ADM reveals results of the first year of the Regeneration program

Launched in 2023 in Brazil by ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), one of the largest agribusiness companies in the world, the Regeneration program has just released the results of its first stage of implementation. The initial project involved around 16 soybean producers from the regions of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul. In total, 25 thousand hectares were mapped. 

The initiative was carried out with the support of Bayer, which developed, together with Embrapa, a calculator to measure the carbon footprint of tropical climate crops. André Germanos, ADM's Carbon and Regenerative Agriculture Business Manager for Latin America, explained in a press conference on Tuesday (3) that this was an important process, since most calculators available on the market are calibrated with climate and soil data related to crops in the United States or Europe. 

“This program was quite intense. We started off with a lot of interaction, visiting producers, understanding their production methods and collecting specific data, that is, evidence for use in the calculator,” he said. 

The first stage consisted of comparing areas that adopt good agricultural practices registered in the program to a benchmark, that is, an international standard used by companies when they need to declare the carbon footprint of soybeans purchased, exported or processed. Based on this analysis, a 50% reduction in emissions was found in relation to the average number reported. 

Based on the results obtained, the second stage of the program should come into effect immediately.

The initiative, 100% funded by ADM, will collect soil samples in order to measure how much carbon agriculture is capable of capturing.

The rural producer participating in the program, Lisandra Zamboni, said that, at first, she viewed the program with distrust. After analyzing more carefully what information she would need to share and the results she could obtain, Lisandra began to see the initiative as an opportunity to implement new sustainable practices. The producer grows soybeans on 1,2 hectares, of which 15% were monitored by the ADM team. 

Eduardo Rodrigues, ADM's new grain director, stressed that Regenerative Agriculture goes far beyond improving the soil or increasing sustainability, in line with the company's values.

“In this first year, we faced many challenges and learning experiences, and with the partnership of our partners, we were able to reflect the impacts of the actions carried out,” he highlighted.