Jay Debertin has dedicated his life and career to supporting farmers. Growing up surrounded by agriculture and a strong cooperative system in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, he took an internship with Cenex, which later became CHS, a diversified global agribusiness owned by farmers. Debertin was named president and CEO of CHS in 2017 and celebrated his 40th anniversary with the company in 2024.

“I’m proud to work for an organization that is involved in every step of ag—providing the inputs farmers need to plant, grow and harvest their crops and then, when they’re ready to sell, we help find the best market for those crops with customers around the world,” Debertin says. “We help feed people around the world. That’s how we accomplish our purpose: Creating connections to empower agriculture.”

Q: How is CHS adapting to the changing agriculture landscape? 
A: As the landscape evolves, so do our business practices—whether that’s adjusting supply chains to make sure the commodities produced by U.S. farmers make their way to profitable markets or evolving our products and services to meet the needs of farmers and cooperatives. We do this by investing in our assets in the U.S. so that they run with the right speed and capacity to serve agriculture today and into the future.  

Q: What are some current challenges facing agriculture?
A: Global trade dynamics are changing for a variety of reasons. Markets we’ve relied on to drive ag trade flows are shifting, which can create uncertainty for U.S. grain exports. We need to grow within other demand markets, which might mean finding customers in other places in the world or could require growing demand for ag commodities here in the U.S., like what we’re seeing with increased use of biofuels made from ag-based feedstocks. 

Q: What do you see as the most significant opportunity in agriculture today?
A: Ag has a real opportunity to participate in carbon reduction efforts, whether this is through innovative farming practices or by being part of the renewable fuels supply chain. Ag relies on diesel fuel to power equipment, and there is opportunity in finding alternative ways to power that equipment. 

Q: How is CHS helping advance technologies that will benefit agriculture?
A: I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in using technology to reduce risk for our employees by, for example, using drones to inspect grain bins instead of sending people into situations that carry inherent risks.
CHS has also invested in two partnerships to help drive innovation in ag: Grand Farm in Fargo, North Dakota, which is focused on advancing technology to solve problems for farmers, and Cooperative Ventures, our venture capital joint venture with Growmark that invests in start-ups creating technology-based solutions for farmers. 

Q: How does CHS positively impact the communities in which it operates?
A: We want to keep rural America strong. With our Seeds for Stewardship program, we match gifts that are being awarded to nonprofit organizations by local cooperatives. These funds go to local fire departments, education projects and families in need. 
Additionally, our Harvest for Hunger program raises money and gathers donations of food to support local food banks and nonprofit organizations fighting hunger in the communities where CHS operates. We’re also committed to developing the next generation of agricultural leaders through the CHS Foundation.