Farmers Cut 946K Tons of CO2 With Regenerative Agriculture

Nearly a million metric tons of carbon just disappeared from the atmosphere, and farmers made money doing it.

ADM's Re:generations program worked with farmers across 11 countries in 2025 to embrace regenerative agriculture practices. The result was a staggering 946,000 metric ton reduction in CO2 emissions while supporting 4.6 million acres of farmland.

The program spans from Australia to Argentina, from Brazil to the UK. Farmers growing everything from wheat and corn to peanuts and cotton signed up to try practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, and reduced tillage.

Here's what makes this story remarkable: the farmers are thriving. When ADM surveyed 700 North American farmers in the program, 91% said it improved their farm economics. That's not just good for the planet. That's good business.

Nearly all farmers (99%) plan to sign back up. They're not doing this out of obligation or guilt. They're doing it because it works.

The program brings together major food brands like PepsiCo, General Mills, Campbell's, and Walmart. In July 2026, these companies partnered specifically to help Midwest wheat farmers adopt regenerative practices. Everyone from seed to store shelf is investing in this shift.

The Ripple Effect

The impact goes far beyond carbon numbers. In Iowa, Nebraska, and Indiana, ADM partnered with universities to study how cover crops reduce nitrogen loss. In Hungary, sunflower farmers received financial support to switch to minimum tillage and organic matter use. In Argentina, a peanut producer earned the highest sustainability certification available.

Farmers are reporting that carbon intensity scores, once seen as corporate buzzwords, are now valuable to their actual operations. They're seeing healthier soil, better water retention, and more resilient crops that can handle changing weather patterns.

Greg Morris, ADM's senior vice president for ag services, put it simply: "Resilience starts on the farm." When soil health improves, farmers can adapt better to whatever comes next. That strength flows through the entire food system.

The global scale matters too. From Queensland wheat fields to European sunflower farms, this isn't a boutique experiment. It's a working model proving that environmental progress and farmer prosperity can grow together.

Protecting the planet while protecting livelihoods isn't just possible anymore—it's happening on millions of acres right now.