Regenerative agriculture has grown in popularity as a strategy for decarbonizing the food system. While agriculture can help mitigate the impact of agriculture on the climate, its importance goes much further. Because regenerative agriculture has a critical role to play in building the resilience of food systems to feed the world’s growing population.
To meet the needs of an ever-growing global population, global food production must increase by 70% by 2050. At the same time, climate change continues to put pressure on farmers and the food industry at large, which are already experiencing ongoing supply chain disruptions and market volatility, along with other constraints on land, water and other natural resources.
Regenerative agriculture may offer a promising solution. But if we only consider climate mitigation factors rather than the broader environmental and economic benefits, we will not only miss the future of food security, but we will also miss the solutions needed to effectively scale up regenerative agriculture.
Food system resilience starts with farmers. To promote the adoption of regenerative agriculture, our industry must support farmers through the transition.
When Cargill RegenConnect was launched® Four years ago, we worked closely with farmers to design a regenerative agriculture program tailored to their needs. It had to be practical, flexible and customizable, but more importantly it had to address the economic risks associated with the transition to regenerative agriculture.
We believe this approach works. We have registered 1 million acres across 24 U.S. states for the 2025 growing season. We’ve also added more products and launched similar regenerative agriculture programs in Brazil, Australia and six European countries. Along the way, we engaged growers through conversations, field events, and surveys to help improve the program and better understand what drives farmer adoption.
What knowledge have we gained from working with farmers on regenerative agriculture programs? And how can these learnings be applied to other companies in the food and agriculture industry?
Here are three key learnings:
- Regenerative agriculture is about more than decarbonization. Mitigating carbon emissions is important, but we need to think more broadly. Regenerative agriculture offers a way to build resilience in food and farming systems by helping farmers adapt to climate change, improve farm economics, and build healthy soils for future generations. Practices like cover crops and reduced tillage can increase biodiversity and help soils hold more water. A study conducted by the Soil Health Institute found that 97% of farmers who adopted regenerative agriculture practices reported increased crop resilience to climate extremes. We need to build the business case for regenerative agriculture around these diverse outcomes.
- A farmer-centric approach is important to drive support and adoption. For some farmers, adopting these practices makes a big difference to their operations. The process should be easy and the program should provide flexibility and support, both financial and technical. Programs that offer financial incentives, such as Cargill RegenConnect, help mitigate the risks farmers take when adopting new practices, including offering one-year contracts. We are also hearing loud and clear from farmers who want the transition to be simple and manageable without a lot of paperwork or burdensome data entry requirements. Partnerships with platforms like ClimateFieldView and John Deere Ops Center make it easier for farmers to connect and send data at the touch of a button.
We learned that support shouldn’t end with registration. Farmers need tools and resources to succeed. Cargill and other companies that work directly with farmers provide training and conservation agriculture experts who can provide tailored guidance on how to implement and optimize regenerative agriculture practices over the long term.
- Scaling up requires collective action across the supply chain.Food companies, policy makers and agricultural companies must work together to create market access for products grown using regenerative technologies. By investing in programs that help farmers transition, food companies are sending a powerful signal to growers in response to market demand. Likewise, partnering with agricultural suppliers like Cargill on regenerative agriculture programs can help you achieve greater efficiency and impact on your sustainability goals.
Promoting regenerative agriculture at scale requires maintaining passion and momentum within the industry, but it also requires making it happen. This is an essential condition to help us continue to feed a growing population in an ever-changing and challenging world. This journey to build a more resilient and sustainable food system starts on the farm, providing a portfolio of solutions that enable us to meet farmers where they are, but requires collaboration across the entire supply chain to mature and accelerate.
Brooke Hokana Hansen, Vice President of Sustainability, Agriculture and Trade, Cargill
Brooke Hokan Hansen is Vice President of Sustainability for Cargill’s Agriculture and Trade division and believes strongly in the power of agriculture to nourish the planet and create a more resilient food system. North Dakota. Brooke joined Cargill’s sustainability team in 2023 and has since helped lead Cargill RegenConnect.®is a program that encourages farmers to adopt regenerative agricultural practices that improve soil health, reduce carbon emissions, and create other positive environmental outcomes. Brooke joined Cargill in 2017 as a commercial attorney and has held a variety of leadership roles since then, including as a key architect in the design and implementation of Cargill’s global ethics and compliance department. Brooke earned her bachelor’s degree from Jamestown University in North Dakota and her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School.
