Cargill Supports New York Outcomes Fund to Promote Sustainable Agriculture
Cargill has partnered with the New York Outcomes Fund to provide financial support for farmers to adopt regenerative agricultural practices. The New York Outcomes Fund, launched this year, aims to incentivize farmers to implement sustainable practices such as growing cover crops and reducing tillage. With Cargill’s additional financial backing, the program can now enroll 10,000 acres, compared to the initial target of 1,000 acres.
Pay-for-Performance Approach
The New York Outcomes Fund utilizes a “pay-for-performance” approach, compensating farmers for positive environmental outcomes resulting from the implementation of regenerative practices. These outcomes include reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in water quality. For instance, planting cover crops between cash crops like corn and soybeans can reduce erosion, enhance soil health and water quality, and sequester carbon. However, cover cropping requires upfront costs for farmers, which the New York Outcomes Fund seeks to underwrite.
Collaboration and Measurement
The New York Outcomes Fund collaborates with farmers to measure changes in greenhouse gas emissions and soil and water quality before and after the adoption of regenerative practices. Farmers who enroll in the program receive half of their contracted payment upfront and the other half when environmental outcomes are measured.
Cargill’s Commitment to Sustainability
Cargill has sustainability commitments in three priority areas: climate, land and water, and people. The company aims to advance regenerative agriculture practices across 10 million acres of North American farmland by 2030. Evan Bild, Go-to-Market leader for Cargill’s environmental markets team, emphasizes that paying for outcomes rather than practices gives farmers flexibility in choosing the practices that best suit their specific location, crops, and business model.
Partnership and Support
The New York Outcomes Fund is a partnership between Cornell University, the New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association, and the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund. The collaboration brings together the expertise of these organizations to support farmers in adopting sustainable practices. The New York Outcomes Fund also provides experienced agronomists to offer technical assistance to farmers, helping them navigate data requirements and implement regenerative practices effectively.
Positive Farmer Feedback
Farmers who have enrolled in the New York Outcomes Fund express their satisfaction with the program. Andrew McIlroy, a member of the New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association, enrolled over 40% of his Genesee County farm in the program and commended the ease of enrollment and the support provided by the team. He believes that the New York Outcomes Fund is a valuable tool for farmers to explore new practices on their land.
The New York Outcomes Fund will be showcased at the New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association Summer Crop Tour in Seneca Falls on August 10.
Krisy Gashler is a freelance writer for Cornell Atkinson.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 2: Zero Hunger | 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding, and other disasters, and that progressively improve land and soil quality. | – Adoption of regenerative agricultural practices like growing cover crops and reducing tillage. – Increase in farm yields through improved soil health. |
| SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater, and increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. | – Improvement in water quality as a result of regenerative agricultural practices. |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning. | – Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of regenerative agricultural practices. |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. | – Improvement in soil health through regenerative agricultural practices. |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. | – Collaboration between Cornell University, New York Corn and Soybean Growers Association, Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, and Cargill to implement the New York Outcomes Fund. |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: news.cornell.edu
Join us, as fellow seekers of change, on a transformative journey at https://sdgtalks.ai/welcome, where you can become a member and actively contribute to shaping a brighter future.
