b'PARTNER CONTENTWorking Together onRegenerative AgricultureBY: JESS NEWMAN, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY AT MCCAIN FOODSL ast year, McCain announced our commitment to support our growers in adopting regenerative agriculture on 100 per cent of our potato acres by 2030. We tended to hear three main questions from our growers about this: Why? How will we measure this? Will I be kicked out if I dont do this? The why is simple: climate change is an existential threat to supply security in the potato industry. Regenerative agriculture helps reduce carbon emissions while building soil health and agronomic resilience to climate shocks. We also believe regenerative agriculture will build financial resilience. Were only interested in promoting practices that make both agronomic and economic sense. We took a critical step forward to answer the second question aboutMcCain Foods Soil Health Institute Field Day.jpgCameron Ogilvie with the Soil Health Institute speaks to growers at the McCain Foods Soil Health Institute Field Day in Alberta. measurement this year. In June, wePHOTO: MCCAIN FOODSreleased our regenerative agriculture framework. The framework defines aWe recently completed our voluntarybut ultimately respect that what you regenerative potato acre by settingbaseline survey to measure growerdo on your farm is your decision. Our clear beginner, master, and expertacreage against the framework. Sixty- local agronomy and field teams are criteria for each of the seven principlesfive per cent of our growers completedsimply asking for the opportunity of regenerative agriculture. We believethis for the 2021 crop year. The resultsto work together in partnership on it creates a credible, clear industryshowed that almost 100 per cent of ourtrialing regenerative practices that standard for our consumer whileacres are managed with at least oneexcite you.allowing a flexible menu approach forregenerative practice, which is greatWe know regenerative agriculture growers to choose the principles thatnews. We have some acreage at theis a polarizing topic, but we see it fit best with their operation and region.beginner, master, and expert levels asas an exciting opportunity to build The framework was developed withwell. Our goal is to support our growersresilience, reduce costs, and own the a cross-sectoral group of growers,to get 50 per cent of our potato acresnarrative about our amazing crop. academics, government officials, NGOs,to the beginner level by 2030.As always, please reach out to your and McCain staff. It was important toTo the third questionwill Ilocal McCain agronomy and field release the framework publicly so webe kicked out if I dont adoptteams with questions, comments, and could get feedback, be clear about ourregenerative?the answer is simplyideas for partnership on regenerative goals, and hold ourselves accountable.no. Working with us on regenerativeagriculture. Whatever you have been Having this definition also allows usagriculture is voluntary. We believethinking about tryingwe want to to speak credibly to consumers andin these practices for all the reasonshelp. Our number one priority is to go shift the narrative to show how potatoabove and are working to build theon this journey in partnership with our growers are part of the solution toregion-specific evidence base ongrowers, who are the heart and soul of climate change.agronomic and economic benefits,our company and delicious products. SPUDSMART.COM Fall 202225'