ADM decided that working on regenerative agriculture projects across North American supply chains would be #betterwithpepsi.
A new 7.5-year strategic partnership between ADM and PepsiCo hopes to touch nearly 2M acres by 2030 in Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Initially, the collaboration will reach out to 60K corn, soybean, and wheat growers.
Two big companies, one big goal: The pair wants to eliminate 1.4M metric tons of greenhouse gasses. In case you were wondering, that’s enough electricity to power 275K houses per year at the farm level. That hits close to home for rural households.
What is regenerative ag? With mentions back to the 1980s, definitions of regenerative agriculture can vary. At a very basic level, it refers to practices that put carbon back into the ground and enrich the soil.
That’s what I like. ADM and PepsiCo will support several regenerative agriculture initiatives including cover crops, reduced tillage, nutrient management, diverse rotations, and responsible pesticide use.
Participating farmers will receive technical and financial resources, support through peer regenerative farming networks, educational field days, and the ability to track progress and results through third-party measurement systems.
Not alone: “Carbon” is all the buzz for large companies saddled with hefty carbon targets to improve the environment and their reputations. Corporations like Cargill, General Mills, Molson Coors, and Walmart have all incorporated regenerative agriculture in some capacity over the last few years.
Soundbite: “By enabling greater collaboration through strategic partnerships like this one, we can strengthen the livelihoods and resilience of the farmers we work with, while building a more sustainable future together,” said Jim Andrew, PepsiCo’s chief sustainability officer.