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ADM and Bayer have announced an extension of their regenerative agriculture collaboration, working with farmers to lower carbon emissions across Europe.

The companies embarked on a feasibility study last year to evaluate regenerative agriculture practices’ impact on curbing carbon emissions, increasing biodiversity and improving soil health.

Working with oilseed rape farmers covering approximately 9,000 hectares of land in Poland, ADM and Bayer helped conduct in-depth on-farm risk assessments that evaluated carbon emissions reduction potential, while building grower-specific roadmaps for the transition to regenerative agriculture.

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

The programme is now set to expand into a broader range of crops including corn, wheat and barley, and geographically across eastern Europe.

Farmers will be provided with financial and technical support to implement qualifying regenerative agriculture practices. These include minimum tillage, cover crops, companion crops, nutrient management, use of organic matter and manure, and 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.

In addition to financial support, participating farmers receive agronomic guidance from specialised professionals, including individualised on-farm assessments and development plans tailored for each farm. Farmers can share experiences and discuss different techniques during field visits and peer learning opportunities.

Candy Siekmann, director of Climate Smart Agriculture Origination at ADM, said: “Regenerative agriculture is foundational to our leadership in sustainability and decarbonisation, and rolling out a regenerative agriculture program in Poland is an exciting next step in our efforts”.

“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.”

Lionnel Alexandre, carbon business lead for EMEA at Bayer, commented: “Developing a project with ADM in Europe on regenerative agriculture has a strong meaning for us as it showcases the importance of building a robust and committed value chain approach, where all players work for a common goal”.

#ADM #Bayer #Europe