Meet Andrew Utterback: Building Resilient Supply Chains Through Sustainability

With a focus on building resilient supply chains and fostering strong connections within the agricultural community, Andrew Utterback offers a unique perspective on regenerative agriculture. In this engaging Q&A session, Andrew shares his insights on regenerative agriculture, career journey and personal philosophies. Join us as we delve into his thoughts on sustainable practices, career inspirations and the importance of understanding and supporting diverse needs in a global context.

Q: How does regenerative agriculture benefit various stakeholders in the agricultural supply chain?

A: Regenerative agriculture is an important tool in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, addressing water quality and quantity issues and restoring biodiversity in agricultural sourcing areas. It is always a great way to build resilience in supply chains in the face of a changing climate. A well-designed and executed regen ag project can be very impactful because of the positive effects it can have on all members of the value chain. For processors like Ingredion and our CPG customers, regen ag is a great way to build stronger connections with our suppliers and meet our climate commitments. For growers, it is an opportunity to adopt new and sometimes risky practices with agronomic and financial support to aid them through the transition to more efficient practices. For sustainability-minded consumers and investors, being able to identify companies dedicated to fair and robust Regen Ag implementation is a great way for them to support those companies that share values similar to their own.

Q: How did you get started in your career, and what inspired you to pursue this path?

A: Many years ago, I had the opportunity to join the Agribusiness Team and lead specialty corn contracting directly with growers who supply to our sites in the United States. I did not realize at the time how important that opportunity would be for my career. I did not grow up on a farm and had not spent much time learning about row crop agriculture. I had to learn on the job and I was lucky enough to get to work with a gracious and impressive group of growers. In my time spent with them, I learned not only the basics of farming but more importantly how seriously they took their obligation as stewards of the land. These growers looked to make the correct long-term decisions for their farms every day. This experience is so impactful for me in my career today because I have seen the challenges growers face and recognize all of the different choices they have to make every day. Having this experience leads to designing regen ag interventions with the farmer at the center of the project. To maximize success, the grower has to be fully bought in. This means they have to be a partner in projects rather than a transactional acquaintance only responding to financial or agronomic incentives.

Q: What are your passions outside of work? Any hobbies or activities you particularly enjoy?

A: My wife and I have an eight-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son so a lot of my non-work time is spent with them. I have played sports my entire life and now that my children are a little older, it’s great to see them in practices and games building the same skills (both in athletics and life) that I did when I was growing up. A lot of the skills necessary to be a good leader and an impactful member of an organization can be learned through athletics and being on teams. It brings me joy to see them developing and becoming who they are going to be. Spending time with my family also helps to give perspective to my work. We only have one planet and we need to do everything we can now to be sure that we leave future generations in a better place to succeed than we were. This is getting more challenging but that just means we have to work harder to form that future.

Q: Do you have any personal or professional philosophies that you adhere to?

A: In my role, I am lucky to work with many people from many cultures all over the world. To be successful in this type of environment, you need to be very aware of the wants and needs of others. You have to balance your communication style and how you receive feedback against the styles of others. I recently took a leadership class and one of the most impactful ideas I learned was that it is not enough to just understand who you are and what motivates you. To be a good leader you have to understand yourself for sure but it’s even more important to understand the motivations and needs of those that you work with. Just because I appreciate an environment with a lower level of feedback does not mean it works for everyone on my team or everyone I work with in general. Others might need more and as a leader, you have to figure out ways to provide that. Be confident in yourself and your strengths but do not lose sight of the fact that the strongest teams are those that leverage the strengths of all members.

About Andrew Utterback 

Andrew Utterback is a data-driven, sustainability leader, focused on connecting grower adoption of sustainable and regenerative practices with customers, CPGs, NGOs, banks, and investors. He’s working to build resiliency in Ingredion's supply chains and highlight sustainability as a commercial success driver. Since 2019, Andrew has chaired the NGFA crop technology committee where he’s focused on transparency and accountability in the commercialization of genetically modified and gene-edited products. Andrew holds a BS in Biology from the University of Indianapolis.