At LifeLine Foods, we are enriching our commitment to our stakeholders, focusing on sustainable growth that upholds our ability to:
* Maintain financial returns for our ownership
* Reinforce our values in manufacturing high-quality corn products
* Promote employee safety and food safety
* Preserve our natural resources
* Provide food security for our families and friends
We are engaged in multiple efforts to reduce carbon emissions within our manufacturing operations and with our suppliers, including our network of farmers. As of January 2025, we have made a pledge to the Science Based Targets Institute (SBTi) to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 42 percent by the year 2030.
LifeLine Foods’ sustainability journey began in 2022 when a third-party sustainability consultant conducted a materiality assessment of the organization and its stakeholders, providing analysis and perspective on key sustainability strategies. Through surveys and mathematical rankings, LifeLine Foods identified the four most vital initiatives to consider:
* Employee Health & Safety
* Soil Health
* Energy Use
* Business Integrity
With a framework in place, LifeLine Foods appointed a sustainability team to accurately measure baseline-year carbon emissions in fiscal year 2023. Guidance from Supplier LOCT (Supplier Leadership On Climate Transition) enabled our sustainability team to determine carbon emissions within each of the three wide-ranging scopes, as defined by the World Resources Institute.
LifeLine Foods recognizes Scope 3 emissions as they are defined by the World Resources Institute and United Nations Global Compact: carbon emissions produced by and attributed to an organization’s supply chain. Though we have not set a formal Scope 3 emissions target, we are engaging in broad efforts to maximize carbon reductions. For over two years, we have partnered with Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) and Soil & Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF) to enroll farmers across our region in a cover-crop cost-share program – essentially offering farmers the resources and financial incentives necessary to plant cover crops. As of 2023, LifeLine Foods and its partners have enrolled 13,000 acres (and counting) in cover crops. Cover crops are known to positively impact soil health, water retention and biodiversity.
Because of the progress LifeLine Foods has made over the course of the past two years, it was recently awarded three badges by the Science Based Targets Institute (SBTi): GreenHouse Gas Protocol Scope 1 & 2 Footprint; GreenHouse Gas Protocol Scope 3 Footprint; and an SBTi Target Approved badge.
Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the GreenHouse Gas (GHG) Protocol of the World Resources Institute. It summarizes the sustainability approach, activities and goals of LifeLine Foods, LLC, for the 12-month fiscal reporting period, August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023.
The data outlined in this report was recorded and gathered by conforming to an operational control boundary. It excludes holding companies.
In 2022, LifeLine Foods, LLC, began taking action to commit to sustainable business activities by prioritizing key environmental initiatives. This data represents baseline year metrics for LifeLine Foods. All reported figures are in the process of being verified by a third party.
In 2001, progressiver farmers joined together as an Identity Preserved production cooperative – called AgraMarke – to establish LifeLine Foods, LLC, a 785,000 square foot manufacturing facility capable of producing high- quality food ingredients. Today that coalition includes more than 600 farmers across the Midwest.
Because of the strength of our surrounding agricultural community and our state of-the-art milling technology, LifeLine Foods is able to serve a variety of industries with corn meal, corn flour and industrial binder, among other products. Although we mill more than 26 million bushels of corn per year, we attribute our success to our relationship-driven and responsive nature. Customers who procure from LifeLine Foods know they are receiving exceptional customer service and the best products our industry has to offer.
In our field, we stand out because we excel in producing high-quality corn products and we empower the farmers with whom we work. It’s the reason we’ve grown to become the third-largest corn mill in the country. With new projects on the horizon, LifeLine Foods is committed to change. Our efforts to grow corn sustainably will enable us to deliver food to your table, generation after generation. We’re also proud to emrbace our long-standing heritage in our community.
From our farmer-owners to our dedicated workforce, every kernel of corn that comes from LifeLine Foods has a story behind it. Imagine what corn can do at LifeLine Foods.
LifeLine Foods
2811 S. 11th St.
St. Joseph, MO 64503
All aspects of the sustainability initiative undertaken by LifeLine Foods are overseen by the members of our Board of Directors.
Our actions are governed at an executive level, based upon our code of team behavior and founded in the purpose of continuing to provide long-term value to our stakeholders and business partners.
Together with third-party partners, LifeLine Foods’ sustainability team leads the implementation and reporting of all facets of the sustainability initiative. Performance criteria are set, monitored and reviewed at regular intervals. Legal risks and compliance are overseen by a third-party law firm.
Focus Areas | FY 2023
• Promote and grow cover-crop cost-share program
• Report baseline year Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions
• Participate in Product Carbon Footprint pilot using the
• CO2AI Product Ecosystem tool developed by CDP
• Develop methodology and report baseline year Scope 3 emissions
By defining key sustainability terms and reaching out to key stakeholders including internal leadership, investors, and customers, the consultant provided valuable assessment findings:
METHODOLOGY
Assessment Findings:
Participants ranked issues by Personal Importance, Impact on the Company and the Company’s Ability to Influence. Afterward, each participant was given the opportunity to add context to their responses with a 30-minute interview. Interviews were conducted with 94% of participants.
Employee Health & Safety was the highest prioritized topic overall, receiving 37% of ranking points across all sections
Other top-ranked topics were Soil Health, Energy Use, Business Integrity and Employee Engagement
Each of the issues were then mapped on a grid with two axes, Personal Importance and the Impact on the Company. The materiality assessment provided rigor in prioritizing key sustainability initiatives for future strategy development with regard to sustainability.
Our Approach:
With a framework in place after a materiality assessment, LifeLine Foods’ executive team appointed a sustainability team with professional experience across diverse disciplines to accurately measure FY 2023 emissions. The sustainability team reached out to value-chain partners for guidance and enrolled in Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition (LOCT) courses to begin tracking emissions.
