Regenerative agriculture: Are brands doing enough? By Lucy Whittaker Regenerative agriculture practices are growing in popularity amongst food and beverage manufacturers. Which actions have already been taken and which additional steps are needed to establish more sustainable food systems? Healthy soil lies at the heart of the global food system. Providing the essential nutrients and elements to support plant growth, soils act as the foundation for agriculture and the means to a staggering proportion of the world’s total food production: a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations found that as much as 95% of the food we consume today is dependent on healthy soil. Yet, the agricultural practices performed by humans over the past 100 centuries have significantly impacted the sustainability of global food systems and now pose serious threat to human, animal, and environmental health.
Increasing crop and financial yields A way of combatting the issues associated with traditional farming, regenerative agriculture seeks to restore soil ecosystems via a range of methods including minimised ploughing, crop diversification and the use of cover crops. Benefitting both people and the planet, regenerative agriculture can improve crop yields and boost the nutritional quality of crops, while simultaneously reversing the negative effects of climate change. Companies can also take advantage of the increased opportunities for carbon offsetting that these more sustainable methods of farming create.
Companies leading the curve As companies become increasingly concerned with their eco-credentials, several key players in the food and beverage industry have taken steps to put regenerative practices into place. Aiming to go beyond merely ‘sustaining our planet,’ US-based food giant General Mills has pledged to utilise regenerative agriculture practises across one million acres of farmland before the turn of the decade. Paying close attention to the mechanics and impacts of regenerative farming, the manufacturer recently launched a series of pilots which track five variables: economic resiliency, soil health, water use, biodiversity, and animal health and wellbeing. General Mills believes that educating the current and future generations of farmers will be a key component in creating more sustainable food systems. For this reason, the pilot programme combines technical support, collective research, and educational workshops with use of the General Mills Regenerative Agriculture Self-Assessment tool to help farmers understand and adapt their practices. As of late 2021, the company has enrolled 115,000 acres in agricultural pilots, which it says amounts to around 20% of General Mills North America sourcing footprint.
Spotlight on sustainability: Future-proofing the food supply chain | 9
