WAYZATA, MINNESOTA, US — Cargill announced on May 23 that it is expanding its regenerative agriculture program in Europe, which will see farmers in Germany, Poland, Romania and France financially compensated to adopt climate-friendly farming practices. Cargill RegenConnect is a voluntary, market-based regenerative agriculture program that helps farmers improve soil health and decarbonize the agriculture supply chain.

Cargill RegenConnect also will expand in the United States, introducing the program in  North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Colorado, Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas. The program, launched two years ago, will now be available in 24 states. It also will provide US farmers with higher payments, cover more commodities (such as cotton) and improve ease and access to enrollment via mobile devices.

Cargill said its RegenConnect program has not only received positive feedback from growers and customers but also has been recognized by the 2023 Edison Awards for its innovative approach to creating a more resilient and secure food system.

“Companies like Cargill are helping to make it economically feasible for farmers to implement sustainable practices around the world,” said Chantelle Donahue, vice president of North America agriculture supply chain at Cargill. “It is how agriculture and farmers can be part of the climate solution, helping to reduce emissions, improve water quality and use, increase yields and build up the resilience of our soils for the next generation. Our vision is to make regenerative agriculture commonplace across our global supply chain, enabling farmers to produce food more sustainably while increasing their profitability and resiliency. 

“Cargill RegenConnect’s success to date demonstrates how making sustainable, regenerative agriculture financially viable for farmers can help nature-positive production practices scale more quickly and become standard. It is one of the many ways we plan to meet our goal to reduce emissions in our supply chain and will impact every area of our business — from sourcing wheat and corn for our starches, and sweeteners to growing rapeseed oil for our salmon feed.”

Farmers enrolled in the program can choose the practices that are best suited to their operation’s unique growing conditions, which includes planting cover crops and implementing reduced- or no-till farming. These practices help sequester carbon in the ground, build soil resilience and improve water quality. In addition to providing technical support and resources to enable farmer success, the program offers an environmental market opportunity for participants, who are then able to connect with some of the world’s largest companies actively seeking to reduce their environmental footprint while supporting regenerative agriculture.