Midwest Agriculture and Aviation Leaders Discuss SAF Expansion at 2026 Global Aerospace Summit
Why It MattersThe discussion signals deepening ties between Midwest feedstock agriculture and SAF supply chains as regulatory clarity and new crop pathways accelerate industry collaboration.
A panel discussion at the 2026 Global Aerospace Summit in the St. Louis region examined how sustainable aviation fuel development can create opportunities for Midwest farmers, fuel producers and the aviation industry. The session, titled "The Future of Flight Runs on SAF," was held in Edwardsville, Illinois, on August 24, 2026, and moderated by Darren James, director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, with panelists Jim Hedges, CEO of ag-tech company CoverCress, and Cindy Tomei, president of the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Institute (SAFII).
Tomei said SAFII was established in Illinois two years ago following a state-led SAF summit convened at the governor's request, and is headquartered in Sugar Grove, Illinois, serving as a hub for SAF education, testing, laboratory training and industry collaboration. She noted O'Hare International Airport ranks among the top ten airports worldwide for SAF procurement, and said recent industry progress has been driven by greater clarity around the federal 45Z tax credit and improvements in calculating carbon intensity scores.
Hedges said CoverCress recently obtained the first Renewable Fuel Standard pathway approval for CoverCress Oil, a process that took two and a half years from submission, and called for early coordination between new crop developers and fuel refiners. He said the company plans to have hundreds of thousands of acres of crops such as canola, camelina and CoverCress in production by the early 2030s, planted on fallow ground between corn and soybean seasons to add feedstock supply. The second annual summit was presented by the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, Madison County, St. Clair County, and Bi-State Development's St. Louis Regional Freightway.
