Unilever, PepsiCo and other corporates are launching a new regenerative agriculture initiative.
STEP up for Agriculture will aim to scale regenerative practices, providing tools to farmer-facing organisations across North America to boost adoption. The eventual aim is to build resilient supply chains.
The initiative aims to help farmers with building business and strategic plans to boost profitability; develop measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems to track progress; expand staffing and training for farmers; and improve their ability to implement changes.
In the long-term, it will look to access new revenue streams and partnership, to further help farmers.
The initiative will hold annual in-person workshops, aiming to help farmers learn together and use the tools necessary for adopting regenerative agriculture.
The initiative focuses on working with farmer-facing organisations because doing so helps build trust. If changes to farming practices are initiated by those farmers know and trust, they are more likely to be successful, according to PepsiCo.
The initiative will also help Unilever and PepsiCo achieve their own regenerative agriculture goals – PepsiCo’s plan to transition 10 million acres by 2030, and Unilever’s to reach one million hectares globally by 2030.
“PepsiCo is rooted in agriculture, and farmers are at the heart of our food systems. STEP up for Ag is about investing in the organisations that support farmers every day, aiming to ensure they can grow, innovate and lead the transition to more sustainable agriculture,” said Jim Andrews, PepsiCo’s chief sustainability officer.
“STEP up for Ag can help us move faster and smarter, empowering farmer-led groups with the tools they need and opening doors to more great suppliers to grow our business,” added Kristina Friedman, head of sustainability for Unilever North America.
STEP Up for Ag is also launching a pilot scheme in Spain with the farmer cooperative Garlan, in cooperation with the Earthworm Foundation.
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