TxN 20 Industry Highlights — Agriculture
Leave a Comment2022 TxN 20: Texan-led leadership in conservation for a sustainable future in Agriculture.
The Texan by Nature team is excited to present the fourth annual list of Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) Honorees. TxN 20 recognizes outstanding work in conservation and sustainability from Texas-based businesses.
It’s an opportunity to showcase innovation, commitment to conservation, and best practices from the industries that keep Texas running: Agriculture, Architecture, Financial Services, Food, Beverage, & Grocery, Technology, Energy, Healthcare, Municipal Services, Retail, Transportation, and Construction & Manufacturing.
Meet the 2022 TxN 20 Honorees leading sustainability in agriculture, Darling Ingredients, and Sanderson Farms.
Nearly $10 million invested in energy and water efficiency improvements last year — 2022 TxN 20 Honoree Darling Ingredients
Who is Darling Ingredients?
Darling Ingredients is the largest publicly traded company turning edible by-products and food waste into sustainable products and is a leading producer of renewable energy.
How does Darling Ingredients set the standard? 
Darling Ingredients invested nearly $10 million in water and energy efficiency in 2021. Their most substantial sustainable energy investment has been with Diamond Green Diesel, a renewable diesel that reduces emissions up to 85% compared to traditional diesel. Diamond Green Diesel is produced in partnership with Valero Energy Corporation, also headquartered in Texas. All of Darling Ingredients’ plants engage in primary water reduction practices limiting the demand for freshwater supplies across Darling operations resulting in ≈11 billion gallons of water returned to the environment per year. Darling Ingredients’ employees organized a recycling drive, collecting over 6,000 units of solid waste. In November of 2020, that same team planted 234 trees in the Mosquito River Basin region where their facility is located.
226,466 kWh of electricity saved in the calendar year 2021- 2022 — 2022 TxN 20 Honoree: Sanderson Farms
Who is Sanderson Farms?
Sanderson Farms is a Fortune 1000 company engaged in the production, processing, marketing, and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. Through efforts in conservation, recyclability, renewable energy, and fuel efficiency, Sanderson Farms demonstrates they are dedicated to producing quality, affordable chicken that is not only good for our customers but also good for the environment.
How does Sanderson Farms set the standard?
The company has 58 full-time employees company-wide dedicated to environmental and conservation efforts. The environmental services department consists of three managers of environmental services and an environmental coordinator, who are all responsible for monitoring the company’s usage of natural resources such as natural gas and electricity. Sanderson Farms utilizes energy-efficient LED lighting in select processing facilities resulting in 226,466 kWh of electricity saved in the calendar year 2021. Sanderson Farms generated 309,561 MMBTUs of renewable energy or biogas, which reduced the volume of natural gas purchased in their facilities. Sanderson Farms has reduced its water use intensity by 44% since 2008 and saves 1.3+ billion gallons of water annually.
8,400 acres of land restored naturally — 2022 TxN 20 Honoree: Vital Farms
Who is Vital Farms?
Vital Farms’ purpose is rooted in a commitment to Conscious Capitalism, which prioritizes the long-term benefits to each of their stakeholders – farmers and suppliers, customers and consumers, communities and the environment, crew members, and stockholders. Today Vital Farms partners with over 275 small family farms. Every hen is humanely treated, every egg is pasture-raised, and they continue to elevate their own, and the industry’s, standards.
How does Vital Farms set the standard? 
Approximately 200 family farms commit to Vital Farms exacting standards and the pasture-raised practices they believe are best for hens, cows, and land, resulting in 8,400 acres of natural land restoration.
Through Vital Farms’ conservation-minded pasture rotation practice, the land is naturally restored, and herbicides and pesticides are avoided in 300 farms. ZERO waste facilities: all excess egg product is used for other purposes, such as pet food. In addition, Vital Farms utilizes bio-retention features that clean and cool rainwater, provide for the recharge of local aquifers rather than runoff into storm sewers, and conserve over 700,000 gallons of water per year.
Why forward-thinking leaders in Agriculture matter
80% of groundwater in Texas is used for irrigating crops, and according to the State Water Development Board’s 2022 Water Plan, Texas’ population is expected to grow by 70% by 2070. This increase in population means natural resources, including water and the agricultural products that put food on the table, will need to stretch further. To meet these needs while protecting the environment, it’s critical that the agriculture industry in Texas weaves environmental sustainability into its business model. Texas ingenuity in agriculture is helping produce more with less and increase environmental stewardship along the way.
How TxN20 Honorees Are Selected Each Year
To select the 2022 TxN 20 Honorees, the TxN Team evaluated submissions and conducted independent research across 2,000+ of Texas’ publicly traded and private companies in 12 key industry sectors.
All companies were evaluated on a 17-point scoring system, from which the top 60 highest-scoring companies moved on to the final round of TxN 20. A selection committee of top industry leaders and experts was then formed to evaluate the top 60 companies and select the final 20 businesses recognized as TxN 20 Honorees.
Honorable Mentions: Standouts in Sustainability
In addition to this year’s TxN 20 honorees, here are three industry standouts for best practices in conservation and sustainability coming from companies across the agriculture industry.
Industry Innovator: DOW Inc
DOW Inc. is a leader in sustainability with its various initiatives to preserve natural resources. Notable efforts include executing optimization projects that have saved approximately 400,000 mT CO2 annually. Additionally, their efforts in renewable power surpassed their 2025 goals by obtaining 740 MV from renewable sources.
Industry Innovator: Bayer & Bayer Crop Science
Bayer & Bayer Crop Science incorporates sustainable practices into their business. Their unique efforts include using plant biotechnology to create herbicide-tolerant plants that reduce the release of GHG from the soil. The company also participates in purchasing electricity from renewable energies. In 2021, 24.7% of their electricity was sourced renewably as they are working towards 100% by 2029.
Industry Innovator: Dairy Farmers of America
Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) prioritizes sustainable efforts by aligning with UN SDG goals. DFA has approximately 200 on-farm renewable energy projects with plans to utilize more than 50 anaerobic digesters to convert dairy waste products into green energy. Additionally, DFA focuses greatly on soil health and regenerative agriculture to increase the longevity of soil life and health.
Get Involved:
Is your company at the forefront of conservation and environmental sustainability in Texas? Do you want to be recognized for your efforts? Contact Texan by Nature at programs@texanbynature.org.
To be considered for the official TxN 20 list, companies must:
- Have operations and employees based in Texas;
- Share a demonstrated commitment to conservation & sustainability;
- Showcase tangible efforts, impact, and data in conservation;
- NOT be a conservation-based nonprofit (501c3).