I have been around farms and farmers all my life, and have spent my professional career working with and learning from farmers across the United States. My starting point was my family’s dairy farm in central New York. There I learned many lessons about failure, hard work, and of course creative problem solving. That’s why I’m passionate about not only doing the right thing to support farmers, but doing it the right way. But what is the right way?
After all, if you ask 100 farmers the same question, you might get 100 different answers. But the important thing is that you asked the question because farmers are our greatest problem solvers. Keeping farmers in the driver’s seat is paramount when advancing farming practices like regenerative agriculture, and this is why I continue to put them at the center of my work, from the smallest to the largest. It’s one of the reasons I’ve always fought. assignment. You could say my motto is, “If we do the right thing on the side of farmers, we’re on the right path.”
One of the challenges we face today, transforming the U.S. food system to a low-carbon model, is the biggest and most complex topic facing farmers and the companies that depend on them, like Mars Petcare US. It’s certainly one of the. For us, growing our crops and the ingredients for our nutritious pet food is both the largest part of our carbon footprint and one of the most difficult to address. This is why transitioning to climate-smart agricultural practices is a priority for Mars Petcare US and a key pillar of Mars’ Net Zero 2050 roadmap.
Connect directly with farmers
At the end of the day, this is a problem that affects us all, and it will take a lot of cooperation to solve it. At Mars Petcare, we’ve always been proud to work closely with our U.S. suppliers and farmers, but we continue to hire in-house experts and broker new collaborations with outside experts. Masu. Experts like Beyer and his ForGround platform.
Bayer’s ForGround is a comprehensive, farmer-centric platform that helps farms of all sizes more easily transition to regenerative farming practices, from introducing cover crops to reducing or eliminating tillage. All of these can make agriculture more resilient by improving soil health, reducing erosion, increasing soil water-holding capacity and reducing inputs. And, of course, it helps farmers earn money from the carbon they sequester in the soil. The platform is designed to meet the needs of all farmers, no matter where they are in their regenerative agriculture journey.
We may only be at the beginning of a long-term journey to support farmers in building regenerative farming practices, but we are confident that our work with Bayer will help move things forward. why? Because our collaboration is rooted in some of the most effective agricultural principles.
1. Listen to those who know best
Mars Petcare US regularly uses programs as a platform to listen to and learn from farmers, and Bayer’s ForGround platform is no exception. In doing so, we can support ongoing change in a way that is sensitive to both diverse farming systems and agriculture-specific challenges.
2. Work towards a common goal
By listening to what farmers need, we are better able to provide them with what they need: quality agricultural advice from known representatives on the ground. Together, we can expand our programs, accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture, and increase our impact in the sector.
3. Learn from past experiences
Collecting and analyzing historical data means you can better understand how programs should be adapted on a farm-by-farm basis. Additionally, through our collaboration with ForGround, growers can leverage Bayer’s connected Digital Ag platform, Climate FieldView™, to track and measure progress across all fields.
4. Use the right tools for the job
Farmers enrolled in ForGround are supported by a sustainable agriculture team through farm visits, remote assistance, and research on the latest regenerative farming practices. New technologies are also available to help minimize soil disturbance, build on the use of cover crops, and improve crop diversity and rotation.
5. Securing financial support
Finally, we know that change requires investment, so Mars Petcare US is expanding its enrollment by including per-acre incentives to help prepare for the long-term transition. We are committed to farmers. Farmers participating in the program also receive discounts and rebates on conservation tillage (no-till and strip-till) equipment, cover crop use, and digital tools.
Practical steps towards a vital goal
Mars Petcare US will invest up to $10 million over three years to support farmers in adopting and expanding regenerative agriculture practices, including within Mars Petcare’s U.S. ingredient supply chain. Initially in Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, the company aims to work together to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farms.
Encouraging farmers to adopt regenerative farming practices at scale is no easy task, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned from working with farmers across the country, it’s that they can overcome challenges. That means he’s very good at it.
Adam Hardy is the Director of Climate Change and Sustainable Sourcing for Mars Petcare US, Inc., part of the Mars Incorporated family of companies, where he designs and develops more sustainable sourcing strategies for the North American region. They lead the execution efforts and support product delivery at the same time. Based on the broader Mars, Incorporated Net Zero 2050 roadmap.