Bridgestone Americas Inc. has been awarded a $35 million climate-smart grant by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to invest in desert shrub guayule.
According to officials, the $35 million investment will be dispersed from 2023 to 2027 and is designed to reduce overall costs for guayule growers and will allow Bridgestone to expand natural rubber protection in the southwest U.S.
“At Bridgestone, we have been committed to guayule as a domestic source of natural rubber since our research initiative in this desert shrub began in 2012 to offer a more sustainable solution for both our environment and economy,” says William Niaura, director of sustainable materials and circular economy, Bridgestone.
Bridgestone will leverage grant funds to attract additional guayule growers in the southwestern U.S. among local farmers and Native American tribes. The grant will also facilitate grower education to help enable carbon sequestration in desert soils, water utilization, soil health, nutrient delivery and ecological benefits of guayule.
