Climate change: 5 ways we’re combatting it through agriculture

Healthy soil. Resilient beef production. Wind-powered ships.

What do these have in common? They are all ways Cargill is helping fight one of the world’s biggest problems: climate change.?

Climate change and agriculture are linked. Agriculture, food and transportation together account for 37% of total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). ?

The effects of climate change on agricultural production are a concern, too. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather and water shortages make it harder for farmers to grow food. Crop yields are projected to decrease. This threatens food security for millions of people.

But at Cargill, we believe agricultural solutions to climate change can also help us address the climate crisis. By partnering with farmers to adopt sustainable practices for their crops and livestock, we can help reduce emissions and create a more resilient food supply.?

“We’ve seen agriculture step up in big ways in the past,” says Pilar Cruz , Cargill’s chief sustainability officer. “And as we continue to partner with farmers — the stewards of our planet — I’m confident we can address some of today’s most urgent sustainability challenges.”

Here are five agriculture climate change solutions that can help grow and move your food more sustainably.

1. Regenerative agriculture: Helping farmers keep soil healthy

Healthy soil is vital for successful farming, but it also can help fight climate change.?

Soil can pull carbon from the air, helping reduce emissions. But with rising temperatures, extreme weather, heat waves and heat stress, it’s harder to keep soil in good shape.

That’s where regenerative agriculture comes in. Missouri farmer Tyler Bruns has been using these soil-friendly methods for years, all while maintaining or improving crop production.

“My grandpa has been farming with no-till and conservation practices since the 1970s,” says Bruns. “We try our best to implement no-till farming practices wherever we can — trying not to disturb the soil.”

Our Cargill RegenConnect? program pays farmers like Tyler for outcomes generated from the adoption of regenerative practices — like reduced emissions. In Brazil, our ReSolu program focuses on improving long-term soil health on agricultural land. And in India, the SRISHTI program helps maize farmers adopt regenerative agriculture practices and conserve water.

2. BeefUp: Making beef production better for the planet

Animal agriculture contributes to emissions, too. That’s why we’re working to reduce the climate impact of beef production through our BeefUp Sustainability initiative.

This program helps farmers like Todd Dzingle in Nebraska, United States. He’s using regenerative agriculture techniques to prevent soil erosion while lowering emissions when producing feed for cattle.?

“Our fields were green, and the soil stayed where it was at,” Todd says of a recent dry spring in Nebraska where many farmers saw their soil dry up and rip out. “How do you put a price on that? To me, that’s priceless.”

Through BeefUp, we also partner with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to restore grasslands and protect biodiversity. These combined efforts help agricultural producers — and the planet — by making the land more resilient to the effects of climate change.

3. Wind power: Sailing into a more sustainable future for ocean transportation

Shipping is responsible for about 3% of global GHG emissions.?

Since most of the world’s food is transported by sea, finding ways to reduce emissions from shipping is one of the key climate change agriculture solutions.

That’s why Cargill launched the Pyxis Ocean in August 2023. This ship is the first to be equipped with 37-meter WindWings — large airplane-style wings that harness wind power to push the ship and reduce its fuel consumption. These wings adjust to wind and weather conditions, reducing fuel use and emissions.

“The maritime industry is on a journey to decarbonize — it’s not an easy one, but it is an exciting one,” says Jan Dieleman , president of Cargill’s ocean transportation business.

But WindWings is just one of our wind-assisted propulsion technology experiments. The NBA Magritte is retrofitted with VentoFoil? sails. The TR Lady, retrofitted with rotor sails in July 2023, also uses wind-assisted propulsion.?

We are collecting data on all three ships to give us technical, commercial and operational insights.?

4. Electric barges: Transporting your cocoa with zero emissions

On top of ocean shipping, we’re cutting emissions in inland shipping, too.?

In the Netherlands, we worked with KOTUG International to launch the world’s first zero-emission electric barges. They can move thousands of tons of cocoa beans.

Pushers and barges are critical for moving goods through the Netherlands and beyond. But they traditionally run on oil that puts out greenhouse gases that worsen climate conditions.?

These electric barges run on green energy, which eliminates harmful emissions. They are expected to reduce 190,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions every year. That’s like eliminating 15,000 truck trips.?

“Electrifying the transportation of our cocoa beans is just one example of how we are implementing new, innovative sustainable practices to reduce our impact on the planet and protect people,” says Emiel van Dijk , managing director of Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business in Europe and West Africa. “The KOTUG E-pusher Type M is the first of its kind and Cargill is excited to be a partner in launching it in The Netherlands.”

5. Renewable energy: A more sustainable way to power our operations

We’re also working to decarbonize our own operations. In fact, Cargill recently contracted an additional 300 megawatts of renewable energy capacity, bringing our total offsite renewable energy portfolio to 716 megawatts. Once the new contracts are fully operational, this shift is expected to help reduce nearly 820,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, the same as taking 200,000 gas-powered cars off the road.

Our renewable energy efforts include wind and solar projects in countries like the U.S., Germany and Brazil, helping to power our operations while decarbonizing the food and agriculture industry.?

By embracing greener energy sources, we’re not only lowering emissions from our facilities. We’re also supporting our customers’ climate goals, proving that renewable energy is key to agricultural climate change solutions.

“Cargill’s commitment to climate action spans our entire business and focuses on feeding a growing global population more sustainably,” says Christina Yagjian , Cargill’s global renewable energy leader.

“Renewable energy projects are just one of several ways we are weaving sustainable practices into our supply chains and global operations. While Cargill’s greatest opportunity for emissions reductions lies within its global supply chains, reducing emissions from the company’s operations is a critical step in our efforts to decarbonize the food and agriculture industry and supports not only our climate goals, but also those of our customers.”

Working together for a more sustainable future

Agriculture and shipping are critical for getting food from where it’s grown to where it’s needed.?

At Cargill we believe they can also be part of the solution to climate change. Through innovation and partnership, we're working to create a system that’s better for the farmers who grow and produce our food, moving it where it’s needed more efficiently and nourishing a growing world. A climate smart agricultural future is within the world’s grasp.

Discover our sustainability efforts and how we're making a difference.

This article originally appeared at www.cargill.com.