As part of its commitment to sustainability, McCain Foods is offering Canadian farmers training and support so they can adopt regenerative farming practices.supplied
How growers are getting the support they need to switch to regenerative agriculture
Things are changing at Riverview Farms, the Hartland, NB, farm owned and operated by Shawn Paget.
Riverview is one of more than 65 New Brunswick farms that grows potatoes destined to be turned into French fries, hash browns, potato patties, Smiles and other potato products for McCain Foods. And thanks to training and support provided by the company, Mr. Paget, a third-generation farmer, is adopting regenerative farming practices that are saving money – and building soil health.
Growers like Mr. Paget are up against increasing challenges, from climate change to input costs and regulatory uncertainty. Mr. Paget describes that by switching over to regenerative agriculture practices, he’s been able to reduce the use of fertilizer and reduce tillage on his crops. This has not only led to improved yields and quality but with McCain’s help, Mr. Paget has been able to reduce his costs and labour, which has made Riverview more sustainable. These methods are not only efficient and profitable, but are also reducing the farm’s carbon footprint.
“It really reduces our stress levels, which makes things easier for my family,” Mr. Paget says.
Regenerative agriculture is an ecosystem-based approach to farming that increases farm resilience by enhancing soil health, protecting biodiversity, and improving and reducing dependency on synthetic materials. The goal? To mitigate on-farm climate impact, minimize carbon emissions, build soil health and resilience, and improve the quality and yield of the potato crop.
“Our roots are on the farm, and that is where our heart remains,” says Charlie Angelakos, vice president of global external affairs and sustainability for McCain.
That commitment to the farm is why the company has partnered with Farm Credit Canada (FCC) to introduce a program that offers a scale of increasing incentives as farmers move up McCain’s Regenerative Agriculture Framework, which is “essentially our roadmap guiding the progression to regenerative farming,” says Mr. Angelakos.
In addition to financial incentives to help growers adopt regenerative farming, McCain also provides expert training with partner the Soil Health Institute on implementing practices such as diversifying crops, optimizing input use, and minimizing tillage — which improves soil health, retains carbon in the earth, and builds critical resilience on the farm.
A cornerstone of McCain’s commitment to sustainability is a 2030 pledge to implement regenerative agricultural practices across 100 per cent of its potato acres worldwide and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from potato farming, storage and freight by 25 per cent.
Regenerative farming allows farmers to reduce their use of fertilizer and tillage, improving crop quality and yields—and reducing costs, labour and the farm's carbon footprint.supplied
So far, it has seen an eight per cent reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne from potato farming, storage and freight, and water-use efficiency has improved by 11 per cent in water-stressed regions.
“Our sustainability initiatives will help ensure farming practices respect modern world challenges like climate change, population growth, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and food waste,” says Mr. Angelakos. “While potatoes overall have one of the lowest carbon footprints across all food categories, in light of what is happening in the world we need to step up our efforts to reach our goal and achieve a 25 per cent carbon emission reduction by 2030.”
It is a commitment to work closely with its farmer partners that will be key to McCain’s success, adds Mr. Angelakos.
In addition to its training and partnership with FCC, McCain worked closely with McDonald’s Canada to launch the McDonald’s McCain Future of Potato Farming Fund. The $1-million fund aims to safeguard Canada’s potato farming industry through cost-sharing farmer adoption of regenerative practices.
Mr. Paget submitted an application to McDonald’s McCain Future of Potato Farming Fund to install an under seed kit that will under seed a cover crop in one pass. In his application he says that having this kit will “increase soil cover, reduce soil erosion and increase crop diversity.”
McCain also offers its farmers multi-year contracts to ensure long-term revenue and create capacity to invest in the transition to regenerative agriculture.
“They make it more enticing for farmers to actually switch over,” Mr. Paget says.
On a global scale, McCain works with growers across five continents through programs such as Farms of the Future in locations like Canada (in McCain’s hometown of Florenceville, NB) and South Africa. These farms help the company better understand the impacts of regenerative agriculture at a commercial scale; learnings are shared with farmers all over the world.
In Europe, McCain partnered with Credit Agricole, the first bank for farmers in France, to offer support for the transition to regenerative agriculture, while the McCain Potato Farmer Pledge in Great Britain is investing £25 million over five years to support British growers.
“We are proud to both reward farmers who are leading the way on regenerative agriculture and reduce barriers for those who are starting the journey,” says Mr. Angelakos.
As of last year, 97 per cent of McCain’s global potato volume was certified for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), which surpasses the company’s goal of 95 per cent volume by 2025.
McCain made a lot of progress toward its other sustainability goals in 2022 as well. Since the rollout of the McCain Regenerative Agriculture Framework, 362 growers have been trained through partnerships in North America, France and Great Britain. As a result, 47 per cent of its global potato acreage has implemented at least one indicator from the “Beginner” level of the Framework.
McCain stepped up its research efforts, too, through partnerships with the University of Guelph, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Dalhousie University and Cornell University. Meanwhile, soil health assessments are underway so McCain can gather helpful data on organic matter.
And early evidence on Mr. Paget’s Riverview Farms indicates McCain’s sustainable farming practices are resulting in increased crop yields and better quality potatoes. Mr. Paget is grateful for the support he’s received while working with McCain and appreciates that the company is looking out for the future of farming. He has a 12-year-old son and hopes that one day, he’ll pass the Riverview Farms down to a fourth generation.
“Farming is our livelihood,” he says. “If we don’t start making changes now, there will be nothing for my son in 30 years. We need to take care of what we have and make it the best we can for the future.”
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with McCain. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.