From Field to Fabric, Corn Is Greening Up the Fashion Scene

September is Environmental Awareness Month, and if you’ve been following the conversation on State of the Plate, you know sustainability is near and dear to the hearts of our C.O.nxt clients and colleagues. Therefore, we’re shaking things up and delivering a handful of bite-sized, sustainably savvy episodes to chew on, each showcasing what some of the leading minds in food and ag are doing to improve our planet.

On the verge of corn harvest in the Midwest, State of the Plate hosts Rochelle Ripp Schnadt and Brandon Miller spoke with special guest, Andrea Vanderhoff  the Director of Technology and Sustainability, to peel back the husk on a company called Qore, which is pioneering innovative ways to use those kernels as a sustainable alternative to petroleum, a non-renewable resource. Andrea told SOTP the fashion industry is one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions because of the industry’s many fossil fuel-based products. Qore set out to create a unique opportunity to help the industry meet its goal of reducing those harmful emissions by using corn instead of fossil fuel.

Qore is the joint venture between Cargill and HELM and the parent company to Quira, which has publicly shared a strategic partnership with The LYCRA Company. Testing has shown no difference in durability, washability, wear or feel in products made with QIRA — Qore’s bio-based BDO — compared to traditional petrol-based products.

“It starts with our farmers,” Andrea says, who are growing field or dent corn. “Most of our corn comes from within about a 100-mile radius of our facility.” She goes on to explain the corn is separated into components that can be used in animal feed and food applications, but most of the kernel is made of starch. That starch can be broken down further and then fermented to become Qore’s product, QIRA, which is spun into durable fibers and materials used to make clothing, shoes and even beauty and personal hygiene products.

Qore isn’t the only company making bio-based products to chip away at the use of harmful fossil fuels. As consumers and as stewards of the Earth, it is our job to seek out companies that consider eco-friendly practices and products crucial to long-term sustainability and that provide immediate benefits to our current environment.

Next time on State of the Plate, we’ll continue our sustainability series with a focus on food, namely “Upcycled Foods”. The SOTP hosts will speak with Daniel Kurzrock about upcycling ingredients for a solution to food waste, food insecurity and conservation.