Star of the West Begins Production on Low Carbon Emission Flour

Star of the West Milling Co. has begun production of low carbon emission wheat flour, positioning the product as a practical tool for customers working to meet sustainability goals. Introduced in late October, the flour carries a quantified cradle to gate carbon footprint of approximately 0.47 kg CO2e per kilogram. This equates to about 473 kg CO2e per tonne, which the company said reflects an estimated 46 percent improvement compared to the United States national average of 879 kg CO2e per tonne.

The launch follows several years of direct work with growers across the company’s sourcing region. According to Star of the West Sustainability Director Lisa Woodke, the miller had long expected its network’s farming practices to result in lower emissions relative to national norms. The detailed data confirmed it.

“We anticipated our growers’ wheat would have a lower carbon footprint than the national average,” Woodke said. “Putting the actual data and numbers behind it showed that to be the case. We wanted to offer that to our food customers for their sustainability journey.”

The program is structured to provide measurable reductions without significantly affecting cost. Based on current usage estimates, the company said customers could collectively avoid approximately 4,982 tonnes of CO2e compared with average flour benchmarks. The flour is currently available in limited supply, offered customer by customer as Star of the West continues to collect and verify farm-level data.

A key element of the program is its approach to data reporting. Woodke said many customers request field-level sustainability information, but asking growers to input data into multiple platforms can be time-consuming and redundant. The company developed a single-entry system that allows growers to submit once while Star of the West applies the data across different customer reporting needs.

The company noted the flour’s carbon footprint calculations are based on measured and verified data, assessed under IPCC 2021 GWP100 and aligned with ISO 14067. Attribution follows an ISO 22095 calendar-year mass-balance methodology. The intent, the company said, is to support on-pack sustainability claims with a level of rigor familiar to bakers and food manufacturers.

Woodke pointed to several farming characteristics that contribute to lower emissions. Much of the wheat in Star of the West’s supply chain is rain-fed, eliminating the carbon cost associated with irrigation. Many growers treat wheat as a primary crop and target high yields through active crop scouting. A majority of the acreage is also managed under no-till practices. Winter wheat planting contributes as well, as the crop continues to absorb carbon over the winter months. Soil testing and careful, often split-applied, nitrogen application further reduce unnecessary inputs.

Customers who purchase the low emission flour can integrate the verified data into Scope 3 emissions accounting and broader product carbon footprint models. This enables the ingredient to be used for both pilot sustainability projects and larger-scale procurement strategies.

Star of the West expects its available 2024 inventory of low carbon flour to sell out by the end of December. The company is now working with growers to finalize data collection for the 2025 crop, which will undergo auditing and verification before being made available for sale beginning in 2026.