Land O’Lakes announces SUSTAIN Business Unit

Land O’Lakes, Inc. recently announced the formal organization of a new business unit, SUSTAIN, and its leadership. SUSTAIN will focus on aligning environmental sustainability efforts across the full Land O’Lakes, Inc. enterprise.

“Stewardship of the land, water and air has been a hallmark of our farmers for generations, and we’re excited to announce a new step forward to serve our members and customers even better, and ultimately, continue our commitment to preserving our resources,” stated Chris Policinski, Land O’Lakes, Inc. president and CEO. “Our business portfolio, which includes Winfield US crop inputs, Purina animal feed and Land O’Lakes foods, gives us a ‘farm-to-fork’ view of what sustainability truly means for our industry. We believe that view, partnered with the tools and technology we have developed, will help sustainability practices across the value chain of all our businesses and those of our partners in the industry.”

SUSTAIN will focus on helping to ensure sustainable crop production by delivering insights, products and services; enhancing sustainability within the Dairy Foods and Feed businesses; and partnering with other entities, including government, to improve efficiency and collaboration on conservation and sustainability programs.

The SUSTAIN business will be led by Matt Carstens, who has moved to Land O’Lakes, Inc. to serve as senior vice president, SUSTAIN, from his position as vice president of Ames, IA-based United Suppliers, Inc. His experience spans retail, wholesale and manufacturing functions in the crop inputs business. Carstens also was responsible for developing the sustainability business while at United Suppliers. United Suppliers’ seed and crop protection businesses merged with Land O’Lakes in October 2015, and operates today as Winfield US, a part of Land O’Lakes, Inc. A second step will merge United Suppliers’ crop nutrient business with Land O’Lakes in late 2017.

Land O’Lakes, Inc., which recently announced a new public-private partnership with the State of Minnesota to protect and improve water quality across the state, brings a strong and evolving commitment to do more with less while helping feed a growing global population.