Key Takeaways
- Compeer Financial, PepsiCo, EDF, and SWOF have launched RegenLend, a pilot strip-till equipment leasing programme designed to reduce the financial barrier to soil conservation adoption.
- Compeer Financial leases strip-till equipment to farmers through RegenLend; PepsiCo will cover two annual lease payments to share the upfront investment cost.
- Strip tillage can improve soil health, long-term yield, and water retention, while also reducing fuel and labour costs through fewer field passes and more precise fertilizer placement.
- In its pilot year, RegenLend is available to farmers seeking to implement soil conservation practices on at least 600 acres.
- EDF contributed to programme design; SWOF serves as operational partner in programme management.
Compeer Financial and PepsiCo Launch RegenLend Strip-Till Leasing Programme
Compeer Financial has announced the launch of RegenLend, a pilot equipment leasing programme developed in partnership with PepsiCo, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), and the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF). The initiative is designed to lower the upfront financial barrier to adopting strip-till equipment, a key entry point for farmers looking to implement soil conservation practices on their operations.
Through RegenLend, Compeer Financial will lease strip-till equipment directly to farmers. PepsiCo will contribute by covering two annual lease payments, sharing the investment cost with growers. EDF collaborated on programme design using its market-based sustainability frameworks, while SWOF handles operational management.
Addressing the Equipment Cost Barrier
Strip tillage delivers documented benefits for soil health, including improved structure, enhanced water retention, and long-term yield stability. The practice also reduces field passes, delivering fuel and labour cost savings alongside more precise fertilizer placement. Despite these advantages, the initial cost of strip-till equipment has remained a barrier to wider adoption.
RegenLend targets this constraint by embedding cost-sharing into the food supply chain, drawing on PepsiCo’s interest in building a more resilient agricultural supply base.
“RegenLend is a programme designed to use supply chain incentives to help bridge the financial investment in soil health technology, such as new strip tillage systems, that can be a burden to farmers’ bottom line. We are proud to work with PepsiCo as they are committed to supporting our farmers in their journey to realising the long-term gains their land and operations can experience from improved soil health,” said Bryan Stanek, Managing Director of New Markets at Compeer Financial.
“The RegenLend programme is one example of how we are collaborating on unique programmes that help farmers navigate rising costs and weather challenges so together we can build a more resilient food system,” said Caitlin Colegrove, PepsiCo’s Sustainable Agriculture Lead for North America.
A Multi-Partner Model for Conservation Finance
RegenLend illustrates a growing model in agricultural sustainability finance in which food companies, lenders, NGOs, and outcomes-based platforms collaborate to de-risk conservation adoption. Each partner contributes a distinct capability: Compeer brings agricultural lending infrastructure, PepsiCo provides supply chain incentive, EDF contributes programme design expertise, and SWOF provides operational and outcomes management.
“Every farmer’s conservation journey is different, and they need a variety of solutions to succeed. Financing that helps farmers invest in conservation equipment and technology is a critical part of that toolbox,” said Vincent Gauthier, Senior Manager of Agriculture at EDF.
“Farmers are increasingly looking to practices like strip-till that improve soil health, reduce erosion, and preserve their land for the next generation. Innovative programmes like RegenLend provide new, scalable pathways to support farmers through that transition,” said Dan Yeoman, Managing Director of SWOF.
Pilot Eligibility
In its initial pilot year, RegenLend is available to farmers leasing strip-till equipment to implement soil conservation practices on a minimum of 600 acres.
