Ingredion Expands Pact to Boost Sustainable Corn Output

Chicago-based ingredient provider Ingredion has renewed its partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) through its subsidiary, Ingredion México, with the goal of producing over 400,000 tons of sustainably grown corn by 2030. The renewed agreement builds on the "Sustainable Origin of Yellow Corn in Mexico" pilot—an initiative launched in 2023 involving 1,200 smallholder farmers in the states of Jalisco and Sinaloa. This regenerative agriculture model included intercropping, soil fertility analysis, holistic pest and disease control, and improved water efficiency.

As a result, the program achieved a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2022 and yielded more than 100,000 tons of sustainably grown corn.

During the signing ceremony held at CIMMYT’s headquarters in El Batan, Texcoco, on July 9, 2025, Jamie López, Director General, Ingredion México, stated that the company envisions scaling production to over 400,000 tons of sustainably grown, free-trade corn by 2030—representing an 80% reduction in emissions from 2022 levels. He cited the program as proof that sustainable, large-scale agriculture is viable, especially amid population growth and intensifying climate change.

Larry Fernandes, Ingredion México’s Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial and Sustainability Officer, acknowledged CIMMYT’s key role in the pilot, highlighting the center’s “crucial contributions in research and innovation for building a resilient agricultural system.”

Speaking on behalf of CIMMYT, Director General Bram Govaerts emphasized that the renewed alliance aims not only to reduce agriculture’s carbon footprint, but also to strengthen rural livelihoods, deter forced migration, and enhance food security. Govaerts described the agreement as “a prime example” of how US-Mexico collaboration can drive stability and prosperity, helping to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and global peace—particularly across the Global South.