CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US — ADM and Bayer have extended their collaboration working with European farmers to further adopt regenerative agriculture practices, following a yearlong rapeseed study in Poland that showed promise in reducing carbon emissions.

The companies have been evaluating the impact of regenerative agriculture in curbing carbon emissions, increasing biodiversity and improving soil health. They worked with rapeseed farmers covering approximately 9,000 hectares in Poland to conduct an in-depth on-farm risk assessment that evaluated carbon emissions reduction potential while developing grower-specific roadmaps for the transition to regenerative agriculture. 

This preliminary assessment showed that carbon emissions from those hectares relying on at least one regenerative agricultural practice were 15% lower than those of conventional farms. The analysis suggests that emissions reductions could be up to 40% for farmers comprehensively adopting regenerative agriculture practices. 

“Regenerative agriculture is foundational to our leadership in sustainability and decarbonization, and rolling out a regenerative agriculture program in Poland is an exciting next step in our efforts,” said Candy Siekmann, director of Climate Smart Agriculture Origination at ADM. “Our own research shows that a significant majority of consumers would be more likely to trust and purchase from retailers and brands that implement regenerative agriculture practices, and by coming together with great partners like Bayer, we’re helping farmers — who are at the heart of our business — meet that demand. We’re looking forward to working with Bayer to promote an economically attractive model, where business and farmers can work together to build a more resilient, sustainable supply chain with a lower carbon footprint.” 

As part of the next stage of the collaboration, the program will expand into a broader range of crops such as corn, wheat and barley, and geographically across Eastern Europe. Farmers will be provided with financial and technical support to implement qualifying regenerative agriculture practices, including minimum tillage, cover crops, companion crops, nutrient management, use of organic matter/manure, crop rotation. 

ADM will compensate participating farmers for each qualifying hectare, measured and verified using Bayer’s digital capabilities in collaboration with Trinity Agtech’s Sandy platform. The Sandy platform is a recognized solution backed by science that complies with the highest standards available in the market, with an easy-to-use tool for growers. 

In addition to financial support, participating farmers receive agronomic guidance from specialized professionals. That support starts with a deep agronomical understanding of issues specific to each region in which the program is taking place, followed by individualized on-farm assessments, where agronomists visit fields and together with farmers design development plans tailored for each farm. Farmers are able to share their experiences with one another and discuss different techniques during field visits and peer learning opportunities. 

The 2023 feasibility program was critical to shaping a larger-scale effort, the companies said, and listening to the perspectives of growers was important to ensure all factors specific to the local region were considered. 

Primary data collection for greenhouse gas emission calculations and soil analysis with carbon sequestration measurement allowed the growers, ADM and Bayer to gain valuable insight into current environmental impacts and potential emission reduction opportunities as the program expands.