As noted in class, nearly every major food company has developed sustainability programs. Of course, for most of these companies, such programs are in their best interests. By saving resources, reducing waste, and using less energy, they not only enhance the environment and their communities, they also save money.
Now comes a new addition to these sustainability programs: regenerative agriculture. Although this sounds rather new, many farmers have, in principle, long adopted the practices of regenerative agriculture. As described in this article published earlier this year, regenerative agriculture relies on many of the farming and cultivation approaches that are taught in our agiculture courses here at UNL. These include use of cover crops and no-tilling land management, to use of compost and managed grazing. These practices promote soil richness, reduce water and irrigations requirements, and may even improve carbon capture from the atmosphere.
General Mills, one of the largest U.S. food companies intends to use regenerative agriculture for up to 1,000,000 acres by the end of the next decade. Indeed, “global responsibility” is now part of their overall corporate strategy.