New PepsiCo and Unilever Initiative Helps Farmers Adopt Regenerative Ag Practices

PepsiCo and Unilever are partnering to launch an initiative designed to strengthen farmer-facing support organizations across North America. Supporting Trusted Engagement and Partnership (STEP) up for Agriculture’s goal is to help these organizations by equipping them with tools, training, and resources needed to support farmers on the ground. The approach is designed to accelerate adoption of regenerative agriculture practices on farms and throughout the supply chain.

“PepsiCo is rooted in agriculture, and farmers are at the heart of our food systems. STEP up for Ag is about investing in the organizations that support farmers every day, aiming to ensure they can grow, innovate, and lead the transition to more sustainable agriculture,” said PepsiCo Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrews. “When farmers thrive, we all thrive.”

Additional Support for Farmer Organizations

The farmer-facing organizations that will receive support through STEP up for Ag include Practical Farmers of Iowa, a farmer-led organization committed to building resilient farms in Iowa; Farm Advisor, a farmer-led, Indiana-based initiative to accelerate the adoption of soil health practices; and South East Research Farm, supporting farmers throughout the Canadian Prairies. 

“Farmers are more likely to adopt new practices when they see clear benefits and receive guidance from organizations they know and trust,” the PepsiCo release stated. “That’s why farmer-led, farmer-facing support groups are critical to the success of corporate regenerative agriculture programs.”

Through STEP up for Ag, corporate and philanthropic partners will provide funding and strategic support to help farmer organizations:

• Develop business and strategic plans to boost profitability and local economies.
• Expand staffing and training to better equip farmers. 
• Establish measurement, reporting, and verification systems to track sustainable progress against goals.
• Enhance implementation capabilities to support scalability.
• Access new revenue streams and partnerships to grow support for farmers over time.

Corporate partners include PepsiCo, Unilever, and others. Philanthropic partners include The Platform for Agriculture and Climate Transformation and the PepsiCo Foundation. The release did not state the financial contribution of the partners.

Over the next two years, STEP up for Ag will aim to facilitate peer learning, host annual in-person workshops, and develop shared tools and resources. 

History of Investment in Agriculture

PepsiCo has a long history of investing in sustainable farming practices. In 2012, the company implemented the Sustainable Farming Program in 38 countries to provide 40,000 farmers with training and resources. In 2021, PepsiCo launched Positive Agriculture with the goal of scaling regenerative farming practices across 7 million acres by 2030. That goal has been updated to 10 million acres by 2030. To reach that goal, PepsiCo has announced local partnerships, including a plan this July with Cargill to expand sustainable farming practices on 240,000 Iowa acres by 2030.

“The PepsiCo program has given me the flexibility to try a lot of the regenerative practices I have wanted to implement, and across more acres,” said Chris Beaudry, a fourth-generation farmer in Saskatchewan and a South East Research Farm member. “When we decided to do this regenerative agriculture thing, we wanted to be playing the long game — something that will benefit our soil, that will benefit me, if I am farming in my fifties and sixties. Or my kids, if they are farming after me.

“When you, as a farmer, start looking at your soil having an interdependent relationship with you, then you can start making decisions that benefit you, benefit the crop and benefit us as humans as well.”

Unilever has similar corporate goals, with a commitment to roll out regenerative ag practices across about 2.5 million acres by 2030. 

“Regenerative agriculture is a big part of how we’re building a stronger, more resilient supply chain and food system …” said Kristina Friedman, head of sustainability for Unilever North America. “STEP up for Ag can help us move faster and smarter, empowering farmer-led groups with the tools they need and opening doors to more great suppliers to grow our business.”