Food businesses double down on regenerative agriculture programmes

Ahold Delhaize USA has teamed up with The Campbell’s Company to finance a regenerative agriculture pilot on US potato farms, while Mars has announced a raft of partnerships to scale regenerative practices in its pet nutrition supply chain.

Ahold Delhaize USA and Campbell's

The three-year pilot is part of Ahold Delhaize USA’s work to understand and reduce Scope 3 emissions, and fits within Campbell’s sustainable agriculture programme, which covers tomatoes, wheat and now, potatoes.

Ahold Delhaize USA will work with Campbell’s to financially support farmers in North Carolina, New York and Michigan in implementing regenerative practices across 1,000 acres – the area needed to grow potatoes for the Campbell’s products sold every year at Ahold Delhaize stores.

The pilot will focus on farming practices such as cover cropping, compost application, nutrient management and conversion of farm equipment to renewable energy sources. The two companies will also work with farmers to measure soil health and emissions impacts.

Lower-emissions potato products

The potatoes harvested from this project will then be combined with conventionally grown potatoes to produce lower-emissions chips and soups within the Campbell’s portfolio.

“As a company committed to enabling healthier people and planet, we’re excited to explore the potential positive impacts of regenerative agriculture on another crop as part of our continued progress on Scope 3,” said Marc Stolzman, who was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer of Ahold Delhaize USA in February. 

“Potatoes are a key ingredient used across our portfolio,” added Stewart Lindsay, Campbell’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Collaborations like this help connect our customers and consumers to the farmers who grow key ingredients in the food we make while actively helping to measure and advance sustainability and regenerative agricultural practices in our supply chain.”

Mars’ regenerative agriculture partnerships

Regenerative agriculture initiatives are an increasingly instrumental part of food and agribusiness companies’ sustainability strategies. Last week, Mars announced a raft of new partnerships to scale regenerative agriculture practices across its pet nutrition business in Europe.

Through collaborations with suppliers including Cargill and ADM (which cut emissions by 300,000 tonnes through regenerative agriculture last year), as well as technical experts Biospheres, Horta, Agreena and Soil Capital the company will provide financial incentives and advisory services for farmers to adopt practices such as crop rotation, minimal tillage, and cover crops. 

With this, Mars is seeking several business and environmental benefits, such as increased yields and lower GHG emissions through reduction and carbon sequestration – all crucial to continue to decouple growth from emissions.