Jumping on the regenerative agriculture bandwagon

“Regenerative agriculture was created to help get rid of the cult of organic agriculture. But it is still very much seen as an anti-agribusiness movement. So why are some major companies like McCain Foods jumping on the regenerative agriculture bandwagon?”

Regenerative agriculture is making some noise of late. So much so that some companies are making it a priority now. McCain Foods, the world’s largest producer of french fries, has just committed to limiting its climate footprint, saying all its french fries will come from farms using regenerative agriculture by 2030.

For consumers, this is supposed to mean that, within 9 years, McCain will only be buying potatoes from farms using more sustainable agricultural practices. In their plan, McCain commits to farming techniques which promote biodiversity and more plant cover on fields, practices which minimize soil disturbance and maximize crop diversity to increase water efficiency, protect against erosion, capture more carbon, and create greater resilience to droughts and floods. A total of six principles were presented. Farmers will be expected to minimize soil disturbance and use less fertilizer and pesticides. In the potato business, these would be significant steps. This could potentially reduce yields for partnering farmers and increase the cost of their products. In essence, as these shifts require some form of accounting, it could mean more paperwork for McCain's current suppliers.

Changing practices for a stronger planet is where we all are these days, and McCain is trying to make its own contribution. No problem there. On the surface though, it may sound like a bold move from the “French Fry King”, but very few details were given as far as specific targets go. Without any specific metric to make the company more accountable, McCain’s announcement reads very much like those of other companies which have jumped on the “regenerative agriculture” bandwagon. PepsiCo, Nestle and General Mills are some companies which have committed to specific initiatives like McCain’s.

These companies mean well and generally want to make a difference as they all face more well-deserved skepticism. Canadians are growing more impatient towards bold promises made by the food industry. Most recently, the Retail Council of Canada backed away from its promise on cage-free eggs by 2025 and the phasing out of gestation stalls for pregnant pigs by 2022. It argued this could not be done, even though a promise was made a few years ago. Other companies like Starbucks have also failed to deliver on environmentally focused objectives in recent years, giving way to more collective cynicism. 

In agriculture, same thing. The pandemic got people thinking differently about food supply chains. Most Canadians went from wanting a transparent food industry, to one in which they could understand how it functions. One piece is certainly how and where agricultural commodities are grown, here and elsewhere.

McCain, and other companies, are fully aware that Canadians do not expect private land managers to act in the best interest of society without the proper incentives in place to encourage that action. Making ecological stewardship the norm is a top priority for many anti big-agriculture interest groups these days, as we get closer to the United Nations Food Systems Summit, which will take place later this year. The focus will be to set a path to reach the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Major agribusiness companies like McCain are expected to provide some answers, and quick. This is likely why many companies, including McCain, are choosing 2030 as a target. It is all about the UN goals, and shareholders, of course.

But skepticism is a two-way street. For some, regenerative agriculture is a feel-good slogan that is flexible enough to bend to a consumer's preconceived environmental biases. As the term “regenerative agriculture” has only been thrown around for just a few years now, it clearly has set the record for rapid eco-stewardship watering-down of what it really means. Principles can be set in many ways, without specific, measurable goals.

Despite all that, McCain’s move is not trivial. Such a call will resonate not only with consumers, but also within the company’s network. The company is known for its skillful methods within its own supply chain. It understands it quite well. Farmers and its broader network were likely consulted thoroughly before the announcement. The “regenerative agriculture” call is very much about setting the field up for some new collaborative work with partners, with a different focus on natural resource management. In doing so, inputs, actions and performances will all need to be measured, and McCain knows more work is needed on that front. Extraordinary claims will always require extraordinary evidence.

So, if you are not buying McCain’s commitment, you are likely not alone. But this call is not just about you, or us, but more about preparing its eco-system for some changes in years to come. As McCain befriends the concept of “regenerative agriculture”, it will also need to define what this means for its network.