Together, Cargill and farmers are working toward nature-positive production

To feed 9.7 billion people by 2050, the world’s farmers will have to grow approximately 70% more food than is currently being produced. Farmers are some of the most advanced innovators, who have been successfully adapting agricultural practices to increase yields and drive farming efficiencies. Yet climate issues are requiring farmers to innovate again to find solutions to sustainably nourish a growing world. So how can we accomplish these seemingly opposite goals—lessening agriculture’s impact on the planet while producing more food? The path forward is nature-positive production.

By combining the practices that increase volume and efficiency with new agricultural practices that sustain the land like no-till and cover crops, farmers can feed more people and address climate change. As a living, breathing ecosystem, land does more than simply provide nutrients for plant growth. It pulls carbon from the atmosphere, improves water quality, and provides drought resistance. Nature-positive production goes beyond prevention and regulation. It can improve soil and sustain the land for generations to come. This regenerative, non-depleting, approach helps farmers protect and restore our natural resources, including soil and water.

“If we’re going to succeed in sustainably transforming our food and agriculture system, we have to help farmers take a nature-positive approach,” says Pilar Cruz, chief sustainability officer at Cargill, a global food corporation working to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. “That’s why we’re working directly with farmers around the world on initiatives that protect, regenerate, and restore the land.”

Protecting the land from deforestation

Deforestation is one of the greatest climate risks because trees, and the soil they grow in, are nature’s way of removing carbon dioxide from Earth’s atmosphere. By working along suppliers and creating a deforestation- and conversion-free supply chain with market access for farmers, Cargill is helping preserve the forests’ natural ability to process greenhouse gases. Cargill also connects these deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) farmers to the markets and customers looking for sustainably sourced ingredients.

Through the Triple S™ (sustainability sourced and supplied) soy program in South America, Cargill provides customers in Asia, Europe, and North America certified deforestation-free soy from farmers in Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. In return, those farmers receive a premium price for adopting nature-positive practices that produce sustainably sourced and certified DCF soy.

Making agriculture more regenerative

The concept of regenerative agriculture includes practices like planting cover crops and implementing reduced- or no-till farming to help sequester carbon in the ground, build soil resilience, and improve water quality. Cargill is helping make these practices valuable to farmers through a market mechanism called RegenConnect™, which pays farmers per ton of carbon captured in their soil. By making regenerative agriculture financially viable for farmers, these nature-positive production practices can scale more quickly and become standard farming practices.

Restoring degraded land

Repairing depleted landscapes in many parts of the world is a critical stop toward bringing back the most effective natural climate solutions: trees and soil. Cargill has invested to help more than 16,000 cocoa growers adopt and implement sustainable agroforestry practices such as planting shade trees to protect against soil erosion. Building sustainable landscapes that balance cocoa production with the conservation of forests also contributes to improving farmer livelihoods. Cargill is looking to expand these kinds of nature-based initiatives to other supply chains, such as soy. It hopes these efforts can help agriculture take the lead in addressing climate change while feeding a growing world.

“Commitments, timelines and deadlines are a start, but true climate progress comes from action,” says Cruz. “That is why we’re investing in nature-positive production practices and working with farmers around the world. This is how we will make a meaningful difference, one field and one farm at a time.”

To learn more about Cargill’s nature-positive initiatives and solutions, visit Cargill.com/FarmerProsperity