Cargill supports regen ag program in Brazil

Cargill recently renewed its support for Regenera Cerrado, a regenerative agriculture program in Brazil that reported encouraging results for soybeans during the drought-impacted 2023-24 season.

Created in 2022 and sponsored by Minneapolis, Minnesota, US-based Cargill, the program researches regenerative agriculture practices to disseminate information and scientific data that encourage their adoption, contributing to ecosystem health and the resilience of soybean and corn cultivation areas.

The program has monitored 12 farms in the Rio Verde region in southwestern Goiás, representing a total of 7,841 hectares in the Cerrado, a biome that accounts for 60% of Brazil’s agricultural production, Cargill said.

Data from the 2023-24 harvest showed that plots on farms in Goiás that utilized regenerative agriculture achieved an average 69 bags of soybeans per hectare, while in conventional areas the average was 66 bags. The statewide average in Goiás was 56 bags per hectare that season.

Soybean productivity data for the 2023-24 harvest was one of the findings presented at the third Regenera Cerrado Workshop, which was held in August at the Instituto Federal Goiás in Rio Verde, Goiás.

“Cargill is pleased to support Regenera Cerado, which promotes regenerative agriculture practices, because we believe that these practices and sustainable soil management have an impact on the climate and people, whether producers or consumers,” said Letícia Kawanami, sustainability director for Cargill’s Agricultural Business in South America.

Data collected during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 harvests were analyzed by a team of 35 researchers over three years. At the initiative of farmers and based on empirical evidence, several regenerative agriculture practices already are being used on the 12 farms monitored by Regenera Cerrado, Cargill said. The researchers characterized and validated these practices, establishing links with entomology, plant pathology, soil health and other indicators.

In addition to Cargill’s support, the program research institutions include Brazilian Agricultural Research Corp. (EMBRAPA), Goiano Federal Institute, Federal University of Lavras (UFLA), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), University of Brasília (UnB), State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Federal University of Viçosa (UFV), and Minas Gerais Agricultural Research Corp. (EPAMIG).

Coordinated by the BioSistêmico Institute (IBS), Regenera Cerrado’s activities also include the Associated Group for Sustainable Agriculture (GAAS) and the Associated Research Group of Southwest Goiano (GAPES).

Last November, Cargill detailed its progress toward sustainability commitments as part of its 2024 Impact Report, which summarizes environmental, social and governance (ESG) programs and performance across the company’s global operations, supply chains and local communities for fiscal year 2024.

Tags: harvest, corn, Cargill, Brazil, soybeans, Sustainability, productivity, regenerative agriculture, practices