Who We Are

The Midwest Row Crop Collaborative is a diverse coalition working to expand agricultural solutions that protect air and water quality and enhance soil health while remaining committed to producing enough food to feed the growing global population. These leading companies and conservation groups are all committed to building a broad partnership in three pilot states: Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. This group will measure and deliver improved environmental outcomes through cross-sector collaboration and continuous improvement at a meaningful scale throughout the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

A key measure of success is our ability to blend and leverage this effort with the various technical and regional information and efforts already in place. Forging partnerships with local partners is absolutely essential to eliminate redundant efforts across the various organizations and partners.

The Midwest Row Crop Collaborative is committed to working with others — farmer organizations, environmental groups, and state and local watershed partnerships — to achieve the goals outlined in the Gulf Hypoxia Taskforce action plan and respective state nutrient and water loss reduction plans. Those common goals include:

By 2025: 75 percent of row crop acres in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska are engaged in sustainability measures that will result in optimizing Field to Market Fieldprint® analyses and soil health practices outcomes.

Reduce nutrient (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) loading from Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska by 20 percent as a milestone to meet agreed upon Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force goal of 45 percent reduction in nutrient loading.

50 percent of all irrigation units used in Nebraska will maximize water conservation to reduce pressure on the Ogallala Aquifer.

By 2035: Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska have met the 45 percent nitrogen loss reduction goal and partnerships and goals are established to expand the Collaborative across the Upper Mississippi River Basin.