ADM expands regenerative agriculture program

Dive Brief:

The Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. plans a "significant expansion" of a program that pays producers to implement regenerative agriculture practices, the food giant said Tuesday.
ADM's incentive program re:generations will expand in North America to cover 2 million acres of farmland this year, with the goal of reaching 4 million acres globally by 2025.
As part of the expansion, producers across 18 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces can access financial incentives and technical support for practices such as cover crops, improved nutrient management and conservation tillage. ADM enrolled 1,900 producers and more than 1 million acres into re:generations last year.

Dive Insight:

As farmers and producers adopt and implement practices that improve soil health and reduce carbon emissions, food companies are offering incentives and support for them to transition and maintain sustainable operations.

“We know producers have always been stewards of the land, and that this is their lifeblood,” Paul Scheetz, director of climate smart ag origination at ADM, said in a statement. “We’re excited to continue to invest to expand our unique array of re:generations benefits to bring even more of them into the program.”

Re:generations participants can earn up to $25 an acre per year and earn additional premiums per bushel for grain deliveries made to ADM, according to a news release. Incentives are available for a number of practices and outcomes on corn, soybean, peanut and wheat acreage.

Starting this month, the company said ADM managers will begin holding informal meetings with producers about re:generations, its perks and the enrollment process ahead of the fall planting season.

Sustainability is the driving force for many companies as climate challenges and concerns persist. In addition to ADM, Cargill and Bayer have established their own programs to support regenerative farming, offering perks and incentives to help offset upfront costs.

ADM last month received a Climate-Smart Commodities grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, saying the funds will go directly to thousands of producers implementing regenerative practices on their land.