ADM Joins Mars Petcare, Royal Canin to Bring Regenerative Agriculture to Pet Food Industry

ADM has announced it is working with Mars Petcare US, Inc and Royal Canin to help bring the benefits of regenerative agriculture practices in the U.S. to the pet food industry.

ADM’s agreements with Mars Petcare US, Inc and Royal Canin are supporting and providing financial incentives to corn farmers in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska for using regenerative practices including but not limited to cover crops, no-till, fertilizer efficiency programs and efficient herbicide/pesticide use. These practices aim to deliver benefits such as increased yields, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through reduction and carbon sequestration, improved water quality, enhanced soil health and greater biodiversity in the implementation regions. Our measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) partner is Gradable, and outcomes will be measured using the COMET Planner tool and Field-to-Market Fieldprint Platform metrics. The multiyear initiative aims to cover more than 100,000 U.S. acres in 2024 alone.

“Transforming a value chain takes commitment from partners spanning that value chain,” said John Grossmann, ADM’s president of North American Oilseeds Crush and Grain. “It takes dedication from farmers to enroll in these programs and practice certain regenerative techniques. It takes participation by technical experts, from our Gradable joint venture to the agronomic experts that work with farmers to implement these practices. And it takes downstream partners that are committed to being leaders in sustainability. We’re proud to have partners like that in Mars Petcare US, Inc. and Royal Canin, and we’re excited to work with them as ADM continues to expand our global regenerative agriculture work toward our goal of five million acres in 2025.”

“At Mars, we recognize that an important part of achieving our climate goals is addressing the environmental footprint of our ingredients. Our commitment to regenerative agriculture is a key component of our broader sustainability strategy. These partnerships reflect our dedication to reducing our environmental impact, supporting farmer livelihoods, and helping to ensure a resilient supply chain for the long term,” said Jon Peattie, senior vice president, Commercial, Mars Petcare US, Inc.

“Royal Canin is committed to offering pet owners sustainable choices when feeding their pets, and that starts, in part, with how their food is grown,” said Racquel White, vice president, Corporate Affairs, Royal Canin. “We are committed to working with suppliers and partners to help farmers implement agriculture practices to help reduce our carbon footprint and support the resilience of the people throughout our supply chains.”

ADM has a broad and ambitious approach to regenerative agriculture, working with partners spanning the value chain. ADM knows that farmers are stewards of the land, and the company offers an array of programs that suit all farmers, meeting their varied needs and empowering each of them in the ways that work best for their individual situations, including via direct financial incentives; easy processes and cutting-edge technologies to ensure low barriers to entry; and a broad range of support and guidance from both internal and third-party experts.

As ADM has expanded its work in regenerative agriculture around the globe, it has worked with multiple downstream customers, including Ooni Pizza Ovens, The J.M. Smucker Co., PepsiCo, Nestlé and Carlsberg.

ADM’s innovative, value chain-spanning approach to regenerative agriculture successfully delivered more than 2.8 million acres in 2023, and has earned honors including positions as finalists in the 2023 Reuters Responsible Business Awards and the 2024 Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards. ADM is continuing to accelerate its efforts, with a 2024 goal of 3.5 million regenerative acres, and a 2025 goal of 5 million acres.

Read full details of ADM’s programs, achievements and goals in its 2024 Regenerative Agriculture Report here.

In 2024, Mars, Incorporated released the 2023 Mars Sustainable in a Generation Report, announcing record 8 percent GHG emissions reduction, doubling its total GHG reduction to 16 percent reduction across its full value chain and delivering its largest single year reduction in GHG emissions against its 2015 baseline. With almost 60 percent of the company’s value chain GHG footprint coming from agricultural ingredients, Mars is scaling up new climate-smart agriculture initiatives to drive continued decarbonization.