Ingredion Thailand achieves 100% sustainably sourced Cassava

Ingredion Thailand announces a significant milestone in their sustainability journey, where 100% of their cassava supply is now from sustainable sources.  The company’s sustainability leadership in Thailand is further validated by the Kalasin Plant achieving 100% Gold Level verified under the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA).  Ingredion APAC’s tapioca portfolio is now entirely sustainably-sourced, offering a strategic advantage to customers seeking clean-label texture innovation.

Ingredion Thailand and Local Farmers Showcase Excellent Sustainability Standards

The 100% sustainability-sourced achievement and the FSA Gold verification of the Kalasin plant indicate that Ingredion Thailand meets the highest FSA standards for environmental, social, and economic sustainability. These achievements are a testament to Ingredion Thailand's strong, ongoing collaboration with local cassava farmers. To meet FSA standards, farmers adopt outstanding sustainable farming practices that align with the principles of sustainable and regenerative agriculture.

The process to achieve 100% FSA Gold Level verification at the Kalasin Plant involved several key sustainable farming practices, including:

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Reducing the reliance on chemical pesticides.

• Use of Clean Planting Material: Cassava stems produced at FSA Gold Level reduce the spread of Cassava Mosaic Disease and improve overall yield.

• Crop Rotation and Organic Matter: Conducting these methods to maintain soil fertility, enhance long-term productivity, and promote carbon sequestration, which reduces Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions.

Farmers are required to maintain these standards, with third-party auditors verifying ongoing compliance. This system encourages self-assessment and a continuous improvement plan, building confidence and transparency across the value chain.

Metawee Jantamenchai, Sustainability Supervisor at Ingredion Thailand, shared, “Sustainability is not just a requirement; it is a shared responsibility and an opportunity to collaborate with our stakeholders to promote a more sustainable planet. The Gold-level recognition sets a clear standard that we look forward to implementing across our other plants, and would not have been possible without the dedication and efforts of our network of farmers. This is a critical step in our mission to accelerate Ingredion’s efforts in responsible sourcing across supply chains and deliver high-performance, clean-label texture solutions to our customers across APAC and globally.”

“The FSA guidelines have been very helpful for our farming processes. It has provided us with information and monitoring systems that have helped us to improve our crop yield and manage pests in a way that is kinder to our land and our environment,” shares Boonjeam Photisalasaeng, a farm operator who has worked with Ingredion for more than 30 years (since the Kalasin plant's operation was established).

Ingredion Thailand’s Journey to Sustainability Gold

Ingredion Thailand’s farming partners began their Farm Sustainability Assessment verification processes in 2016. The 100% Gold Level achievement at Ingredion Thailand’s Kalasin Plant reflects Ingredion’s commitment to its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives. 

“Sustainability has always been a priority for Ingredion. In Thailand, we have been working since 2016 to implement sustainable practices and work towards achieving the highest levels of sustainability verification because the land, our farmers, and where our food comes from truly matter,” said Raymond Deidrick, Vice President & General Manager, Texture & Healthful Solutions ASEAN and Texture Solutions Food Lead APAC. “We are proud that we have achieved 100% sustainably sourced waxy and regular cassava. Increasingly, we have seen consumer demand perfectly match our focus on sustainability, with our proprietary research showing that 72% of consumers find ‘contains sustainably sourced ingredients’ on packaging as important to them. With Kalasin sourcing 100% of its ingredients at FSA gold level and the rest of Thailand's supply tracking along the same standards, we are confident that we are primed to meet Ingredion's customers' demand for sustainable and clean label products."

Looking ahead, Ingredion is focused on maintaining this strong performance by continuing to implement regenerative agriculture programs and improving data systems management. As the first company to achieve 100% sustainably verified cassava at this level, Ingredion sets its sights on leveraging technology and innovation for future sustainability efforts, including exploring opportunities to further regenerative agriculture and establish a carbon baseline to track its progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) levels.