Unilever’s food sustainability chief on proving regen ag works

Most major food players are now betting on a regenerative future. They’ve got a broad range of tools at their disposal, like cover cropping and no-till farming, all aimed at restoring long-term ecosystem fertility.

Now that big-name companies are onboard, regenerative agriculture is gaining ground. Unilever is a case in point: the food giant has committed to transition one million hectares of conventional agriculture to regenerative farming by 2030.

Five years out, the company is “absolutely on track”, says Unilever’s global foods sustainability lead Dorothy Shaver.

The big challenge now, for everyone moving towards regenerative farming, is proving that it works.

What Unilever wants from regen ag reportingSo far, Unilever has already put regenerative agriculture (regen ag) into action on 23 projects covering 130,000 hectares of land. These cover vegetables for Knorr bouillon cubes, and soybeans and rapeseed for Hellmann’s mayonnaise.

But putting programmes in place is not enough. Companies like Unilever need to measure the outcomes of these projects to know what’s working, what’s not, and how projects can be improved.

So where does a food major like Unilever start? First up, with a set of practical metrics that track real project outcomes.

The approach is two-pronged: each outcome needs to be specific to the programme, and industry should be aligned on which metrics to use. Unilever is working with the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to advance progress on both.

The goal is to regenerate whatever has been degenerated, explains Shaver. “It can’t be a generic, overarching framework. It must be designed for certain crops in certain areas that are suffering from certain things.”

Unilever is supporting regenerative farming for its Knorr and Hellmann’s ingredients. (Image: Unilever)That’s why Unilever is firm in its focus on what it achieves, not just what goes in. If a practice restores precious but diminishing resources, such as water, soil or biodiversity, it’s regenerative.

No single, unified definition of regenerative agriculture exists. But if it did, a prescriptive, catch-all definition won’t be able to accurately measure if a project is regenerating ecosystems, stresses Shaver.

An approach to regenerative agriculture in the thirsty fields of Spain cannot mirror that of a tropical environment. “You can’t compare water saved in an area that’s drought-ridden, to an area that isn’t.”

Is regenerative agriculture worth the cost?Tracking environmental outcomes is not the only goal for business. Unilever wants to see social outcomes and like anyone in a for-profit organisation, return on investment.

Evaluating farmer livelihoods throughout the process is an important piece of the puzzle, and all outcomes can be linked. If farmers’ crop yields are higher, crop quality is improved, and less labour on the field is required, that’s the best outcome for all involved.

There is a “strong push” to bring financial metrics – such as return on investment, cost saving, and yield gains – into the equation, too. Progress on this has been bubbling away in the background, suggests the food sustainability chief.

“It needs to be a coalition-based approach across the industry, and we need to make sure we have science to back it up. That’s very much evolving.”

A new report is helping on the research side of things. According to the European Alliance for Regenerative Agriculture (EARA), regenerative agricultural practices make farms more efficient than those using traditional farming methods. The EARA concludes that regenerative agriculture, if adopted in full, could even make farming in Europe carbon negative.

How business can help farmers make the switchFarmers have been working the land in a conventional way for years, and often, generations. Encouraging a farmer to move away from traditional practices such as tilling or heavy fertiliser use, towards regenerative alternatives, is a big change.

Companies like Unilever are asking farmers to take a risk, agrees Shaver. “The risk is big and could potentially impact the livelihood of the farmer. They know that if they move away from practices they’re used to, there could be a reduction in yield – in the short term.”

The solution is to share that risk, explains the food sustainability lead. Different stakeholders can partake in risk sharing, from governments to suppliers and manufacturers. Unilever agrees to share that risk if a crop fails, or if yield decreases.

Another way to help get farmers over the line is to show that regen ag is working. None of the 23 projects Unilever has instigated has resulted in a loss in yield.

In southern Spain, Unilever has seen an influx in neighbouring farms adopting regenerative agricultural practices after setting up its own project for tomatoes. The water-scarce areas had suffered from failed harvests in recent years, and Unilever has helped install drip irrigation to use less water more efficiently. Other practices instigated include cover cropping, and using fewer and more organic fertilisers.

Qualitative data suggests everything is on the up: from yield to quality, biodiversity, and importantly, the number of farmers turning to regen ag in the area. Farmers have been able to prove greater resilience in the face of unexpected weather events, Shaver explains.

Unilever is helping tomato farmers in Spain transition to regenerative agriculture. (Image: Getty/Javi Sanz)Looking to quantitative data, Unilever says it’s long been working with farmers on indicators and measurements. Digital tools that track progress can prove a “major unlock”, particularly when it comes to carbon emissions.

Examples of data-reporting technology leveraged by Unilever include sustainable food operations tool Muddy Boots and NASA’s Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture (SARA) initiative.

What’s next for regenerative agriculture?The future is regenerative, believes Unilever, which is advocating for government policy to support the same vision. Farmers must be “continuously rewarded” for using environmentally friendly practices, stresses Shaver.

It’s not up to one business alone to prove regenerative agriculture is paying off. “We need other farmers to come on board, we need other businesses, financial investors and policymakers to show that it’s working. And of course, we need to report on progress.”

The final link in the chain is the consumer. According to fresh research, an overwhelming majority of people – whether in poorer or richer nations – want stronger climate action.

Shaver is hopeful that industry can encourage consumers to care more about how their food is grown. She wants to lean into storytelling and visuals to get there.

“I really hope brands don’t just shift to using words that don’t make any sense to people. It’s really important that we make sustainable food easier to navigate.”