For generations, American farms have powered the country’s food, feed, and fuel. Now, crops like corn and soybeans are at the core of homegrown industrial innovation.
From adhesives and cleaners to renewable fuels, manufacturers are finding new uses for agricultural inputs in place of traditional materials. The crops themselves haven’t changed, butthey’re now entering new value chains and reaching industries they haven’t historically served.
This evolution matters because more manufacturers are rethinking where and how they source materials. As companies look for inputs that are reliable, cost-effective, and produced closer to home, agriculture offers an overlooked advantage. The opportunity isn’t about changing what we grow. It’s about making agriculture a more connected, valuable part of the manufacturing economy.
Biomanufacturing uses tools like fermentation, molecular science, and biotechnology to convert plants and other living organisms into industrial materials. The results are already embedded in daily life, in packaging, construction materials, personal care products, and more. For example, dextrose made from corn can replace formaldehyde in insulation, reducing indoor emissions. Corn-derived adhesives are being used in cardboard packaging to replace petroleum-based glue.
Across the U.S., fast-growing infrastructure is supporting the production of biobased materials like these at commercial scale. New and retrofitted facilities are turning crops into renewable materials, supported by advancements in digital traceability, logistics, and science that link farms to industrial sectors they’ve never served before.
Three forces are accelerating this growth: Scientific advances in fermentation, stronger demand for U.S.-based supply chains, and federal investment in domestic production. Together, these forces are expanding what crops can do and creating new value chains across the economy. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the biobased products industry contributed $489 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021, employing nearly 4 million people.
For farmers, this shift represents a rare thing: More demand without more complexity. They’re not being asked to grow new crops or change how they farm. Instead, new industrial markets are emerging for what they already produce, offering pricing stability, new demand channels, and potential premiums for quality and consistency.
These new pathways for crops are often shorter and more direct. ADM has a long-standing legacy of bridging the gap between agriculture and industry, connecting producers with buyers they might not otherwise reach, including fermentation companies and packaging manufacturers. That kind of access can translate to lower risk, steadier returns, and more choices at harvest.
In this way, agriculture is taking on a more strategic role in the American industrial landscape. The national push for lower emissions, greater economic resilience, and secure domestic supply chains aligns with the unique capabilities of U.S. farms. We have the crops, the producers, and increasingly, the infrastructure to lead.
Feeding people will always come first. But in today’s economy, the same crops that support food and fuel can also support cleaner, more sustainable industries—without forcing a tradeoff. For producers, manufacturers, and the industries between them, the value of American agriculture is only growing.
Chris Cuddy is senior vice president and global president of the Carbohydrate Solutions unit at ADM.
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