BASF unites farm and fuel for cleaner skies

BASF’s summit highlights the need for traceability, incentives, and collaboration to grow low-carbon feedstocks for aviation fuel.

3 Mar 2025

BASF hosted its Biofuels Summit in February 2025 at its Sustainable Agriculture Centre in North Carolina, bringing together over 60 leaders from agriculture, biofuels, and sustainability sectors to coordinate efforts on scaling sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

With demand for SAF rising amid tightening emissions regulations, participants focused on the role of farming practices in producing low-carbon feedstocks. Discussions centred on regenerative agriculture techniques such as cover cropping, precision fertilization, and no-till farming, which can reduce the carbon footprint of feedstock production.

A BASF spokesperson said, “True sustainability starts in the soil,” underscoring the importance of farm-level innovation in achieving aviation’s climate goals. However, the summit highlighted significant challenges in translating sustainable farming into verifiable fuel inputs.

Attendees called for the development of robust data systems, standardised metrics, and independent verification to ensure transparency across the supply chain. These measures would enable biofuel producers to certify the carbon reductions linked to sustainable practices, critical for meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining market trust.

Financial hurdles for farmers were also emphasised. Many growers pointed to the costs involved in adopting climate-smart methods without guaranteed compensation. The summit stressed the need for incentive models that reward environmental stewardship alongside crop yields.

While no formal partnerships were announced, discussions suggested forthcoming pilot projects, collaborative technology platforms, and new sustainability certifications aimed at strengthening the link between agriculture and fuel production.

As SAF becomes a cornerstone of aviation’s decarbonisation strategy, the sector is increasingly focusing upstream to secure sustainable feedstocks. BASF’s summit provided a platform for aligning stakeholders and accelerating efforts in this space, signalling a growing consensus that the future of low-carbon flight is closely tied to agricultural innovation.