World Grain - February 2024 - 28

FEATURE: CGI SEEKING SOLUTIONS AMID CHALLENGES
A grain
facility in New
Rockford,
North Dakota,
US, one of
eight that CGI
acquired from
Gavilon in 2022.
farmers in the northern tier of the United States and operates
grain elevators, processing plants and agronomy
centers, CGI has made regenerative agricultural practices
a top priority, Van Pevenage said.
" Columbia Grain has been a champion of regenerative
agriculture for decades, " he said. " Back in the early
2000s, Columbia Grain was instrumental in supporting
the introduction of pulses, lentils and chickpeas as
viable rotational crops for producers across the Pacific
Northwest by making markets for our customers both
here in the US and abroad. We are the largest handler
of lentils in the US and are experts on the importance of
lentils in a farmer's crop portfolio to benefit the farmer
and the sustainability of the planet. "
Van Pevenage noted that adding lentils to crop rotations
" fulfills a demand for this popular food while improving
soil health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
and storing up to 30% more carbon in the soil than most
other plants. " To further strengthen its commitment to
this movement, the company is in the process of hiring
its first director of regenerative agriculture.
" This person is going to begin programs working
directly with farmers and hooking them up with
end-use food companies that need regenerative agriculture
or sustainability in their supply chains, " Van
Pevenage said.
CGI also recently partnered with a company called
AgriCapture, which helps identify and implement climate-friendly
practices. The rice produced by Enrich
Foods, a subsidiary of CGI, is being grown and harvested
in ways that reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
improve soil health and conserve water, not to mention
it showing substantially lower levels of arsenic which
is healthier for everyone, but partcularly children. "
Pivoting toward specialty crops
CGI, a leader in origination, processing, and distribution
of bulk grains, pulses, edible beans, oilseeds and
organic crops for the US and global markets since
28
1978, has expanded its specialty crops business in recent
years. Van Pevenage noted that starting in 2005,
CGI's commitment to the pulse industry was critical to
expanding the production of lentils and peas.
" With the help of my team, I was able to really
kickstart the business for us in Montana, " he said.
" Since then, we've built four processing facilities in
Montana and are handling those products at 10 facilities.
That created a market for farmers. It gives them
a place to deliver those crops and encourages them to
grow more acres. Montana and western North Dakota
have the highest density of pulse crops growing in the
United States. "
He said CGI's increased attention on pulse production,
storage and processing is partly due to the growth
in consumer demand for those crops as well as headwinds
in the export of traditional grains from the US.
" It's no secret that (grain) exports from the US
are suffering, " Van Pevenage said, noting that South
America has overtaken the United States as the world's
top soybean and corn exporter. " There's too much capacity
in the Pacific Northwest and too much in Canada
as well. Markets continue to evolve and grow, but the
problem facing the US is that the competition is doing
it cheaper and growing more. "
While the company continues to expand its specialty
crop business and increase capabilities at its existing
facilities, Van Pevenage said CGI plans to originate
more of these types of crops within its five-state footprint
(Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and
Nebraska) and will look to expand that business further
where appropriate.
" We see great potential in the chickpea market here
in the US, " he said. " People are steering away from
plant-based meats and want plant-based ingredients.
They don't want to incorporate ingredients like chickpeas
into fake products; they want to figure out how
to incorporate them into natural protein-rich products. "
CGI debuted a small-pack pulse line for the conFebruary
2024 / World Grain / World-Grain.com
http://www.World-Grain.com
World Grain - February 2024

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