Imagine farms that don’t just grow food, but actually heal the land, capture carbon, and support thriving communities. That’s the powerful vision behind regenerative agriculture (compensation), and consumer goods giant Unilever is betting big on it.
For Unilever, regenerative agriculture means farming practices that actively work to restore and enhance the health of the soil, water, biodiversity, and climate, while also improving the lives of farmers.
It’s not just about doing less harm; it’s about creating positive impact. Why is this a top priority? Unilever relies heavily on agricultural raw materials – things like tea, palm oil, vegetables, and dairy – for its vast array of products, from Dove soap to Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Climate change and nature loss directly threaten these supplies.
By shifting to regenerative methods, Unilever aims to build resilient supply chains, achieve its ambitious sustainability goals, including net zero emissions by 2039, and contribute positively to the planet. This commitment is a cornerstone of their €1 billion Climate & Nature Fund, launched to tackle environmental degradation head-on.
The Pillars of Unilever’s Regenerative Approach
Unilever’s strategy is built on several core principles that guide every project:
Soil is the Foundation: Healthy soil is crucial. Unilever promotes practices like no-till farming (minimizing soil disturbance), planting cover crops (keeping soil covered year-round), and using compost. Healthy soil stores more water, reduces erosion, and grows more nutritious crops.
Water Wisdom & Biodiversity Boost: Regenerative farming helps the land hold onto water better and protects water quality. Unilever encourages creating habitats for wildlife – planting hedgerows, restoring wetlands, and leaving areas for pollinators like bees. More biodiversity makes farms more resilient to pests and diseases.
Capturing Carbon: Farms using regenerative practices can pull significant amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it in the soil. Unilever has set a specific target: reducing greenhouse gas emissions from sourcing key crops by 30% per hectare by 2030. Healthy soil is key to achieving this.
Supporting Farmers Fairly: This transition can’t happen without the farmers. Unilever emphasizes improving farmer livelihoods, ensuring fair pay, promoting gender equity, and providing training. Thriving farmers are essential partners in building a regenerative future.
Flagship Programs & Tech
Unilever isn’t just talking; it’s actively implementing regenerative agriculture through concrete initiatives:
The Guiding Framework: In 2021, Unilever published its Regenerative Agriculture Principles, a clear roadmap for its suppliers and partners, covering soil health, water, biodiversity, climate, and farmer fairness.
Leading Projects:
- Knorr Partnership Program: This major initiative works directly with farmers growing ingredients like rice, tomatoes, and herbs. By the end of 2023, Knorr had already trained over 300,000 farmers in regenerative practices. Early results are promising, showing significant reductions in emissions per ton of crop.
- Ben & Jerry’s Dairy: Their iconic ice cream starts with milk. Ben & Jerry’s works with dairy farmers to implement practices like managed grazing (mimicking natural herds), planting diverse pastures, and reducing tillage to improve soil health on dairy farms.
- Responsible Palm Oil: Unilever is a founding member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). They are pushing beyond basic sustainability towards regenerative practices within their palm oil supply chain, aiming for full traceability and deforestation-free sourcing. Currently, over 25% of their palm oil is certified as sustainable through programs incorporating regenerative elements.
Tech Power: Unilever uses cutting-edge technology to scale and monitor progress. This includes satellite imaging to track land use changes, soil sensors to measure health improvements, and AI-driven tools to analyze farm data and provide tailored advice to farmers.
Supply Chain of Unlivelier Regenerative Agriculture
Bringing regenerative agriculture to life across Unilever’s vast global supply chain is a massive undertaking:
Farmer Training at Scale: Unilever’s bold goal is to train 1.5 million farmers in regenerative agriculture practices by 2030. This involves direct programs and collaborating with suppliers to educate the farmers who grow their ingredients.
Focus on Key Crops: The initial focus is on the crops with the biggest environmental footprint and sourcing volume: tea, soy, palm oil, dairy, vegetables (like onions and tomatoes), and cocoa. Unilever is developing tailored approaches for each.
Traceability & Trust: Knowing exactly where ingredients come from is vital. Unilever invests in digital traceability systems and partners with certification bodies (like Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade) to verify regenerative practices are being followed on the ground.
Fair Finance: Transitioning to regenerative farming can involve upfront costs and risks for farmers. Unilever is exploring financial models like paying premium prices for regeneratively grown crops, cost-sharing for new equipment (like no-till planters), and long-term contracts to provide farmers with stability.
Collaboration is Key: Building Partnerships
Unilever knows it can’t do this alone. Strong partnerships are essential:
Industry Alliances: Unilever works through groups like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) Platform to develop common standards, share best practices, and drive industry-wide change.
NGO Expertise: Partnerships with environmental organizations like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Rainforest Alliance provide crucial scientific knowledge, on-the-ground conservation expertise, and help connect with farming communities globally.
Academic Research: Collaborating with leading institutions like Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands ensures their approach is grounded in the latest science and helps develop innovative solutions for measuring impact and overcoming challenges.
Progress and Challenges
So, is it working? Unilever is tracking progress through key metrics:
Environmental Wins
- Carbon: Pilot projects show significant reductions. For example, Knorr rice projects in Spain achieved an average 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per ton compared to conventional methods. Similar results are seen in vegetable projects.
- Biodiversity: Initiatives like planting thousands of kilometers of hedgerows and creating pollinator habitats on participating farms are measurably increasing wildlife presence.
- Water & Soil: Improved soil health is leading to better water retention and reduced runoff. Soil organic matter – a key health indicator – is increasing on regenerative farms.
Social Progress: Programs focusing on farmer livelihoods are reporting results. Some Knorr partnership farmers have seen income increases of 20% or more due to better yields, premium prices, and reduced input costs. Gender equity programs are also empowering women farmers within the supply chain.
Real Challenges
Scaling this globally remains difficult. Key hurdles include:
- Scalability: Reaching millions of diverse smallholder farmers requires massive resources and adaptable models.
- Verification: Accurately measuring complex outcomes like soil carbon sequestration or biodiversity gains across vast geographies is technically challenging and expensive.
- Smallholder Inclusion: Ensuring small-scale farmers, who produce much of the world’s food, have the resources, knowledge, and market access to adopt regenerative practices is critical but complex.
Looking Ahead: The 2030 Vision and Beyond
Unilever’s regenerative agriculture journey is accelerating, with clear goals driving it forward:
Ambitious 2030 Targets: The headline goal is that 100% of key ingredients sourced from agriculture will come from suppliers using regenerative agriculture practices by 2030. This is a massive commitment covering a huge portion of their raw materials.
Shaping Policy: Unilever actively advocates for policies that support regenerative agriculture, aligning with frameworks like the EU Green Deal to create a more enabling environment for sustainable farming.
Influencing the Industry: As one of the world’s largest food and consumer goods companies, Unilever’s actions set a precedent.
Their collaborations, learnings, and public commitments create ripple effects, encouraging peers like Nestlé and PepsiCo (who have their own regenerative ag programs) and pushing the entire sector towards more sustainable sourcing.
Conclusion
Unilever’s regenerative agriculture push proves that sustainable farming isn’t just good for the planet—it’s essential for resilient supply chains and thriving communities.
While challenges like scalability and farmer inclusion remain, the company’s ambitious 2030 targets set a bold example for the industry. The future of food depends on regenerative practices, and Unilever’s commitment shows that big business can lead the way.
