Key Takeaways
- AgMission™ and PepsiCo have awarded three grants totaling $6.7 million to researchers in Australia, Mexico, and Canada for climate-smart agriculture research.
- The projects aim to develop and implement regenerative agriculture practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance farm productivity.
- Researchers will collaborate with farmers to co-develop transition plans and gather data on the environmental benefits of these practices.
- The grants will support studies on diverse crops and regions, contributing to global efforts in sustainable agriculture.
- This initiative is part of a broader strategy to create resilient, sustainable agricultural systems that address climate change and food security.
AgMission™ and PepsiCo Award $6.7 Million in Grants for Climate-Smart Agriculture Research
AgMission™, a global initiative co-founded by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), has partnered with PepsiCo to award three grants totaling $6.7 million to researchers in Australia, Mexico, and Canada. These grants aim to support evidence-based research on the effectiveness of climate-smart agriculture practices that incorporate regenerative agriculture principles.
Addressing Climate Challenges with Innovative Research
Climate-smart practices are essential for reducing carbon emissions and providing environmental benefits through regenerative agriculture. However, limited data exists on effectively implementing these practices on farms. In early 2023, AgMission™ and PepsiCo called for research proposals to develop, study, and expand the climate-smart agriculture transition in specific crop-sourcing regions.
Allison Thomson, FFAR Scientific Program Director, emphasized the importance of this research: “To create a resilient food system, it’s critical to invest in innovative research relevant to the challenges farmers face, to support them in adapting to climate change and other stressors. We are thrilled to partner with PepsiCo to fund research that has the potential to provide valuable data and information that farmers need to enhance their operations. This research can potentially generate scalable solutions that can be applied to farms globally.”
Collaborative Efforts and Research Focus
The three grantees will work closely with farmers and farmer organizations to co-develop transition plans for regenerative practices, improve understanding of the impacts and outcomes, and contribute to scientific evidence that can overcome adoption challenges. This research aims to uncover best practices for implementation and provide data reinforcing the environmental benefits of regenerative farming.
Margaret Henry, Vice President of Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture at PepsiCo, highlighted the strategic importance of these projects: “Creating a more resilient, sustainable agricultural system helps to protect our continued business growth from disruption due to climate change, and other potential environmental and social risks. We believe that regenerative agriculture will be pivotal in feeding the growing global population, while also addressing the need to protect and enhance our natural resources. To accelerate adoption of these practices, we’re proud to support these new projects in an effort to uncover impactful and scalable solutions to better enable climate-smart agriculture practices.”
Funded Projects
- Australia:
- Grant: $748,394 to Charles Sturt University
- Focus: Examine climate-smart agriculture practices in cropping and enhance the climate resilience of local grain producers. This research builds on the Cool Soil Initiative, leveraging five years of on-ground support and greenhouse gas reporting across various farms. Researchers will evaluate over 300 Australian farms to understand how different agricultural practices and geographic locations influence soil health.
- Mexico:
- Grant: $750,000 to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)
- Focus: Accelerate the adoption of regenerative climate-smart agricultural practices in wheat and maize. The research assesses climate stressors, co-develops adaptive practices with farmers, and quantifies the benefits of regenerative agriculture. Field measurements and modeling will estimate greenhouse gas emission reductions in the Bajío region.
- Canada:
- Grant: $749,346 to South East Research Farm
- Focus: Develop innovative cover crop strategies to drive climate-smart agriculture adoption in the eastern Prairie provinces. Collaboration with University of Manitoba researchers will collect farm-level data to evaluate the suitability and impact of climate-smart practices on crop yield, soil health, and environmental services.
Importance of Farmer Involvement
WFO Secretary General Andrea Porro emphasized the significance of involving farmers in research: “Farmers are not only food producers but also stewards of natural resources. Research and innovation in agriculture can only succeed when they meet farmers’ needs and expectations. When the research approach involves farmers and their active participation, it can lead to easier adoption and increase the effectiveness of climate-smart agriculture practices within the farmers’ community.”
Photo by Dong Zhang on Unsplash
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