Leading retail and global food and beverage companies including PepsiCo and Unilever have launched Supporting Trusted Engagement and Partnership (STEP) up for Agriculture (STEP up for Ag), a pre-competitive initiative designed to strengthen the capacity and sustainability of farmer-facing support organizations across North America.

"PepsiCo is rooted in agriculture, and farmers are at the heart of our food systems,” says PepsiCo Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrews. “STEP up for Ag is about investing in the organizations that support farmers every day, aiming to ensure they can grow, innovate and lead the transition to more sustainable agriculture."

Regenerative agriculture can promote healthier soil, as well as reduce agricultural emissions, enhance biodiversity and watershed health, and help raise the standard of living for farmers and farming communities. It's why PepsiCo — which sources approximately 50 key agricultural crops and ingredients from more than 60 countries around the world — has a goal to drive the adoption of regenerative agriculture, restorative or protective practices across 10 million acres by 2030.

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Scaling regenerative agriculture requires more than just technical solutions — it depends on trusted relationships and local expertise. Farmers are more likely to adopt new practices when they see clear benefits and receive guidance from organizations they know and trust. That's why farmer-led, farmer-facing support groups are critical to the success of corporate regenerative agriculture programs.

"The PepsiCo program has given me the flexibility to try a lot of the regenerative practices I have wanted to implement and across more acres,” says Chris Beaudry, fourth generation farmer in St. Front, Saskatchewan and South East Research Farm member. “When we decided to do this regenerative agriculture thing, we wanted to be playing the long game. Something that will benefit our soil, that will benefit me if I am farming in my 50s and 60s or my kids if they are farming after me. When you, as a farmer, start looking at your soil having an interdependent relationship with you, then you can start making decisions that benefit you, benefit the crop and benefit us as humans as well."

STEP Up for Agriculture seeks to strengthen local organizations by equipping them with tools, training and resources needed to support farmers on the ground. This approach is designed to unlock scale and accelerate adoption across diverse geographies, creating a ripple effect of trust and innovation throughout the supply chain.

"Regenerative agriculture is a big part of how we're building a stronger, more resilient supply chain and food system – and Unilever is committed to rolling out regenerative agriculture principles across 1 million hectares globally by 2030," says Kristina Friedman, head of sustainability for Unilever North America. "STEP up for Ag can help us move faster and smarter, empowering farmer-led groups with the tools they need and opening doors to more great suppliers to grow our business. Our longstanding work with Practical Farmers of Iowa has been game-changing, and this next chapter is a huge step forward."

Through STEP up for Ag, corporate and philanthropic partners will provide funding and strategic support to help farmer support organizations:

• Develop business and strategic plans to boost profitability and local economies
• Expand staffing and training to better equip farmers with the tools of the future
• Establish measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems to track sustainable progress against goals
• Enhance implementation capabilities to support scalability
• Access new revenue streams and partnerships to grow support for farmers over time

Transitioning more farms to regenerative agriculture requires deep collaboration—no single company or organization can do it alone. By working together across sectors, STEP up for Ag is building a shared ecosystem of support that empowers farmers and drives lasting change at scale.

Over the next two years, STEP up for Ag will aim to facilitate peer learning, host annual in-person workshops and develop shared tools and resources to scale impact.

Looking ahead, STEP up for Ag is launching its first European pilot with the farmer-led cooperative Garlan in Spain. Over the next year, Garlan — supported by the Earthworm Foundation — will design its own regenerative agriculture program to offer to farmers, improving access to guidance and advice on regenerative practices. This pilot builds on earlier engagement in Türkiye, where EIT Food hosted a regional workshop that brought together farmer support organizations, corporate partners and NGOs to explore how STEP Up for Ag could take shape locally.