Archer Daniels Midland is supporting the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across 20,000 peanut acres in the southeast United States as part of a recent collaboration with J.M. Smuckers Co.
Golden Peanut, a subsidiary of ADM, and Smuckers plan to offer direct financial support to farmers, as well as processes and technologies to ensure low barriers of entry for peanut growers seeking to adopt regenerative practices. The companies also plan to provide guidance and support from internal and third-party experts, including the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District.
The three-year agreement aims to enroll 20,000 peanut acres per year into ADM’s regenerative program, according to the company. As part of the deal, 5,000 acres per year will be affiliated with the National Black Growers Council from 2024 to 2026.
“We’re excited to bring our comprehensive regenerative agriculture approach to empower farmers to continue to adopt and sustain practices that will enhance soil health and reduce the carbon intensity of their farms,” Clint Piper, president of Golden Peanut, said in a statement.
Regenerative practices covered by the program will include cover crops, improved fertilizer and pesticide efficiency and use of reduced tillage practices, according to ADM. Emissions benefits will be calculated using Field to Market methodologies and removals will be calculated using COMET planner, a web-based greenhouse gas evaluation tool.
The collaboration builds on ADM’s overall regenerative and sustainability goals. Last year, the Illinois-based food processor and commodity trader enrolled more than 2.8 million acres in regenerative agriculture programs. It also has plans to enroll a total of 5 million acres by 2025.