Cargill is planning to pay farmers to cut carbon emissions, with the goal of passing the “green” credits on to its customers.
The Cargill RegenConnect project will offer farmers $20 per metric ton of carbon dioxide sequestered through regenerative agricultural practices. These include planting cover crops and reducing or eliminating tillage.
The potential exists to hook up Cargill’s food processor customers with the grain and other commodities produced by farmers who practice carbon-reduction techniques. Customers with sustainability goals relating to greenhouse gases could then incorporate the carbon savings from the farmers into their compliance statistics.
The RegenConnect project is part of Cargill’s efforts over more than a decade to persuade farmers to practice more sustainable agriculture.
“Changes made at the roots of our supply chains will deliver the greatest impact in reducing emissions, delivering higher yields, improving water quality, sequestering carbon and building the resilience of our soils for the next generation,” Ben Fargher, vice president of sustainability in Cargill’s North American agricultural supply chain, said in a statement. “We are actively working hand-in-hand with farmers to lead the way, supporting them with tools, resources – and most importantly, market access – to make the shift to regenerative agriculture.”
