AgNext at Colorado State University and Elanco Animal Health Incorporated have announced a strategic alliance as part of a continued commitment to pioneer sustainability solutions for animal agriculture, transforming the next frontier of opportunity in livestock sustainability.
As part of a strategic alliance, Elanco’s chief sustainability officer, Sara Place, will join the AgNext team and transition to her new role as associate professor of feedlot systems.
Colorado State’s AgNext program is a first-of-its-kind research collaborative that focuses specifically on sustainability in animal agriculture, working with members of the entire value chain to develop innovative, scalable solutions that help move the industry toward a more sustainable future. The program seeks to create a world-renowned center for excellence, identifying and scaling innovation that fosters the health of animals and ecosystems to promote profitable industries that support vibrant communities.
As associate professor in feedlot systems, Place will continue to build on the work she has accomplished with Elanco, seeking to further the science and solutions around sustainable opportunities in feedlot systems, while building the next generation of talent. Elanco will continue to collaborate with Place and the Colorado State team, engaging in collaborative research and leveraging AgNext’s insights.
“This exciting collaboration with Elanco will help AgNext further our work to develop sustainable solutions for animal agriculture and empower producers and others in the value chain,” said Kim Stackhouse-Lawson, Director of AgNext at CSU. “Having Dr. Place’s expertise and perspective on the AgNext team will allow our center of excellence to more rapidly identify and scale innovation to advance the science of animal agriculture.”
The move also continues Elanco’s efforts to lead and transform the livestock sustainability space. The animal health products company is committed to be the livestock producers’ lead partner as they navigate towards climate neutral production – through innovation, analytics, value creation and advocacy. Elanco recently announced the launch of UpLook™, an insights engine designed to benchmark and measure improvement of an operation’s carbon footprint. Elanco also recently added several emission reducing products to its pipeline and portfolio and helped create a start-up company, called Athian to help the industry certify, aggregate and monetize credits from systems like UpLook.
“We are excited to further build the next era of opportunity for livestock sustainability,” said José Simas, executive vice president, U.S. Farm Animal Business. “This strategic alliance leverages what we have incubated here at Elanco and takes the next step toward supporting the entire industry. We look forward to continued collaboration with Sara and the Colorado State research team, working to further our understanding of the space and using the insights to advance our services and pipeline of solutions.”
About AgNext
AgNext is a leader for research in animal and ecosystem health while enhancing profitability of the supply chain and serves as the crossroads for producers, industry partners, and researchers to come together to innovate real time solutions for sustainability animal agriculture. Our research focuses on advancing the science of animal agriculture to ensure a continued safe, secure, and nutritious food supply. Our mission is to identify and scale innovation that fosters the health of animals and ecosystems to promote profitable industries that support vibrant communities. Learn more at agnext.colostate.edu.
About Elanco
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ Sustainability/ESG Pledges – all to advance the health of animals, people, and the planet. Learn more at www.elanco.com.