Emissions Reporting:
LifeLine Foods examined Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 categories broadly, marking FY 2023 as our baseline year for reporting emissions.
As represented above, Scope 1 emissions were 80,814 T (tons) CO2e, accounting for 21.8% of total emissions from LifeLine Foods in FY 2023. These emissions resulted from the use of natural gas as a source of stationary combustion during milling. Scope 2 emissions were quantified from the purchase of electricity through a regional provider, constituting 10.9% of total emissions, or 40,606 T CO2e. As our largest category of emissions, Scope 3 made up 67.3% of total FY 2023 emissions, or 249,552 T CO2e.
Scope 3 Emissions Analysis:
Based on data ranging from proprietary reports to national trends and averages, the below data represents a breakdown of LifeLine Foods Scope 3 emissions.
The bulk of emissions were generated from Purchased Goods & Services; Fuel & Energy; Upstream Transportation & Distribution; Downstream Transportation & Distribution; Processing of Sold Goods; and End of Life Treatment. All other Scope 3 categories were studied and considered, but are not relevant to our business at this time.
Product Carbon Footprint
In 2023, LifeLIne Foods took part in a supplier pilot program at the request of one of its value-chain partners to trace its Product Carbon Footprint (PCF), a measure of the carbon-equivalent emissions attributable to a specific product. In this case, the product studied was the corn (snack) meal manufactured by LifeLine Foods.
We used a methodology consistent with the parameters outlined by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and made PCF calculations with third-party software called the CO2AI Product Ecosystem Tool. To make accurate calculations, we took into account raw materials, energy required in manufacturing, and transport from manufacturing to distribution – all used to make 1 kg of snack meal.
As FY 2023 was not complete at the time, sales data from FY 2022 was used to calculate an accurate PCF, representative of an entire year of business. Our PCF was calculated to be 1.17 kg CO2e per every 1 kg of snack meal.
As our commitment to sustainability grows, we are building upon the initial success in 2023 by setting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets that align with our customers and global community. We seek to meet the challenge set before us of a 1.5oC pathway. That’s why LifeLine Foods is fully invested in working with its farmers and industry partners to achieve its 2030 emissions goals.
LifeLine Foods recently established itself as a Small or Medium Enterprise (SME) with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). With guidance from SBTi, LifeLine Foods is setting near-term science-based targets that target reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. by 42 percent (%).
Our pledge to measure and reduce Scope 3 emissions will continue as our resources and impact at the farm level progress in the coming years.
Progress Toward 2030 Emissions Goals:
With a target of a 42% reduction in place, LifeLine Foods plans to remove more than 50,000 tons of emissions from Scope 1 and Scope 2 activities by 2030, not exceeding 70,424 T CO2e.
The steps LifeLine Foods has taken in its sustainability journey to reach this point are helping us build the foundation to meet our 2030 emissions targets and preserve our natural resources.
⊕ Classify as an SME with the Science Based Targets initiative.
⊕ Increase awareness and participation in regenerative agriculture programs in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
⊕ Invest time in learning about procuring renewable energy sources.
⊕ Finance milling technology to amake milling operations more efficient.
⊕ Attending SBTi Forest, Land and Agriculture Project (FLAG) courses to set additional emissions targets in 2024.
Thanks to resources provided by our affiliate membership status with Field to Market, LifeLine Foods is working with its value-chain partners and third parties to support corn farmers in our region to adopt regenerative agriculture practices, such as cover crops and nutrient management.
These practices are known to improve soil health through nutrient retention, weed suppression and reduced soil erosion, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and long-term costs for farmers.
Since 2022, this project has been based in Holt County, Missouri. Individual farmers who participate are required to enroll at least 10% of their acres for a specific crop and receive a premium for every acre registered.
Through our collaboration with Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) and Soil & Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF), we have been able to increase the amount of acres enrolled by 12.9% from 2022 to 2023.
Key Objective:
Support area farmers to plant at least 2,000 new acres of cover crops by the end of Year 1.
COVER CROPS PLANTED:
LifeLine Foods is thankful for the time and resources that its employees and partners have dedicated to laying the groundwork for sustainable business practices that reduce emissions and make our businesses and communities more resilient. We look forward to supporting our employees, farmers, partners and customers for the next generation and beyond. LifeLine Foods will become an even stronger and more secure business as we embrace the challenges ahead.
At LifeLine Foods, we are enriching our commitment to our stakeholders, focusing on sustainable growth that upholds our ability to maintain financial returns for our ownership; reinforces our values in manufacturing high-quality corn products and employee safety; and preserves our natural resources, providing food security for our families and friends.
LifeLine Foods embarked on its sustainability journey in 2022, embracing our participation in regenerative agriculture practices and climate commitments. As more consumers demand environmental standards – including traceability – from food manufacturers, we understand how crucial sustainability policies are to our long-term success.
Whereas we continue to grow and invest in sustainable practices at our facility, we are building on the foundation already in place with the farmers across our region through the help of our partnerships with Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) and Soil & Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF). Our baseline year data is concentrated mainly on emissions from our business operations. However, as we strengthen our efforts, we are beginning to look into renewable energy procurement and setting emissions targets.
In addition to our ambitions, we are working across our community to tackle food insecurity challenges. Because of our employees’ support for a local food bank, LifeLine Foods was presented with the “2023 Distinguished Volunteer Group,” award. Our hope and intention is to rally a widespread effort to eradicate issues such as hunger, once and for all.
The pride I carry in our product quality, business performance and baseline year sustainability results is possible through the dedication of our 180+ employees. I send them my gratitude, and I also acknowledge our customers and partners who have supported us throughout this endeavor. As more challenges lie ahead, I am confident that together we can achieve our goals.
Kevin Kelly
President & Chief Executive Officer
