I have been around farms and farmers my entire life, spending my professional career working with and learning from farmers across the United States. My start came on our family’s dairy farm in Central New York State, and it was there that I learned plenty of lessons on failure, hard work, and, of course, creative problem-solving. It’s why I’m so passionate about not only doing the right thing supporting farmers but doing it in the right way. But what is the right way?

After all, ask a hundred farmers the same question, and you might get a hundred different answers. The important thing, however, is that you asked since farmers are some of the greatest problem solvers we have. It’s most important that farmers remain in the driver’s seat when it comes to advancing farm practices like regenerative agriculture, and this is one of the reasons I’ve always fought to keep them at the center of my work – from the smallest jobs to the biggest challenges. You might say my motto is, “If we do right by the farmer, then we’re on the right track.”

One of the challenges we’re currently facing - transforming the US food system to a lower-carbon model - is certainly one of the biggest and most complex topics facing farmers and the businesses that rely on them, businesses like Mars Petcare US. For us, the growing of crops and raw materials for our nutritious pet food is both the largest part of our carbon footprint and one of the most challenging to address. This is why transitioning to climate-smart agricultural practices is a priority for Mars Petcare US and a key pillar in the Mars, Inc. Net Zero 2050 Roadmap.

Direct connection to farmers

Ultimately, this is an issue that affects all of us, so solving it will require significant collaboration. While we are proud at Mars Petcare to have always worked closely with our US suppliers and farmers, we also continue to hire in-house specialists, as well as broker new collaborations with external experts. Experts like those at Bayer and its ForGround platform.

ForGround by Bayer is a comprehensive, farmer-centric platform that supports farms of all sizes to more easily transition to regenerative agricultural practices – from the incorporation of cover crops to the reduction, or elimination, of tillage. All of which can aid farm resilience by improving soil health, reducing erosion, increasing soil water holding capacity, and reducing inputs – and, of course, helping farmers generate revenue for the carbon they sequester in their soils. The platform is designed to meet all growers’ needs wherever they are on their regenerative agriculture journey.

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Though we may only be at the beginning of a long-term journey to support farmers as they build out their regenerative farming practices, I am confident that our work with Bayer can help move things forward. Why? Because our collaboration is rooted in some of the most effective farming principles:

1. Listening to those who know best

At Mars Petcare US, we regularly use our programs as a platform to listen to – and learn from – farmers, and Bayer’s ForGround platform is no different. In doing so, we can support ongoing change in a way that is sensitive to both diverse farm systems and unique farming challenges.

2. Working towards a common goal

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By listening to what farmers need, we can better provide them with what they need: quality agronomic advice from known, on-the-ground representatives. With both parties working together, we can scale our programs, speed up the transition to regenerative farming, and increase our impact on the sector.

3. Learning from past experience

Collecting and analyzing past data means we can better understand how our program should be adapted on a farm-by-farm basis. Plus, through the ForGround collaboration, growers can utilize Bayer’s connected Digital Ag platform – Climate FieldView™ – to help track and measure progress on all of their fields.

4. Using the right tools for the job

ForGround-enrolled farmers are supported by a Sustainable Agronomy team via on-farm visits, remote assistance, and the latest regenerative agriculture practice research. They also get access to new technologies that help minimize soil disturbance, build on the use of cover crops, and improve crop diversity and rotation.

5. Securing financial support

Finally, because we know change requires investment, Mars Petcare US is committing to enrolled farmers by including a per-acre incentive to help set them up for a long-term transition. Farmers taking part in the program will also receive discounts and rebates on equipment for conservation tillage (no-till and strip-till), the use of cover crops, and digital tools.

Practical steps towards a pivotal target

Across three years, Mars Petcare US will invest up to $10 million to support farmers in adopting and expanding regenerative agriculture practices, including those within Mars Petcare's US ingredient supply chain. Initially rolling out across Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, we aim to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the farms over the course of the collaboration.

While encouraging farmers to adopt regenerative farming practices at scale will be no easy feat, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from working with farmers nationwide, it’s that they’re pretty good at overcoming the odds.

Adam Hardie is the Climate and Sustainable Sourcing Lead for Mars Petcare US, Inc., part of the Mars, Incorporated family of companies, where he leads the effort to design and execute a more sustainable sourcing strategy for the North America region while helping to deliver on the broader Mars, Incorporated’s Net Zero 2050 Roadmap.