renewables offers DFA farm families nationwide the opportunity to host a Vanguard Renewables Farm Powered anaerobic digester. The FPSA provides DFA with a waste diversion strategy and negative carbon renewable energy pathway that aligns with their science-based goals and provides process efficiencies to DFA plants.
Unilever
Unilever is committed to several other waste reduction efforts, such as halving the food waste from its operations by 2025. Joining the FPSA provides Unilever with circular solutions to achieve its waste and decarbonization goals. Unilever is focusing on finding innovative ways to keep resources in use for longer by exploring repurposing unavoidable food waste into renewable energy.
For more information on the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance, visit https://vanguardrenewables.com/fpsa-farm-powered-strategic-alliance/.