McCain Foods USA was awarded $6.9 million in funding by means of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which can be used as a part of an “Improving Soil Health in Potato Supply Chains” undertaking.
Under that undertaking, McCain Foods USA and its companions, Campbell Soup Company and the Soil Health Institute (SHI), will assist potato farmers implement soil well being and climate-smart agriculture practices and programs on greater than 6,000 acres in Wisconsin and Maine.
McCain and Campbell each have company packages to assist growers of their provide chains undertake regenerative agriculture practices and assist battle local weather change.
Smart and sustainable farming practices very important
“As potato growers face increasing challenges from climate change and variable weather, shifting towards smart and sustainable farming practices is vital,” mentioned Dan Metheringham, McCain Foods’ Vice President of Agriculture North America.
“We are profoundly grateful that USDA has invested nearly $7 million in our soil health project, which will advance our work with McCain growers and customers to re-imagine the way potatoes are grown. The funding award is an important step toward meeting McCain’s bold commitment to implement regenerative agricultural practices across 100 percent of our potato acreage worldwide by the end of 2030.”
The undertaking will use the USDA funding to scale up an current soil well being technical help partnership, supporting sustainable farming that prioritizes soil well being by means of residue and tillage administration, cowl cropping, nutrient administration, soil carbon modification, and pest administration. Growers collaborating in this system will kind peer teaching cohorts to build their conservation plans with help from SHI. McCain has efficiently piloted this mannequin with SHI and growers in different areas.
Increasing sustainable agricultural practices
“Potatoes are a key ingredient in many of our products including soup and chips, so it is important for us to support our partner growers in adopting and increasing sustainable agricultural practices,” mentioned Stewart Lindsay, Campbell’s Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability.
“We are grateful for the USDA’s support and look forward to partnering to advance soil health and climate-smart agriculture practices in our supply chain.”
In 2021, McCain Foods established its Regenerative Agriculture Framework, designed to help farmers of their development to a extra regenerative farming mannequin for potatoes. The framework was developed in session with farmer representatives, college lecturers, scientific organizations, prospects, and non-profit organizations.
McCain’s RCPP undertaking is the latest in a collection of initiatives McCain has undergone to implement its regenerative agriculture framework because it was established.
This partnership can even contribute to Campbell’s ongoing potato sustainability program, together with different initiatives launched this yr to help its growers to undertake and measure the impression of regenerative agriculture practices.
The full checklist of this yr’s RCPP awards, together with McCain’s Improving Soil Health in Potato Supply Chains undertaking, will be discovered on the NRCS web site.
Source: McCain Foods USA
Contact:
Amy Griffith
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James Regan
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